By 
A GLANCE at the Tyrone ladies team list last Sunday threw up the name Cara McNamee and for those not familiar with ladies football it might have raised an eyebrow or two. However within minutes of the Red Hands league opener with Monaghan there was no doubts about her identity.
Driving through the middle McNamee slammed over Tyrone’s opening point of the season and her trademark score easily identified her as All Ireland winner last year Cara McCrossan.
The St Enda’s player returned from Australia last year, got married in the spring, but retained her maiden name through the 2025 season.
Operating at corner-forward she scored 2-2 on Sunday as a clinical Tyrone won by twenty one points. With all the attackers getting on the scoreboard and the defence excellent at the other end of the pitch, Cara admitted it was the perfect start to their league campaign.
“ We were delighted to get started with a win. You never really know what to expect first day out. For us it was about the win. There’s still a few tweaks maybe to make and we hit a lot of wides but we improved in the second half.”
McNamee was modest about her own contribution on what was a great day for Tyrone as they hit seven goals. She wasn’t alone though in impressing up front.
Niamh O’Neill, Aoife Horisk, Meabh Maxwell and Cara’s Omagh clubmate Emer McCanny also bagged goals with the St Enda’s contingent combining for McNamee’s second goal.
Aine Strain and McCanny worked the ball through for McNamee to flick the ball past Molly Flood, straight out of the training ground
Cara added: “It’s great to have those other girls with you and like so many of the side they are flying fit. They are doing well, I keep telling them to keep the ball coming and that worked today.”
With Chloe McCaffrey still in rehab, no Slaine Mc Carroll and Sorcha Gormley on the bench after her camogie exertions of late with the Eire Ogs, others are being afforded the opportunity to step up for Tyrone. McNamee feels that can only be a positive thing.
“Its good to have a few new faces. It takes a lot to come in at this level especially with Senior Championship football to come. I know I came in to the Intermediate last year and that was difficult enough but Senior will be a bigger step up and of course you want the best club players about playing for Tyrone. I think we have that group now.”
Next up for the Red Hands in the league is a trip to Westmeath on Sunday, a side that Tyrone squeaked past in the Championship last year after staging a massive comeback to claim the win showing real character. Cara expects another tough battle.
“We were very very lucky to get over the line last year and they will certainly owe us one this weekend so we will have to be well prepared for what will be a big test. Character was a big factor for us as we went on to win the All-Ireland and days like that against Westmeath were really key to that.”
Last Sunday saw the introduction of new rules that included two pointers and the solo and go and while there were no two pointers on show at Cookstown despite two great efforts from O’Neill and Horisk McNamee is pleased to see their introduction
“The new rules are pretty good for a forward anyway,” she laughed, “ The game is speeded up and you do notice the difference but the two pointers will be interesting although they might be hard to get. I feel that teams will settle into them and in the summer there will be more opportunities.”
Tyrone have no further injury issues after the weekend and are expected to field a similar line up for the Westmeath outing.
