Fitzpatrick’s late winner breaks Tyrone Ladies hearts

Tyrone 1-12 Down  2-10 (after extra-time)

THERE was extra-time drama at Dungannon on Sunday as Tyrone exited the Ulster Ladies Intermediate Championship with Down’s Eimear Fitzpatrick sealing a one point win in the bright sunshine.

The Mourne side had defended like demons through the additional time and owed a lot to their goalkeeper Catherine Byrne who somehow prevented Chloe McCaffrey and Sorcha Gormley finding the net late on.

Aoife Horisk had brought the game to extra-time with a 67th minute free after Down had nudged ahead. Determined to hold on that lead it was tigerish stuff from the winners as Tyrone threw everything at them.

Slaine McCarroll, Cara McCrossan, Gormley and Niamh O’Neill all went close in those final ten minutes but it was at the death that Down claimed the scalp of the Red Hands.

Horisk had levelled the game with the first score of the second period but from the kick out Down worked the ball through for Niamh Rice to set up Fitzpatrick for the winner on the whistle.

There had been some excellent football from Tyrone on an afternoon when defences ruled the roost. Jayne Lyons, replacement full back Joanne Barrett and Grainne McKenna were stalwarts while Meabh Mallon and Horisk worked hard but this game swung on two Down goals and the accuracy of Fitzpatrick, who, despite scoring 1- 5, missed two sitters in normal time that could have won it then.

Five unanswered points in the final five minutes of first half play from Tyrone pulled them three points clear at the break after Down’s Fitzpatrick had put her side ahead after twenty four minutes with a stunning goal.

Prior to that score Tyrone had led thanks to a goal of their own crafted by Gormley and finished by McCrossan to cancel out Down’s early lead.

An early share of points from late replacement Emma Conrory, Fitzpatrick, Horisk and Eva Hicks after Fitzpatrick put her through was a fair reflection of the opening ten minutes, both sides testing and teasing each other and being level
twice.

Fitzpatrick knocked over her second free at the end of the first quarter to put her side ahead. A key moment of the half came after some Tyrone pressure that failed to produce a score but eventually led to McCrossan’s goal.

Gormley won the ball through the centre, drew the defence out before popping it over the top to the Omagh player who drilled it home.

Down quickly responded though with Laiose Duffy firing over with the goal at her mercy and that fine goal from Fitzpatrick, carrying the ball out left before cutting in to unleash her shot past Coyle. The lead was short lived though as first Mallon and then O’Neill tagged on points from the right.

O’Neill dropped over a free Horisk grabbed Tyrone’s seventh just before the break.

A dour third quarter followed as both teams cancelled each other out. Gormley picked up a yellow card and defences proved hard to navigate at both ends.

Just the two points to show for fifteen minutes of football, Niamh King for Down and Claire Canavan running through to punch the ball over for Tyrone.

Fitzpatrick had also hit the post with a long range free although both she and an excellent Aimee Greene point made it a two point game with nineteen played.

Under pressure with the kick out Tyrone struggled to get the ball out and were punished when substitute Shanna Fettes got on the end of King and Duffy’s combination to slot in a goal; the Mourne side showing real patience in the build up.

O’Neill saw a goal chance spin wide as McCrossan’s long ranger closed the game to a single point with Down proving hard to break down as the hosts swarmed at their goal.

The Down keeper Catherine Byrne closed out Gormley as she closed in on goal while at the other end Fiztpatrick spurned a free kick in injury time. After McCaffrey’s free kick dropped short Horisk kept her cool to level matters seven minutes into added time.

Down held a one-point advantage at half time in extra time as Down goalkeeper Byrne made a stunning stop to deny McCaffrey. Viv McCormack and O’Neill had exchanged points before in the latter stages Fitzpatrick landed a free from the right for the lead.

There was little to talk about in that final period bar the keeper’s save, and, of course, Fiztpatrick’s winner that broke Tyrone hearts with her fifth point.
Scorers
Tyrone: Cara McCrossan 1-1, Niamh O’Neill 0-4, Aoife Horisk 0-4, Claire Canavan, Meabh Mallon, Emma Conroy 0-1
Down: Eimear 1-5, Shanna Fettes 1-0, Aimee Greene, Laiose Duffy, Eva Hicks, Niamh King and Viv Mc
Cormack 0-1 each.

Teams

Tyrone: Amelia Coyle, Jayne Lyons, Grainne McKenna, Eimear Quinn, Claire Canavan, Caitlin Campbell, Joanne Barrett, Meabh Mallon, Aoibhinn McHugh, Elle McNamee, Sorcha Gormley, Aoife Horisk, Emma Conroy, Cara McCrossan, Niamh O’Neill: Subs: Chloe McCaffey for Conroy, Slaine McCarroll for Canavan, Emer McCanny for Mc-
Namee

Down: Catherine Byrne, Aimee Greene, Ciara McCreanor, Niamh McClory, Ciara Mulvenna, Aoife Brogan, Erin Sands, Meghan Doherty, Aoife Laverty, Eimear Fitzpatrick, Laoise Duffy, Aine Smyth, Niamh King, Niamh Rice, Eva Hicks: Subs: Viv McCormack for Hicks, Shanna Fettes for Smyth, Claire Milburn for Duffy

Referee: David Hurson Monaghan