ALL IRELAND SEMI-FINAL THIS WEEKEND.

LADIES FOOTBALL

PADDY HUNTER

ALL IRELAND SEMI-FINAL THIS WEEKEND.

The Tyrone lady footballers will attempt to make it a sixth all Ireland final club and county for Tyrone teams this year when they play all Ireland champions Cork at Tullamore on Saturday.

 

Tyrone’s Michaela O’Neill set her sights on an all Ireland title when she accepted the job as Tyrone senior manager last year. The Tyrone team had missed out on a final appearance at the hands of Mayo last term but with the nucleolus of the squad still available when O’Neill stepped up to the plate she felt confident.

Well despite a big loss in the Ulster final Tyrone regrouped, refocused and reaffirmed their targets and now after wins over Armagh and Dublin its all Ireland champions Cork who stand between Tyrone and that first senior final appearance.

O’Neill and Joe Gilligan had took the reigns when Jimmy McGloughan opted not to return but after the Ulster final loss toMonaghan, who await Saturdays winners in the Croke Park final at the end of the month, Gilligan and St Endas club player O’Neill went their separate ways. Michaela happy to remain at the helm and try and guide Tyrone to that illusive decider.

There’s been ups and downs during the season so far, a good national league run that ended with a narrow loss to Armagh in a play-off, the cutting of several players and the inclusion of others offered room for plenty of discussion up and down the county. O’Neill had stuck by her calls, good and bad and she really has brought the best out of the players. From the experienced to the youthful minors that lost an all Ireland minor final already this year. O’Neill has brought them together, they might not always agree with her but the manager has managed to set Tyrone up for a real crack at the Rebelettes.

Beatable they really are, at times they huffed and puffed against Galway at Roscommon but a touch of class from Valerie Mulcahy eased any worries they may have had in difficult conditions.

Tyrone management and players alike know what to expect at Tullamore this weekend. Cork are unstoppable in terms of the all Ireland series. They have made Croke Park a second home too. They are on track for four in a row, a feat not repeated since the superb Kerry run from 1982 until 1990 and that nine in a row. Cork boast household names that have proven track records. They powered to a comprehensive victory over Kerry in the TG4 Munster Ladies Senior Football Final with a comprehensive 13-point victory and they never got out of first gear at times.
Tyrone though have their fare share of quality, from the best full forward in the ladies game Gemma Begley to a vastly experienced defender in Lynda Donnelly, O Neill has plenty to call upon. Lynette Hughes, Maura Kelly, Neamh Woods and Begley, they too are household names, yet on the bench too they have players to draft in, McGahan, Fox and Quinn to name three. They may not be household names yet but manager O’Neill, who is still playing club football, hopes that come five pm this Saturday a whole lot of new fans will mention the names of Begley, Woods and Donnelly in the same breath as Jordan, Cavanagh and McCullagh.
Win lose or draw Tyrone will be delighted to be back in the last four, the last three now really but a step into an all Ireland senior final may be just beyond them, that’s a realist view. Tyrone and Oneill will not be thinking that. Throw in time on Saturday is 3-30pm at Tullamore.

 

CLUB FOOTBALL

Monday 8th September 2008 in Clogher @ 7pm.
WJ Dolan junior B Final
Drumragh V Drumquin

 

 

TEAMTALK U16 Results

 

Monday 25th August

Grade 1
Cappagh 3.05 St Macartans 6.05
Cill Iseal 5.10 An Charraig Mhor 3.08
Glenelly 3.09 Ardboe 5.07
Aodh Ruadh 9.17 Errigal Ciaran 1.05

 

Grade 2
Mna na Deirge 4.06 Beragh 3.11
Donaghmore 5.07 St Endas 3.08
St Dypmnas 3.11 Clann na Gael 2.12
Sperrin Og 1.11 Galbally O.C. 6.14

 

Grade 3
Trillick 1.10 Fr Rocks 2.11
Edendork 3.04 Sigersons 5.09
Kildress w/o Aghyaran dnf

 

Grade 4
Drumquin 2.02 Pomeroy 7.08

 

Grade 3 Championship Replay
Fintona 1.08 An Charraig 4.08

 

TEAMTALK U16 League Re-Fixtures

 

Thursday 4th September
Beragh v Clann na Gael

 

Tuesday 8th September
Galbally O.C. v Clann na Gael
An Charraig v Fintona

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