TG4 ALL IRELAND SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Tyrone 1-10

Meath 1-12

Tyrone now face Tipperary in a relegation play off after Saturday’s narrow loss to Meath at Omagh in a game that they will feel they left behind. The red hands lost by just two points in the end Meave Maxwell scoring a late penalty while Chloe Mc Caffrey’s long range effort at the end scraped the post at the death.

Meath s experienced goalkeeper Robyn Murray was on hand to save from Slaine Mc Carroll and Chloe Mc Caffrey but the reality is they did leave scores behind as they pressed for  scores against a very good Meath side.

Meath led by three points at the break edging a hotly contested opening half that saw the sides level on five different occasions, the hosts also trailed by five at one stage but showed character to come back. Niamh O’Neill, Mc Carroll, Sorcha Gormley and Mc Caffrey had pointed for Tyrone with Emma Duggan, the impressive Katie Bermingham, Meadhbh Byrne, Niamh Gallogly and Ciara Smyth on target for Meath as the opening twenty minutes proved to be a tense affair, neither keeper tested with Grainne Mc Kenna excellent at full back for the home side.

A burst of three fine Meath points, Byrne, Bermingham and Orla Finnegan on target for them opened the gap to three.  Mc Caffrey and Gallogly exchanged late points

Mc Caffrey did unlock the Meath defence only for Murray to do well before O’Neill landed the day’s only two pointer on forty minutes.  Tyrone were starting to string passes together , showing more confidence but Meath bagged a key goal. In a sweeping move from centre field Sinead Murphy moved the ball out right for Amy Gaffney whose cross was sent to the net by Byrne.

Again Tyrone created at the other end, Mc Namee and Clare Canavan put Mc Carroll in, again there was Murray to stand tall. Caitlin Campbell and well executed points from Finnegan and Duggan kept the Meath advantage at five as both teams made changes with ten minutes between scores.

O’Neill and Meaths Ali Sherlock swapped points before Canavan was taken down as she closed in on goal, Murphy carded the resultant penalty dispatched by Meave Maxwell. At the death Mc Caffrey steered a two point effort literally inches wide.

Tyrone came out of the game with several more injury concerns to add to their woes with the squad already reduced and several youngsters added in

Tyrone Scorers: N O’Neill 0-5, M Maxwell 1-0 , C McCaffrey 0-2, C Campbell, S McCarroll, S Gormley 0-1 each.

Meath Scorers: M Byrne 1-2, E Duggan 0-2 , K Bermingham, N Gallogly, O Finnegan 0-2 each, L Woods, C Smyth 0-1 each.