Late Gormley free puts Minors through to decider

Tyrone 1-9  Dublin 1-8

THIS Minor clash at Kingscourt on Thursday night was heart stopping stuff and only settled with an injury time free from captain Sorcha Gormley which punctured Dublin hopes and catapulted Tyrone Ladies into the All-Ireland B Championship Final.

The Dubs had nudged ahead in added time only for Hannah Cavlan to equalise, before Gormley won and converted that dramatic last gasp free.

The Red Hands showed real character to get over the line. Emily Conlan, Tori McMullan, Emma McCrossan, Bree McBride and Meabh Campbell excelled while Gormley and Cavlan were outstanding up front.

The tigerish approach from the Ulster champions always gave them an edge. There were some great Dublin performances in fairness. Kate Hayes, Catarina Almeida and Ciara Brogan were all excellent.

Dublin shot into a two point lead with Murphy and Niadh Mooney tagging on good scores. They threatened more but McBride and Conlan were always in control and while Amy Sheehy fired over for Tyrone they also hit four wides.

The final ten minutes of the half saw Tyrone turn the screw with Gormley twice pointing, with Aoife Quinn and McCrossan the providers. Ella Leddy Doyle levelled with a well taken Dublin score on the run before Sheehy collected from McCrossan and steered over a fourth point on the half time whistle, to hand the Ulster champions a narrow cushion.

Dublin rung the changes at the break with Lucy Ahern, Siobhan Birnie and Hannah Murphy drafted in Tyrone though continued to carry the game to the Leinster side. Gormley saw her shot parried out by Canty to Cavlan whose drilled effort was turned away to safety.

Cavlan and Gormley combined for the Carrickmore player to roll in a Tyrone goal on thirty seven minutes and when Cavlan, in her best display for the Red Hands registered from a tight angle, Tyrone were five points clear.

Dublin were rocked but far from finished as another replacement Elsa Kearney and Doyle knocked over two points in a minute. At the other end McBride closed in on a McCrossan run only to be denied by Canty again, while the influential Ciara Brogan introduced herself to the action with a fine score to cut the gap to two.

Tyrone under 16 captain Keeva Owens came on and rattled over a great point, again supplied by good work from McCrossan and Cavlan.

Brogan then scored a controversial point from Dublin as the effort appeared to hit the angle of post and crossbar but the umpires raised a white flag.

With five minutes to go Gormley worked the ball out to Tyrone replacement Cora McElduff who was deadly accurate out right before a 6oth minute Dublin goal levelled things. A loose ball went to Aoibh Doyle who sent in a long ball that caught McCaffrey out and found her net.

Within a minute Brogan nudged Dublin ahead with her third point only for Cavlan’s long range effort to rattle the crossbar but still go over.

The blue touch paper was lit as both defences held out meaning extra-time looked on the cards. However after being fouled Gormley was the coolest person in Kingscourt as she popped over the winning free.

The Scorers

Tyrone

Sorcha Gormley (1-3), Amy Sheehy (0-2), Hannah Cavlan (0-2), Keeva Owens, Cora McElduff (0-1 each)

Dublin

Aoibh Doyle (1-0), Ciara Brogan (0-3), Ellen Leddy Doyle (0-2), Charlie Murphy, Niadh Mooney and Elsa Kearney (0-1 each)

The Teams

Tyrone

Ella McCaffrey, Tori McMullan, Emily Conlan, Aoife Marlow, Cara McCoubrey, Emma McCrossan, Cora Quinn, Aoife Quinn, Meabh Campbell, Caitlin Crozier, Sorcha Gormley, Hannah Cavlan, Amy Sheehy, Catherine Moohan, Bree McBride. Subs used: Ciara Hughes for C Quinn, Keeva Owens for Moohan, Cora McElduff for Crozier, Lucy McKeown for Campbell.

Dublin

Ava Canty, Kate Hayes, Aoife Robertson, Kirsten Mooney, Ellen Joyce, Catarina Almeida, Aoibh Doyle, Lile Tully, Chloe O’Shea, Charlie Murphy, Niadh Mooney, Kate O’Toole, Ellen Leddy Doyle, Ciara Brogan, Orla Keighran. Subs used: Hannah Galvin for Tully, Lucy Ahern for Keighran, Siobhan Birnie for O’Toole, Hannah Murphy for Joyce, Elsa Kearney for O’Shea.

Referee: Declan Carolan (Armagh)