Tipperary close the gap in Div 3

On Sunday last Sligo made the long trip to Tipperary to Ned
Hall Park, Clonmel for their Round 4 game in the Tesco Homegrown National
Football League.  They met previously in
last year’s League when Tipperary defeated them by ten points in Sligo IT GAA Grounds.  Sligo coming from a Round three victory over
Offaly and scoring 6-13 on the day were not going to be an easy game for
Tipperary. 

In the opening seven minutes of the game Tipperary laid down
a marker straight away with a five point lead; three from Gillian O’Brien and
one each from Mairead Morrissey and Claire Carroll.  Sligo’s Noelle Gormley raised the green flag
in the seventh minute to lessen the divide but Tipperary’s Claire Carroll
returned the double score deficit with a point in the tenth minute.  Both teams had now settled and the game
flowed with very little between the sides for the next five minutes until
Tipperary’s Lorraine O’Shea sustained an injury due to a collision with a Sligo
player.  Maeve Hackett was called from
the bench to replace Lorraine in the seventeenth minute.  This break in play unsettled the Tipperary
team and Sligo regrouped and took advantage by scoring two goals and two points
in the next five minutes to take control of the game and race in to a five
point lead. Tipperary stopped the rot in the twenty fourth minute with a point
from Alison Lonergan. This proved to be an important score as Tipperary
finished the half stronger and goals by Mairead Morrissey and Gillian O’Brien
helped the Premier County to a one point interval lead – Tipperary 2-7 Sligo 3-3.

Tipperary came out in the second half knowing that they
would have the advantage of the wind and scored two unanswered points before
Sligo’s Stephanie O’Reilly equalised the game with another goal.  Shauna Ryan put Tipperary back on top when
she scored a point though, Sligo’s ability to score goals was making it very
hard for Tipperary to retain the lead. 
In the fortieth minute Stephanie again netted the ball to put Sligo out
in front by two points. Tipperary responded with points from the Carroll sisters
Edith and Claire to bring the sides level heading in to the final quarter. The
game was now in the melting pot but with 11 minutes remaining, Edith Carroll
scored a Tipperary goal to put them in front for good. Having put in a valiant
effort which resulted in five goals, Sligo were visibly tiring and Tipperary
took full advantage in the closing stages. Alison Lonergan scored two late
goals while Shauna Ryan also raised a green flag and by the final whistle,
Tipperary ran out winners by a flattering 13 point margin – Tipperary 6-13
Sligo 5-3. In these difficult weather conditions Tipperary Ladies County Board
would like to thank Clonmel Óg for the use of their facilities which were to
the highest possible standards.

 

Tipperary Team

Aisling O’Connor (Cahir), Brid Condon (Aherlow), Samantha
Lambert (Ardfinnan), Sinead Delahunty (Foxrock/Cabinteely), Siobhan Condon
(Aherlow), Jennifer Grant (Brian Borus), Barbara Ryan (Moyle Rovers – Captain),
Niamh Lonergan (Moyle Rovers), Gillian O’Brien (Moyle Rovers), Edith Carroll
(Galtee Rovers), Claire Carroll (Galtee Rovers), Lorraine O’Shea (Mullinahone),
Alison Lonergan (Galtee Rovers), Mairead Morrissey (Brian Borus), Shauna Ryan
(Ballymacarbry).

Subs used – Maeve
Hackett (Moycarkey Borris) for Lorraine O’Shea (Mullinahone), Lorraine O’Shea
(Mullinahone) for Niamh Lonergan (Moyle Rovers), Rachel Kenneally (Aherlow) for
Maeve Hackett (Moycarkey Borris)

Scorers – Alison
Lonergan 2-1, Gillian O’Brien 1-3, Mairead Morrissey 1-2 (0-1 frees), Shauna
Ryan 1-2, Claire Carroll 0-4, Edith Carroll 1-1

By Michelle Donnelly

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