Awesome Antrim dash Ladies Ulster dreams

TYRONE 1-13  ANTRIM 2-18

THERE was no disguising Antrim’s overall supremacy in Sunday’s Ulster Ladies Intermediate Championship final clash against Tyrone hosted in the picturesque setting of Owenbeg in the shadow of Benbradagh, north of the Sperrin Mountains.

Defending champions Tyrone were strong favourites to take the spoils of victory, but Antrim are a rapidly improving team and cantered across the finish line to claim their first ever Ulster Intermediate title.

Tyrone got their account up and running after 90 seconds after Maria Canavan finished off a sweeping attacking move, but it wasn’t long before it became apparent that Antrim certainly weren’t in Owenbeg for the day out.

The powerful Lara Dahunsi restored partity before Orlaith Prenter, knocked over her first free of the day.

While there was some textbook examples of defending on a one-on-one basis from Tyrone corner-back Meabh Corrigan and centre-half Caitlin Campbell, the Red Hand defence in general was alarmingly porous and they coughed up one of many goal chances in the tenth minute, goalkeeper Sinead McVey keeping her wits about her to tip over a rasping shot from Moneyglass girl Maria O’Neill.

It wasn’t a promising start but defending champions Tyrone assumed control of the contest for a spell, scoring four of the next five points, all in the space of a five-minute period.

With captain Aoibhinn McHugh, Niamh Hughes and Grainne Rafferty taking the fight to their opponents with some rampaging runs and neat footpasses into the inside forward line, Tyrone momentarily edged their noses in front with Maria Canavan and Aoife McGahan on song in front of the posts.

Antrim weathered the storm, however, with Prenter expertly knocking over her second of the day after making space for herself and another glaring goal-chance went a-begging when half-back Sarah O’Neill screwed the ball over the bar from close range in the 20th minute of play.

There was no shortage of effort from the Red Hand ladies and Grainne Rafferty landed one of the points of the day, curling the ball between the posts with the outside of her boot.

However, Antrim’s team-play was a bit more fluid and they made hay in the closing exhanges of the half. The impressive Grainne McLaughlin split the posts after some patient build-up play, Prenter scored another couple of points, and there was a major, major let off in the cusp of half-time when the aforementioned McLaughlin unleashed an unstoppable shot on goal from 20 yards which rebounded off the crossbar.

Antrim were full value for their 0-10 to 0-6 lead at the interval but there was still plenty of time for Sean O’Kane’s side to work their way back into the contest.

They won an early free in front of the posts which drifted wide, and it was Antrim who got the first score of the second half from you guessed, it Orlaith Prenter with her sixth of the day. Disaster struck a matter of seconds later as space opened for Theresa Mellon who gave the Tyrone goalkeeper no chance with a lethal finish to the net. All of a sudden Antrim had moved into a comfortable 1-11 to 0-6 lead and it looked a long way back for Tyrone.

The Saffrons compounded their advantage through captain Cathy Carey and Mellon with Tyrone struggling to break out from their restarts. They mounted a strong attack which was finished off by Maria Canavan, but it was a long way back and Antrim were happy to sit deep before breaking in numbers.

There was a lull of play with Tyrone half-forward Aoife Horisk shipping a heavy but accidental looking challenge midway through the second-half.

The Red Hands to their credit kept battling and they reduced the deficit with a Grainne Rafferty free, her third of the day, and a point from play from St Macartan’s star Slaine McCarroll, who came off the bench in the second half.

Tyrone were enjoying the lion’s share of possession with Antrim content to soak up possession, and with seven points between the teams heading into the final ten minutes or so, there was still a slim chance of a successful comeback.

Sean O’Kane’s side were pouring forward in numbers and tagged on another two points, both from the inspirational Grainne Rafferty.

However, Antrim pretty much put the game to bed when Prenter was bearhugged for a penalty, and she dusted herself down before blasting a powerful shot to the net.

The rest of the game was pretty much a formality. Antrim knocked over a few further scores with Prenter in imperious form throughout, but Tyrone kept up the fight to the bitter end and grabbed a late consolation goal from Aoife Horisk.

THE SCORERS

Tyrone
Grainne Rafferty (0-5, 0-2f), Aoife Horisk (1-0), Maria Canavan (0-3), Aoife McGahan (0-2), Sasha Byrne and Slaine McCarroll (0-1 each)
Antrim
Orlaith Prenter (1-9, 0-3f), Theresa Mellon (1-1), Lara Dahunsi (0-3), Maria O’Neill (0-2), Bronagh Devlin and Sarah O’Neill (0-1 each)