Down.............................. 1-13 Tyrone............................ 5-6
TYRONE are through to an Ulster final meeting with either Monaghan or Donegal after coming through a potential banana skin against Down at Pairc Esler Newry on Saturday evening.
After a shaky start it looked as though the Red Hands were going to stroll to victory as they found the Mourne net five times in the opening half hour but they had to withstand a late really from the hosts who actually scored more times than the Red Hands. Neamh Woods stood out at centre half back for Tyrone, Arlene McCloskey and Sarah Donnelly battled hard in midfield against Sinead Murphy and Kyla Trainor while up front Cathy Donnelly, Eilish Gormley, Gemma Begley and Lynette Hughes scored all bar one of their side's entire tally between them. While getting past the semi-final was the main goal the Tyrone management will no doubt know that a repeat performance wouldn't suffice in the decider.
Tyrone began the better of the two sides but they missed a couple of chances while Down keeper Elaine McCourt saved well from Cathy Donnelly. It was Down though who opened the scoring in the 8th minute when midfielder Kyla Trainor hammered the ball to the roof of the net after her penalty had come back off the bar.
Aileen Pyers tagged on two frees for Down and Tyrone looked to be in trouble but then suddenly things started to fall into place. Gormley opened their account with a 12th minute point and sixty seconds later Jolene Donnelly placed Cathy Donnelly for a goal. Down responded with another Pyers point from a free but in the 18th minute a goal from the penalty spot from Gemma Begley give Tyrone a lead that they were never to lose.
The full forward line of Gormley, Begley and Hughes combined for the latter to score a 20th minute goal and sixty seconds later Begley found the net again for her second goal of the afternoon. Pyers, Grainne McClean and Orla Fegan had Down points but in the last minute of the first half Eilish Gormley blasted the ball past Down keeper Elaine McCourt to leave it 5-2 to 1-6 at halftime.
Tyrone kicked four wides in as many minutes on the restart before Ann Dooher and Sarah Donnelly combined for Cathy Donnelly to open the second half scoring with a point. That score came in the fifth minute and Tyrone didn't raise another umpire's flag until injury time at the end of the contest although during that spell Begley hit the bar from the penalty spot.
Down came roaring back as Pyers had a couple of points with further scores from Lisa Morgan and substitute Sonya McGaw as they trimmed the deficit to four. Tyrone then had a let off in the 49th minute when Trainor put a penalty over the bar after Orla Fegan had won the spot kick. With seven minutes to go Pyers' eighth point of the game left only two between the sides but Down failed to score again as Tyrone ended the contest strongly.
Trainor joined Tyrone midfielder Donnelly in the sin bin before Tyrone finally ended their barren spell with a good point from Cathy Donnelly from out on the right wing. That score settled Tyrone and late efforts from Begley and substitute Clodagh Poyntz saw them over the finishing line although they know themselves that improvement is required before their Ulster final date.
