Ladies suffer another league loss in Lurgan

Armagh  0-16 Tyrone  0-5

TYRONE Ladies suffered their second consecutive National Football League defeat on Sunday afternoon at St Paul’s, Lurgan against the reigning Division One champions Armagh, with 11-points separating the sides when the full-time whistle sounded.

The two teams were tied at the midway point, with Darren McCann’s girls playing much of the better football in the first half, but Armagh stepped things up after the turnaround and cruised to their second win of the campaign.

Tyrone failed to score after the interval, and a yellow card to corner forward Chloe McCaffrey midway through the second period left last year’s beaten Intermediate Championship finalists with tough task.

Armagh, who needed three late goals to secure an opening day win over All-Ireland champions Kerry last weekend, didn’t hit the net this time around but kept the scoreboard ticking over with minors.

It was the Red Hands who were the commanding force during the opening exchanges. As the rain trickled down at the Lurgan venue, the visiting side raced into a 4-1 lead after 17 minutes of action.

The Red Hands started on the front foot with Maria Canavan, her sides only scorer in their first-round defeat to Meath and top scorer again on Sunday, slotting over a free to get the game up and running.

Armagh replied at the other end of the field within moments with their top scorer on the day, Niamh Reel, briefly playing the role of provider to set up the energetic Emily Druse for the equalising score.

The Armagh defence really struggled to deal with the Tyrone attack and persistent fouling was punished by the pinpoint accuracy of Canavan. She landed another two frees, split by a McCaffrey point, to edge Tyrone 0-4 to 0-1 ahead.

Tyrone could have been further in front five minutes later, but McCaffrey’s chance on goal flew harmlessly wide of the post. The experienced Caroline O’Hanlon intervened Tyrone’s scoring spree as she popped over her first of the afternoon.

A turnover in midfield by O’Hanlon sent Armagh on their way again and Reel narrowed the gap with a handy free. Reel was finding her groove and levelled the score with a marvellous outside-of-the-boot effort.

Canavan (free) and Reel both swapped scores at either end to leave nothing between the teams when the short whistle sounded and the two old rival headed into the changing rooms all square, 0-5 to 0-5.

There was a different feel to the Orchard County as they emerged for the second period and within 90 seconds of the restart, they had raised three white flags. Druse, Niamh Coleman and O’Hanlon all split the posts as Armagh burst out of the traps.

Those early scores set the tone for the second half and Tyrone really struggled to get their own kickouts away. Armagh’s aggressive press right from the off proved unbreakable and they hammered home that pressure.

Wing back Roisin Mulligan, Armagh’s Footballer of the Year last season, got in on the scoring act and her first of the game was followed by another from Reel just at the end of the third quarter.

Tyrone were then reduced to 14 players for a ten minute period as McCaffrey entered the sin bin for an off the ball incident. With a player less and five-points adrift on the scoreboard, things weren’t looking good for the visitors.

They continued to battle bravely, but couldn’t make it count on the scoreboard, although a stunning stop from goalkeeper Amelia Coyle denied Druse a goal and kept the Red Hands within touching distance.

Armagh, under new joint-managers Darnell Parkinson and Joe Feeney, kept the scoreboard ticking over with two more frees from the reliable Reel coming either side of another score from substitute Caoimhe McNally.

Reel completed her day in front of the posts with another brace of frees, bringing her haul to 0-8 for the day while Maeve Lennon chipped in with a point, becoming Armagh’s seventh scorer, to bring the game to a close.

Tyrone have yet to get off the mark in the league and will hope to do so against Mayo in round three, meanwhile the victory sets Armagh up well for their trip to Dublin next weekend and they’ll be keen to extend their winning streak.

Scorers

Armagh: Niamh Reel 0-8 (5f), Caroline O’Hanlon 0-2 (1f), Emily Druse 0-2, Roisin Mulligan, Niamh Coleman, Maeve Lennon, Caoimhe McNally 0-1 each.

Tyrone: Maria Canavan 0-4 (0-4f), Chloe McCaffrey 0-1.

Teams

Armagh : Anna Carr, Maeve Ferguson, Louise Kenny, Cait Towe, Emily Druse, Lauren McConville, Roisin Mulligan, Niamh Coleman, Caroline O’Hanlon, Aoife McCoy, Moya Feehan, Eve Lavery, Niamh Reel, Eimear McGeown, Maeve Lennon. Subs: Niamh Henderson for E McGeown, Caoimhe McNally for B Mackin, Millie Lavery for E Druse, Laura Kavanagh for M Ferguson, Rebecca Cunningham for A McCoy.

Tyrone: Amelia Coyle, Jayne Lyons, Joanne Barrett, Eimear Quinn, Claire Canavan, Méabh Corrigan, Aine Strain, Aoibhinn McHugh, Maeve Mallon, Caitlin Campbell, Sasha Byrne, Elle McNamee, Chloe McCaffrey, Maria Canavan, Aoife Quinn. Subs: Aoife Horisk for A Quinn, Saline McCarroll for E McNamee, Aine Grimes for C Canavan, Emma Conroy for S Byrne, Clara Daly for A Strain, Michaela Moore for C Campbell (59).