Tyrone edge Mayo at the death as winless run continues

LIDL LADIES NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Mayo 2-11

Tyrone 1-15

SWINFORD

A late point from substitute Áine Strain was enough for Tyrone to pip hosts Mayo and saw them steal the show at the death on Sunday in Swinford.

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With 33 minutes played in the second half and Mayo four points clear, having weathered the storm and playing with 13 women on the pitch for the guts of ten minutes, everyone in the ground would have been satisfied with how Liam McHale’s charges played for the majority of the match.

However, a lapse in concentration saw Tyrone substitute Grainne McKenna ghost in behind the defence to get on the end of a dangerous ball and roll a shot underneath Charlie Reilly Benson in the Mayo net to leave the minimum between the sides.

Fellow impact sub Aine Strain levelled proceedings after a marauding run, before repeating the trick to see her side edge ahead for the first time.

Mayo’s Milly Sheridan almost saved the day with the last kick of the game when she charged through on goal, however, with the option of squaring the game or winning it with a goal, she chose to go for the onion-bag.

Tyrone goalkeeper Amelia Coyle rushed from her line to smother the shot and ensure that it would be the guests' cheers filling the Swinford air at the expense of Mayo’s

It was a day in which Tyrone’s subs were crucial, as they notched 1-4 in the second half, much to the delight of manager Darren McCann.

In contrast, while there may be plenty to take from the clash for Liam McHale, it’s a grim sight when you look at the table, especially with a trip to unbeaten Armagh next on the agenda.

Mayo sought to make the most of the wind at their backs in Act One and pressed aggressively on the visitor’s kick-outs from the start.

It took four minutes for Mayo to open the scoring when Sinead Walsh converted a free from the right. Milly Sheridan doubled the advantage after Hannah Reape offloaded from a similar position soon after.

Forays into the opposition half were few and far between from Tyrone, and this was highlighted by the fact they only managed two points from open play in the first half, albeit against a stiff breeze.

Half-forward Ellen McNamee opened their account ten in. However, her opposite number, Ciara Durkin, returned the favour with immediate effect, swiftly followed by a Walsh free.

Another McNamee free for Tyrone coupled with a fine Aoife McGahan effort had the visitors within touching distance.

Walsh was in imperious form at full-forward, and scored four Mayo points without reply. The pick of the bunch was an exemplary effort in a sea of Tyrone jerseys, which she boomed over from distance.

However, that takes nothing away from her other efforts, with two frees and another point from play stretching the lead to five.

Tyrone and McNamee found a brief purple patch, near the end of the first half, however, Mayo’s defence snuffed out the majority of the opposition’s forays forward. This was epitomised by Sherin El Massry’s fearless 26th-minute block.

The hosts performed well, but even so the home fans wouldn’t have been totally comfortable with only a three-point advantage given the powerful wind behind them.

That all changed a minute before half time when Clodagh Keane dispatched coolly into the back of the net to raise the first green flag of the day. Walsh clipped over her fifth of the day just before the changeover, and Mayo fans would have been forgiven for thinking that the seven-point swing was enough to keep Tyrone at arms’ length.

The reality was a lot different.  Tyrone refused to lie down and flew out of the traps early in the second half, with four on the bounce in the first five minutes reducing the deficit to three.

Eight minutes in, when McCaffrey bisected the posts again with a free, Mayo were well and truly looking over their shoulder at a Tyrone team who were snapping at their heels.

Enter Sinead Walsh once again.

Wing half-back Reape took a punt from distance, which deflected off a Tyrone arm and soared skywards.

The full-forward collected the ball from the skies before unleashing a venomous strike into the roof of the net for her side’s second goal of the day.

The reprieve, however, was short-lived.  One minute later, midfielder Aoife Geraghty was shown yellow for an over-zealous tackle. In the next phase, Danielle Caldwell was joining her on the sideline after another hefty tackle.

With a two-player disadvantage, Mayo held their own well, restricting Tyrone to three points and holding possession admirably while substitute Maria Cannon raised a white flag with a free.

With the clock three minutes into the red and the hosts four to the good, anyone who headed to their cars early would have been forgiven for thinking the win was Mayo's and the home side would keep their visitors at arms’ length. However, the late late show saw the Red Hand women perform a true ‘smash and grab’ to leave Mayo propping up the Division One table.

MAYO

C Reilly Benson; L Wallace, S El Massry, D Caldwell; A Gough, S Lally, H Reape; E Murray (0-1), A Geraghty; S Delaney, C Whyte, C Durkin (0-1); M Sheridan (0-1), S Walsh (1-7, 4f), C Keane (1-0). 

Subs: K Doherty for Whyte (38), R Jordan for Gough (43), M Cannon (0-1f) for Durkin (56), C Doherty for Keane (60+2), E Brennan for Lally (60+7 blood sub).

TYRONE

A Coyle; J Lyons, J Barrett, E Quinn; M Moore, M Corrigan, A Quinn; A McHugh, M Mallon (0-1); S McCarroll (0-1), C Campbell, E McNamee; C McCaffrey (0-7, 6f), A McGahan (0-2), A Horisk.

Subs: S Gormley (1-0) for Barrett (37), C McCrossan for Quinn (41), N O’Neill (0-4) for McNamee (50).

Referee: A Marron (Monaghan).