Report: Tyrone make it two from two in Division 2 with victory over Sligo

Lidl NFL Round 2

Sligo 1-12 Tyrone 5-14

Connolly Park, Collooney

Referee: Declan Callaghan (Donegal)

Tyrone made the trip to Collooney on Sunday on a high from their six-points win over Waterford in round one with high hopes of making it two from two in Division two of the Lidl NFL. It was Tyrone that started the better getting the first two point of the game from Emma Jane Gervin and Niamh Hughes before Sligo registered their first score of the day a point from Nicola Brennan on 12 minutes. Two pointed frees from Elaine O’Reilly gave Sligo the lead with 17 minutes played. Both teams exchanged points before a mistake in the Tyrone back line left Sligo’s Emma Kevany with just the keeper to beat for the first goal of the game. Tyrone hit back straight away with a goal of their own scored by Grainne Rafferty.

Tyrone added two more points from Gemma Begley and Grainne Raffety before they were awarded a penalty which Gemma Begley finished to the roof of the Sligo net. Tyrone hit two more points before Meabh Mallon found the back of the net for their 3^rd goal of the day, Sligo fought back with two points first from Nicola Brennan then a free from Elaine O’Reilly, but the Sligo fight back was short lived when Gamma Begley scored her second goal of the game on 27 minutes, Sligo finish the half with two points from Rachel Monaghan to reduce Tyrone’s lead to six points at half time.

Gemma Begley scored a goal and a point in the first five minutes of the second half as the inexperience of the Sligo back line began to tell. Tyrone pushed on adding five more points through Gemma Begley (3) Emma Jane Gervin and Chloe McCaffrey before Sligo got their second half off the mark with a well taken point from Rachel Monaghan on 44 minutes. That was added to by Emma Kevany but that would be as close a Sligo would come to Tyrone as the Ulster side tagged on four more points one each from Grainne Rafferty, Meabh Mallon. Sasha Byrne and Aisling O’Kane. Sligo did get the last score of the day coming from Lauren Boles leaving the final score Sligo 1-12 Tyrone 5-14.

Sligo know they have work to do before they welcome Armagh too Dr Kent Park next Sunday in round three and hoping they can pick up their first win of 2018.

Speaking after the game Sligo manager Paddy Henry said although it was disappointing to lose he could take the positives out of the game only four of the starting team today started the All-Ireland S/F last Aug against Tyrone and the young players that have come in to the squad are doing very well and just need a little time to get up to the pace of the game at this level he added we go back to training this week and get ourselves ready next Sunday and hopefully we can put in a performance to reflect the work theses girls are putting week in week out.