Armagh 2-10 Tyrone 1-12

Armagh emerged one point winners at the end of a nail biting derby against Tyrone in the Athletic Grounds on Sunday. The Orchard girls got off the mark straight away with a Mags McAlinden point but Tyrone responded quickly with scores from Jolene Donnelly and Clare Scullion. The first fifteen minutes were dominated by the Red Hands who added further scores from Gemma Begley, Sarah Donnelly and Neamh Woods to race into a four point lead.

Armagh finally got to grips with the game when Sharon Reel won possession to set up Shauna O’Hagan for her first point of the day. O’Hagan struck again from the kick out and Mags McAlinden tacked on a third point in a row. Tyrone were playing some great quick football with their ability to turn defence into attack their greatest asset. A point from Sarah Donnelly and a superlative effort from Jolene Donnelly over her left shoulder started Tyrone’s purple patch. Further points from Sarah Donnelly, Gemma Begley and a goal from Cathy Donnelly left Armagh facing into a double scores deficit as they trailed 1-09 to 0-005 at the break.

Tyrone started the second half in the same fashion with a point from the throw up but amazingly this was to be their last score for twenty minutes as Armagh launched a spectacular recovery. Mags McAlinden converted a free before Sharon Reel started the comeback when she struck her shot to the roof of the net. Maria O’Donnell added a point to leave just a kick of the ball between the sides.

The tempo of the game rose dramatically when Armagh cheered on by an encouraging home support. The Orchard pressure paid off when Shauna O’Hagan claimed Caroline O’Hanlon’s pinpoint pass and planted the ball in the corner of the net. A Mags McAlinden point saw Armagh take the lead for the first time since the first minute of the game and it was a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Tyrone could find no way through the watertight defence with Dervla Toal and Caoimhe Marley in particular working heard to keep the Tyrone attack at bay. McAlinden stretched the lead to two points but Tyrone weren’t ready to give up. Jolene Donnelly stepped up to score the equalizer and with just minutes remaining every score was crucial. Mags McAlinden showed nerves of steel to convert a free kick to give her team two very valuable points in this derby encounter.

As is always the case there was little between the sides with Armagh’s greater fitness and teamwork telling in the end. The win sends Armagh through to the league quarter finals where they will play Dublin.

Armagh: D Hagan, S McCoy, C McCann, C Marley, G McAlinden, M Moriarty, RO’Mahoney, D Toal, C O’Hanlon, M Tennyson (0-1) M McAlinden (0-6), S Reel (1-0) L Brown, S O’Hagan (1-2) M O’Donnell (0-1)
Subs: C Murray for M O’Donnell, N Marley for L Brown

Tyrone: S McVey, S McLaughlin, M Kelly, M Donnelly, C Dooher, L Donnelly, N McAnulla, S Donnelly (0-3) N Woods (0-1) C Scullion (0-1) D McCallon C Donnelly (1-0) O O’Neill, G Begley (0-2) J Donnelly (0-5)