SUZUKI NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
TYRONE 0-3
MAYO 3-9
MAYO may have arrived late at Fintona on Sunday afternoon, but it was worth the wait as they easily accounted for a fragmented and poor Tyrone in the snow. The home side huffed and puffed but lacked much in the way of fire power up front as manager Jimmy McCloughan rung the changes again.
This was a comfortable victory for the Connacht side who held Tyrone scoreless for 45 minutes and managed the bulk of their scores against a strong first half breeze and driving snow and hail, as Tyrone squandered a succession of chances, ten in all, that should have produced scores.
In the end Cora Staunton, the talisman of Mayo football, conjured up 1-4 of her side's tally and was behind the cutting moves that Tyrone could just not come to grips with. However the O'Neill county girls remain in the top flight after the weekend results elsewhere went in their favour.
Staunton got her name on the score sheet after five minutes when she pointed from long range and in the space of six minutes more the die was cast for Tyrone as the Mayo side led 1-3 to no score. McHale hit a point and McDermott was on target with a goal and a point, the goal coming on eleven minutes despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Mallaghan.
Tyrone had plenty of chances but failed to convert, their inability to shoot from distance in stark contrast as to what was to come from Mayo in the second thirty minutes with the breeze at their backs. Begley, Donnelly, O'Neill and Dooher were aong those who missed out.
Staunton and Marcela Heffernan scored points in the closing moments of the half to leave it 1-5 to 0-0 at the break.
There was little in the way of scoring chances in the third quarter, Mayo did hit three wides but steady Staunton knocked over two frees to leave it 1-7 to no score.
Tyrone then rallied at the midway point. Catriona Murphy hit the crossbar from close range while Gemma Begley saw her shot saved by goalkeeper Devine, before she hit Tyrone's first point of the day. Ann Dooher and Begley again found the range but that was as good as the scoring got for the home side.
Mayo peppered the Tyrone defence and goalkeeper Mallaghan was under several high balls that probably should have been scores. Kelly and Oguz very busy in defence as Mayo came at them in waves. The scores though did come again, an unexpected goal signalling the end for Tyrone.
A harmless free kick from all of 35 metres slipped through the Tyrone defence and into the net on 54 minutes, Chris Heffernan on target while a McHale point and Staunton goal in the last few minutes killed off Tyrone in some style.
Tyrone will look back on a league campaign that promised a lot but delivered just two points with that win over Waterford. There's plenty of work to be done now ahead of the Ulster campaign. On the plus side though for Jimmy McCloughan he has seen that the quality is there with the new faces impressing in the main over the five outings, its now the task of finding the right blend ahead of that Donegal opener on May 19th.
MAYO: Devine, Tierney, McGing, Kelly, O'Hara, Carter, McGing, Heffernan (0-1), McHale (0-2), Heffernan (1-0), Staunton (1-4), McDermott (1-2), Egan, Gallagher Gaffery
TYRONE: Mallagan, McGarvey, Kelly, Gallagher, Oguz, Donnelly, Meehan, Donnelly, Murphy, McAlliskey, Donnelly, Dooher 0-1, Maguire, Begley 0-2 O'Neill. Subs used: Donnelly for McAlliskey, Daly for C Donnelly, Connolly for Maguire
CLUB ACTION OPENS THIS WEEKEND
The first of this year's club competitions opens this weekend with the Minor Leagues setting the wheels in motion. There's a full round of fixtures on Saturday with 5pm throw–ins.
The county minor squad continue their build up to the start of the Ulster Championship in April with regular training and the mood in the camp is good at this stage. Under 14 squads are also in preparation and its been confirmed that Sigersons Joe Bonner is the manAger of the Under 14 development squad for the upcoming campaign.
