TYRONE 2-4

KERRY 1-11

TYRONE faced an uphill battle at Bannagher County Offaly on Sunday as they took on second placed Kerry in this Suzuki National League re-fixture.

Conditions were far from ideal, uphill in the literal sense too it proved to be, as the elite of ladies football from the Kingdom and Tyrone were forced to play on a second rate hurling training pitch after Ferbane was ruled unplayable. The slope on the park was a major problem and coupled with a howling gale it was certainly not for the faint hearted.

Tyrone lost the toss and had the disadvantage in the first half but that said Jimmy McCloughan's side conceded just 1-4 , the goal from an 18th minute penalty.

Tyrone failed to get on the score sheet in the first half, that came as no surprise though as they went down at one stage to twelve players, Linda Donnelly, Mara Kelly and Siobhan McGarvey all sent for spell in the sin bin.

Tyrone held firm though with debutant Christiane Hunter, Eimear Teague and Neamh Woods turning in a good defensive displays in the closing ten minutes as Kerry had the numerical advantage.

Playing downhill in the second period Tyrone upped the tempo, Catriona McGahan a constant threat with her good running and Sarah Connolly as always a danger at full forward. The O'Neill county's first point came with seven minutes gone when Sarah Donnelly scored from distance. With the full compliment back on for Tyrone they pressed on, McAliskey pulled a point back before two Connolly goals really changed the complexion of the game.

McGahans shot was parried away by goalkeeper Eimear Foley only for Sarah Connolly to pick up the pieces and find the net, within a minute the deficit was down to three points as Gemma Begleys rasper was pushed clear by Foley only as far as McAliskey who teed up the Errigal Ciaran minor for her second goal. 1-8 to 2-2 that left it, but three pointed frees in the closing ten minutes opened the gap again. Two late Joleen Donnelly points were just a consolation for Tyrone who battled hard but failed to cope with what can only be described as unbelievable conditions and a referee who was equally hard to fathom.

TYRONE Elaine Mallaghan, Eimear Teague, Maura Kelly, Christiane Hunter, Niamh Woods, Linda Donnelly, Siobhan McGarvey, Lucy Meehan and Sarah Donnelly (0-1), Claire McAliskey (0-1), Cathy Donnelly, Meave McGurk, Gemma Begley, Sarah Connolly (2-0) Catriona McGahan,

SUBS, Daly For McGurk, Donnelly (0-2) For McGahan, Gallagher For Hunter