Ladies made to work hard for spoils by Cavan

Cavan 1-5  Tyrone 1-10

TYRONE wrapped up their league campaign with a five-point victory against a resolute Cavan who desperately fought to avoid potential relegation at Redhills. It was a win but Tyrone’s performance on Sunday must improve against Kildare in the National League Division Two final.

While their superb unbeaten run continued, at times they looked off-the-pace and were sloppy. Certainly a heavy pitch and a dogged Cavan didn’t help.

It was also a dead rubber from a Tyrone point of view and an opportunity to try things out.

They hit ten wides over the hour and at times allowed their opponents too much ball. The bite that punctuated their season so far just wasn’t there at times.

The Breffni side had lots of ball but a lack of potency in attack proved costly for them, while their goalkeeper Evelyn Baugh did prevent a couple of Red Hand goals. She saved bravely to deny Aoife Horisk, Zoe Loughran and Sasha Byrne over the course of the contest.

Meabh Corrigan, Jayne Lyons and Aoibheann McHugh were again their reliable best and Maria Canavan finished with 1-5 among five scorers. Orla Mulgrew and Katie Rose Muldoon started while they also rolled out the substitutes over the hour.

Through the opening half Cavan had lots of possession, moving it across the 45 through Ally Cahill, Kayla Brady and Sarah Mc Cabe who created openings, yet they only had 1-2 on the scoreboard by the break with Tyrone a point ahead.

Carving open the home defence in the opening minute, Byrne’s goalbound effort was pushed off the line and a brace of points from top scorer Maria Canavan had them moving. They were rocked back on nine minutes, though, when, after lots of pressure, McCabe sent Cahill in for a goal.

The one-point lead was shortlived as Loughran levelled things and Canavan was on hand to send Horisk in for a leading point. The Errigal attacker was denied a goal with Baugh doing well and, credit to Cavan, they were level again when Tara Leddy finished well with McCabe again the provider.

Despite the ball Cavan enjoyed, they failed to register until a late Cahill point. The visitors finished the half well, Canavan with a double including a well-worked effort set up by Emma Jane Gervin.

Tyrone dominated the third quarter, looking sharper and more creative. Byrne went close for an early goal but was rewarded with a point after pickpocketing Aine Brady, the pick of the Cavan defenders. The visitors won a handful of kickouts and could easily have been home and hosed.

Loughran crashed a goal chance inches wide, Byrne was unlucky not to get a penalty when she was upended as Horisk drilled wide and a Lyons long-ranger was pushed away by Baugh. By the turn of the quarter, Canavan and Gervin had landed points and, when Canavan tested the upright, Horisk was on hand to put Tyrone five points clear.

Cue a Cavan purple patch that did test the Tyrone nerves. Rebecca McLaughlin, fresh off the bench, landed two points and McCabe pointed to leave it a two-point game with eight minutes left.

Tyrone settled themselves again and after several penetrating runs they were rewarded in the closing stages when Loughran closed in in front of goal and after she went down Canavan eventually rolled in the penalty as Baugh made an initial stop.

It wasn’t pretty, it was dogged and far from a classic. But on the plus side it was another win ahead of the league final, a chance to jig things around and, of course, there’s lots more from this Tyrone team to come.

The Scorers
Tyrone
Maria Canavan 1-5, Aoife Horisk 0-2, Emma Jane Gervin, Sasha Byrne and Zoe Loughran 0-1 each.
Cavan
Ally Cahill 1-1, Rebecca Mc Laughlin 0-2, Tara Leddy 0-1 Sarah McCabe 0-1.

The Teams
Tyrone
Caitlin Donnelly, Clara Daly, Katie Rose Muldoon, Eimear Quinn, Jayne Lyons, Emma Mulgrew, Meabh Corrigan, Aoibheann Mc Hugh, Meabh Mallon, Emma Jane Gervin, Maria Canavan, Orla Mulgrew, Sasha Byrne, Zoe Loughran, Aoife Horisk. Subs Joanne Barrett For Daly, Emma Conroy For O Mulgrew, Emile Loughran For Byrne, Niamh Mc Elduff For Horisk, Aine Grimes For Muldoon, Aoibhinn Daly For Mc Hugh.
Cavan
Evelyn Baugh, Aine Brady, Aine Brady, Ciara Brady, Chris Charters Roisin Dolan, Hannah Gilsinen, Ally Cahill, Caoimhe Halpin, Zara Fay, Sarah Mc Cabe Tara Leddy, Kayla Brady, Kaoini Tuipulotu, Aine Smith. Subs Rebecca Mc Laoughlin For Gilsinen, Niamh Briody For Leddy, Aine Smith For Cahill.
Referee: Phillip Conway.