Defeat for Tipperary on opening day of Ladies Football National League

Tipperary 0-7 Galway 2-9

It was always going to be a tough ask for Tipperary – taking on a Galway team that were beaten All-Ireland finalists last year and who have plied their trade against the top teams in Division One in recent years.

And so it transpired at Fethard Town Park on Sunday, when a highly impressive Galway side returned home with the two points in the first round of the Lidl Ladies National Football League Division 2, winning by eight points.

The victory was more comprehensive than that. The game was virtually decided by half-time when the visitors led 2-3 to 0-2 – both Tipp scores from Emma Morrissey frees – while Tipperary also scored the last three points of the game, when the result was decided and Galway started to empty the bench.

And what a star-studded bench it was, including two of the three Noone sisters, Eva and Hannah, who are members of the All-Ireland Club champions, Kilkerrin/Clonberne. Their sister, Lynsey, started, as did Kate Geraghty, Aibhe Davoren and Roisin Leonard who are among the top players in the country.

One of the Tipp players in that same marquee bracket is Cahir’s Aishling Moloney but she was unavailable through injury, although new team boss Ed Burke is hopeful that she will be available for selection for this weekend’s game away to Monaghan, or the following week at home to Cork.

Burke was disappointed with the result but well aware of the quality of team they were meeting.
“We were coming up against the All-Ireland finalists and while they were a better team than us on the day, we had our chances.

“We gave away two sloppy goals in the first half and had two goal chances ourselves in the second half. We came out to win, not be competitive, and I am disappointed with some of our sloppiness,” said the Moyle Rovers man.

He said the side had prepared really well but appeared nervous on the day. “We were getting on the ball and not knowing what to do with it but that comes with time. In training it has been fluid and doing the right thing but today it was like, what do I do next. But we know the standard that we have to get to and we plan to get there”.

The game was decided by two first half Galway goals. The first came in the 19th minute when a flowing move was finished to the net by Kate Slevin to give the Connacht side a 1-1 to 0-1 lead. Three minutes later referee Anthony Marron awarded Galway what looked like a soft penalty for a push in the back, and Roisin Leonard slotted home from the spot past Lauren Fitzpatrick.

After an even first quarter, the goals proved decisive. Despite Galway playing with the aid of a strong breeze in the first half, the game remained scoreless until the 15th minute when Emma Morrissey from a free gave Tipperary the lead – the Aherlow player had been fouled herself following a great burst through the centre from clubmate Anna Rose Kennedy.

Roisin Leonard from a free equalised within a minute – the ball had ended up in the Tipp net after a Galway move but the referee had called play back for an infringement. Then the two goals and a Leanne Coen point put the visitors well in control, 2-2 to 0-1.

Emma Morrissey from another free had Tipperary’s second point of the half six minutes from the break, but then the home side were reduced to fourteen players for ten minutes when Sinead O’Carroll was shown a yellow card for a heavy tackle on Chellene Trill. Leonard pointed the resulting free to leave Galway 2-3 to 0-2 in front at the break.

Galway had pushed the lead out to ten points by the 36th minute with two points from the outstanding Aibhe Davoren and another free from Leonard, following a foul on Davoren.

Tipperary had their chances, and both Neassa Towey and Hazel Brennan had shots on goal saved by the Galway ‘keeper Leah O’Halloran, when they might have done better.

Towey from a free had the side’s first point of the second half in the 38th minute but Tipp were still struggling to make an impact on the scoreboard. Emma Cronin, Sarah English and Maria Curley were working tirelessly to curb the Galway attack, with Anna Rose Kennedy outstanding in driving forward from midfield.

But the attacks too often broke down before getting within shooting distance. Tipp also had the advantage of an extra player at the time, with a yellow card for Galway’s Lynsey Noone following a heavy tackle on Hazel Brennan.

Another Leonard free pushed the lead out to 2-7 to 0-3 ten minutes from the end, but Tipperary finished strongly and outscored Galway four points to two in those closing stages.

Anna Rose Kennedy had their first point from play in the 51st minute and followed up with a second eight minutes later.

Neassa Towey and substitute Kirsty Crotty Ryan pointed frees in added time, with Galway replying with a great score from Kate Slevin and a pointed free from Andrea Trill.

Tipperary: Lauren Fitzpatrick (Ballymacarbry), Nora Martin (Sliabh na mBan), Lucy Spillane (Fethard), Emma Cronin (Moyle Rovers), Sarah English (Ardfinnan), Maria Curley (Templemore), Brid Condon (Aherlow), Anna Rose Kennedy (Aherlow) 0-2; Sinead O’Carroll (Ardfinnan), Hazel Brennan (Moyle Rovers), Neassa Towey (Templemore) 0-2 frees; Aoibhe O’Shea (Mullinahone), Niamh Martin (Sliabh na mBan), Emma Morrissey (Aherlow) 0-2 frees; Ava Fennessy (Clonmel Commercials).

Subs: Katelyn Downey (Boherlahan/Dualla) for Brid Condon, Ava Ryan (Moyne/Templetuohy) for Hazel Brennan, Caoimhe Condon (Cardiff St Colmcilles) for Ava Fennessy, Kirsty Crotty Ryan (Moyle Rovers) 0-1 free for Emma Morrissey.

Galway: Leah O’Halloran, Aoife Ní Cheallaigh, Maryanne Jordan, Kate Geraghty, Charlotte Cooney, Aoibhinn Eilan, Chellene Trill, Siobhan Divilly, Aibhe Davoren 0-2; Leanne Coen 0-1; Shauna Hynes, Lynsey Noone, Kate Slevin 1-1; Rosin Leonard 1-4, 1-0 penalty, 4 frees; Ailish Morrissey.

Subs: Eva Noone for Ailish Morrissey, Hannah Noone for Charlotte Cooney, Aisling Madden for Shauna Hynes, Sarah Ní Loinsigh for Aoife Ní Cheallaigh, Andrea Trill 0-1 for Roisin Leonard, Mairead Glynn for Kate Slevin, Marta Banek for Leanne Coen, Aoife O’Rourke for Chellene Trill.

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Referee: Anthony Marron (Monaghan).