Tyrone 5-15
Laois 1-10
The Tyrone ladies will continue in the top tier of ladies football next season after they turned in a powerhouse display against Laois in front of a bumper crowd at Drumragh on Sunday. It was a winner take all tie with the losers destined for the drop to division two and Tyrone, who had failed to register any points in this league campaign ahead of Sunday certainly turned on the syle. Despite conceeding three early points to the impressive Noirin Kirwan, once the defence found their feet all the action was at the other end. Tyrone led by 15 points at the break with goals from Grainne Rafferty, Cathy Donnelly and the returning from injury Niamh O’Neill. Laois to their credit tried hard to find the target but Christiane Hunter and Emma Mulgrew shored up the full back line as Neamh Woods pulled the strings . Tyrone were assured and powerful going forward their fast movement and skill leaving the visitors chasing shadows. Impressive work from Angie McShane and Emma Hegarty.
The second period was no different as Joiline Donnelly and veteran Gemma Begley added further goals with young forward Emma Smyth ending the day with a decent haul of 0-5. 5-14 of Tyrone’s 5-15 came from play on a day when ten different players scored including Tori McLaughlin and Shannon Quinn who certainly was delighted to be back after a long lay off through injury.
The Tyrone management team rung the changes in the final fifteen minutes with seven changes and it appeared to unsettle things as Martina Dunne 0-3 and a goal from Charlotte Delaney took the bad look of things for the visitors on a day best forgotten by them.
For Tyrone it was a deserved victory, a day when everything clicked and they will now focus on the Ulster championship and a quarter final with Cavan in June, before that it’s back to the clubs with the new league season beginning this week and of course plenty of preparation for that June date.
MATCH STATS
SCORERS
TYRONE Joline Donnelly 1-2, Cathy Donnelly 1-2, Emma Smyth 0-5,Gemma Begley 1-1, Grainne Rafferty 1-1, Niamh O’Neill 1-0, Nicola Donnelly, Tori McLaughlin, Shannon Quinn, Mairead Conwell 0-1 each
LAOIS Noirin Kirwan 0-6, Martina Dunne 0-3, Charolette Delaney 1-0, Laura Marie Maher 0-1
TEAMS
TYRONE: Shannon Lynch ,Karen Quinn ,Christane Hunter, Emma Louise Mulgrew, Grainne Rafferty, Neamh Woods, Emma Hegarty, Shannon Quinn, Gemma Begley, Joline Donnelly ,Emma Smyth, Niamh O’Neill, Angie Mc Shane, Cathy Donnelly, Tori Mc Laughlin
SUBS Siobhan Sheerin For Rafferty, Zoe Loughran For O’Neill, Michaela McGuigan For Hegarty, Mairead Conwell for Smyth, Maria Donnelly For Begley, Nicola Donnelly For McLaughlin, Joanne Barrett For Hunter
LAOIS: Caiomhe Egan, Liz Brophy, Grainne Dunne, Megan Dunne, Alison Taylor, Orla Carroll, Aine Haberlin, Fiona Dooley, Graiine Moran, Charlotte Delaney, Noirn Kirwan, Laura Marie Maher, Claire Conlon, Martina Dunne, Kate Reddon
