By 
Monaghan 0-11 Tyrone 7-11
A CLINICAL Tyrone showed no mercy to Monaghan on the opening day of their Ladies National League Division Two campaign at Cookstown on Sunday as the Red Hands bagged seven goals to win by a more-than-comfortable 21 points – the measure of the victory reflecting just how good they were.
Despite being played at the new Holy Trinity 4G this was a classed as a home fixture for the Farney side but there were no home comforts as all the Tyrone forwards scored and the woodwork also saved an outclassed Monaghan further blushes.
For 27 minutes of the first half Tyrone were in charge with Monaghan trailing by six points before registering a score. However, the break came too soon for them as they pressed Tyrone to score four unanswered points in the latter stages of the half.
It was their only bright spot.
This was a good Tyrone opener. Their defence, with a returning Joanne Barrett, Jayne Lyons and Eimear Quinn, were on top form, Emma Conroy swept through the middle as Claire Canavan and Aine Strain carried the ball well, with the entire attack all on target and hungry for more.
Cara McNamee opened the Tyrone account with an early point and Tyrone pushed ahead when Aine Strain combined with Emer McCanny to tag on a goal. The post denied Niamh O’Neill before both she and Aoife Horisk hit points as McNamee cracked a shot of the crossbar. Points from Leanne Maguire and Niamh Flannigan cut the gap to four, but, in reality, that was as good as it got for Monaghan.
O’Neill set up Horisk, O’Neill fired over from the right while McNamee finished off a sweeping move with a second goal on 25 minutes. Tyrone did struggle in the closing stages of that first half though, the kick outs proved an issue as Chloe McBride, a double from Casey Treanor and a long ranger from Muireann Atkinson closed the deficit to five at the break.
There was to be no progression by Monaghan on the restart though as within 30 seconds O’Neill robbed the keeper and slide in a third goal quickly followed by numbers four and five.
The hard working Meabh Mallon collected inside her own half before setting Horisk in for number four and in an ‘Omagh’ created and finished goal McNamee got her second, Strain and McCanny combining well for McNamee to flick the ball past Flood. Conroy and McBride exchanged points before both teams reshuffled things.
Three Monaghan subs did liven their challenge briefly. One of them, Aoibh McCormack, pointed and they created a couple of chances but they were gone at this stage.
The quality of O’Neill was evidenced as she hit 1-1, McNamee curled over a sweet point from the right as Maxwell came to life on her return to Tyrone with 1-3 on the home straight. Monaghan’s miserable afternoon was compounded when Jennifer Duffy was yellow carded late on as Tyrone took the points in impressive style.
Scorers
Monaghan: Chloe Mc Bride 0-3, Casey Treanor 0-2, Eabha Sherry 0-2, Jennifer Duffy, Niamh Flanigan and Muireann Atkinson 0-1 each.
Tyrone: Niamh O’Neill 2-3, Cara Mc Namee 2-2, Meabh Maxwell 1-3, Aoife Horisk 1-2, Emer Mc Canny 1-0, Emma Conroy 0-1.
Teams
Monaghan: Molly Flood, Aine Loughman, Aine McQuaid, Meave Monaghan, Eimear Traynor, Rosemary Courtney, Alison Gilland, Jennifer Duffy, Niamh Flannigan, Muireann Atkinson, Amy Garland, Casey Treanor, Chloe McBride, Eabha Sherry, Leanne Maguire. Subs Amy Jo Kierans For Maguire, Dervla Cawley For Gilland, Michaela Crew For Loughman, Caomhe Ward For Monaghan.
Tyrone: Caitlin Donnelly, Jayne Lyons, Joanne Barrett, Eimear Quinn, Claire Canavan, Meabh Corrigaan, Aine Strain, Aoibhinn McHugh, Emma Conroy, Aoife Horisk, Emer McCanny, Niamh O’Neill, Meave Maxwell, Cara Mc Namee. Subs: Katie Rose Muldoon For Conroy, Catlin Campbell For Canavan, Caome Magee For Lyons, Aine Grimes For McCanny, Catlin Mc Callion For Barrett, Aoife Quinn For McHugh, Cara McCoubrey For Strain Ciara Colton For Quinn.
Referee: Brendan Rice.
