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Ladies League Gets Underway On Sunday
Friday 24.01.2020
Tyrone ladies open their fourth division 2 campaign in the ladies national league on Sunday with a difficult trip to Dunganny near Trim to face Meath, a team that needs no introduction to Gerry Moane’s Red Hand girls.
The Royals lost to Tyrone in the 2018 all Ireland intermediate final at Croke Park and after gaining promotion from division three in the Spring of last year suffered another loss in the all Ireland final. They come into 2020 with a major point to prove and have their sights set on taking the scalp of Tyrone this weekend.
Like Tyrone the Royals have the bulk of their squad still in place from last year and they will certainly want to get their new season off to a winning start against the visitors to the Meath Centre of Excellence.
Meabh Mallon remains unavailable for Tyrone but the returning Emma Mulgrew balances up that loss while after a break last year Grainne Rafferty makes a welcome return to the squad. Tyrone have also introduced several new players to the squad for what will be a definitive season. The target for the team after a disappoiting 2019 campaign is promotion to the top division.
“We look at the squad and there are players with a lot of experience. Neamh Woods, Emma Jane Gervin, Shannon Lynch, Christiane Hunter and Joanne Barrett, all young but with so much to offer and we are pleased the way some of the younger girls have settled in too. We have a lot of options all over but we have to get off to a good start, that will be vital.” explains Moane who has been happy with the work put in by his players since they returned to the gym in November
“They have all worked hard. We had gym work and then hit the pitch at the start of December. To be honest the weather has been kind too. When you start in November it seems so far from the start of the league but there you go. We are set for the opener.”
Tyrone with the senior championship to look forward to again this Summer, begin with that trip away followed by a short hop to Silverbridge to face Armagh the following week with Clare the visitors to Drumragh on Saturday February 8th . Tyrone are not great travellers and will relish that first home game with Healy Park pencilled in for games against Wexford and Cavan.
Moane is expected to be tweaking his squad for the opening games “We have had two challenge games but it will take time to see where we are, yes there will be changes over the first couple of weeks, there’s little else you can do, we have had players away , we have the odd injury, flu and illness, we will start a strong side but we are far from the finished product and the players all know that. it’s a long season and with the format of the championships changed a bigger squad is vital, we have players who can do a job for us, we are happy with that.”
Tyrone’s game with Meath throws in at 2pm on Sunday.
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