Ulster crown eludes Down

6 July 2016

DOWN Ladies suffered an agonising Ulster IFC final defeat at a resplendent St Tiernach’s Park, Clones, on Sunday.

Conor O’Neill’s young side were quite simply overpowered by a stronger and much more experienced Tyrone side in the final quarter of a high octane encounter that could have gone either way.

Tyrone started in a hurry and the busy Emma Smyth converted a 14m free to give them an early lead. Laura Sharvin responded immediately for Down with a point from play, but Tyrone threatened to run away with the game when they took the next five scores on the bounce.

Smyth (2), Maria Canavan, Meabh Mallon and Niamh O’Neill were all on target as Tyrone built up a nice head of steam to take a 0-6 to 0-1 lead by the ninth minute, but great scores from Aileen Pyers and Kate McKay kept Down in the hunt.

The predatory O’Neill pounced in the 13th minute to halt Down’s comeback in their tracks with a searing finish to the net to give her side a 1-6 to 0-3 lead. Down were looking down the barrel of a heavy defeat, but resourceful play from Laura Mason and Jordan Magee hauled the Mourne side from the floor.

Points from McKay and Pyers had Down purring and when the roaming Sharvin was fouled in the square, Pyers drilled the resultant penalty to the net and leave a single point between the sides after 18 minutes.

Grainne McClean brought the sides level with an inspirational point from play in the 21st minute, but no sooner had Down got back on level terms, Tyrone put the burners on and the deadly accurate O’Neill nudged them into a 1-7 to 1-6 lead.

A Pyers free levelled matters, but just before the break O’Neill restored Tyrone’s one point lead with a superb score from play. Down had a great chance to strike for goal at the start of the second half when Lauren Cunningham sent Mairead Kavanagh clear, but her deft shot rolled inches wide.

Tyrone went straight down the field and O’Neill made it a two-point game with another sublime score from play. Pyers kept Down honest with a converted free in the 34th minute and a sensational team score from McClean brought the sides level yet again.

However, the wily Smyth, Emma Hegarty and O’Neill gave Tyrone a 1-12 to 1-9 lead by the 46th minute. Points from Pyers and McKay had Down within touching distance, but with 50 minutes gone Smyth pointed Tyrone into a 1-13 to 111 lead.

Further points from O’Neill (2) had Tyrone four clear with five minutes remaining, but Down were starting to run out of steam. Cunningham managed a point for Down in the 57th minute, but Teri McCusker grabbed the last score of the game a minute later to secure victory for her side.

Down: C McCarthy, L Mason, C Kearns, L Morgan, A Greene, L Sharvin (0-1), C Laverty, K McKay (0-3), J Magee, G McClean (0-2), L Cunningham (0-1), A Pyers (1-5), N McKibben, A Wood, M Doherty. Subs: M Kavanagh for Wood, N Johnston for McKibbin, C Byrne for McClean, S McCann for McKay.

Tyrone: S Lynch, K Quinn, J Barrett, E Quinn, C Hunter, C Donnelly, T McLaughlin, S Quinn, M Mallon (0-1), C McNabb, E Smyth (0-5), E Hegarty (0-1), M Canavan (0-1), N O’Neill (1-7), G Rafferty. Subs: T McCusker (0-1) for Rafferty, C McCann for Donnelly, S Sheerin for S Quinn.

Tyrone Ladies 1-16

Down Ladies 1-12

ULSTER LADIES IFC FINAL

Tweets by @TheDownRecorder