Tyrone Ladies relegated after loss to Kildare

Kildare 4-10 Tyrone 2-8

TYRONE’S hopes of survival in Division One were dashed on Saturday as Kildare secured a crucial victory in Newbridge, condemning the Red Hands to relegation.

Three second-half goals from Roisin Byrne proved decisive, while the loss of Meabh Mallon and Jayne Lyons to late yellow cards only compounded Tyrone’s struggles.By then, however, the damage was already done.

Aoife McGahan’s late goal was little more than consolation as Tyrone, promoted just last year, now drop back to Division Two alongside Mayo.

Kildare opened with purpose, Lara Curran pointing inside two minutes. When the kick-out was collected by Byrne she sent Aoife Murnane in to finish a left-footed shot to the top corner. Despite putting pressure on the Tyrone defence Kildare couldn’t add to their tally and it was Tyrone who responded.

A free from Chloe McCaffrey on the left was touched to the net by Sorcha Gormley. Within seconds a second McCaffrey free was arrowed over the bar to draw things level, yet the scoreboard wasn’t troubled due to a period of Kildare wastefulness.

Caitlin Donnelly was quick to react when Byrne sent Murnane in, while misplaced passes opened the door several times for Kildare.

Molly Aspel raised a white flag on 17 minutes but it was the visitors who pressed through the second quarter with three points in a row through Niamh O’Neill, two from frees, to lead by two as half-time approached.

Byrne finally stopped Kildare’s wastefulness with a point just before half time to see her side trail 1-3 to 1-4 at the break.

Kildare got the perfect start to the second half with a point from Aoife Rattigan inside ten seconds and the corner forward then set up Byrne for the first of her three second-half goals two minutes later. Getting through three defenders she fired high to the net.

Byrne got her second from a free seven minutes in after goalkeeper Donnelly failed to stop the high ball from crossing the line.

Kildare were now firmly in the driving seat at 4-6 to 1-4 when a long ball through saw Byrne unmarked punching the ball to the net.

Despite having Amy Mahon sinbinned, Kildare continued to make the running although O’Neill finally got the visitors on the board on 40 minutes from a free after her run on the right was halted.

The lively Gormley dropped over a long ranger and several times they worked the ball into scorable positions as Kildare defended in numbers.

Scores were at a premium through the latter stages. Aoife Horisk pressed for a goal before Lyons was carded with eight minutes left followed by Mallon with a minute left. The final action saw Dungannon’s McGahan slot in a fine goal in the final seconds.

Relegation for Tyrone but plenty of positives for them to take into the championship with some real battling on show over the hour against a well-drilled Kildare spearheaded by an excellent Byrne.

Scorers

Kildare: Roisin Byrne 3-1, A Murnane 1-0, A Rattigan 0-2, L Curran 0-1, M Aspel 0-1, M Doherty 0-1, L Shaw 0-1, N Dooley 0-1 (free), A Prizeman 0-1, L McGovern 0-1.

Tyrone: Niamh O’Neill 0-5, Sorcha Gormley 1-1, Aoife Mc Gahan 1-0, Chloe McCaffrey 0-2.

Teams

Kildare: Mary Hulgraine; Ruth Sargent, Laoise Lenehan, Emma Wheeler; Mia Doherty, Laura Dunlea, Molly Aspel; Claire Sullivan, Lara Curran; Ciara Moran, Lisa Shaw, Neasa Dooley; Aoife Rattigan, Aoife Murnane, Roisin Byrne. Subs: Gillian Wheeler for Sullivan, Amy Mahon for Moran, Siofra Galvin for Curran, Ellen Dowling for A Rattigan. Leah McGovern for Murnanne.

Tyrone: Caitlin Donnelly; Jayne Lyons, Caitlin Campbell, Eimear Quinn; Tori McElroy, Meabh Corrigan, Slaine McCarroll; Meabh Mallon, Aoibhinn McHugh; Elle McNamee, Emer McCanny, Chloe McCaffrey; Niamh O’Neill, Sorcha Gormley, Aoife Horisk. Subs: Aoife McGahan for McCanny, Claire Canavan for Grimes, Grainne McKenna for Quinn, Emma Conroy for McNamee, Aine Strain for McElroy, Maria Canavan for Horisk.

Referee: Angela Gallagher (Meath).