Tyrone 3-20
Monaghan 1-7
In a commanding performance at the Morgan Athletics Ground in Armagh on Saturday, Tyrone claimed this year’s Ulster Junior Camogie Championship final with a comprehensive victory over a Monaghan.
From the off Tyrone asserted their dominance and always were in control of this game. In the first minute, Tyrone’s Cathy Jordan opened the scoring with a point before Monaghan’s center forward Mairead McCarron replied with a good score.
Her opposite number Caoimhe Rafferty added another point for Tyrone before Rafferty causing problems running at the Monaghan defence, blazed to the net for a fine goal to see Tyrone take a 1-3 to 0-1 lead after 5 minutes of play.
Monaghan came back with a point through midfielder Mary McElroy but it was all Tyrone after that as they added 8 points in a row to take a commanding 12 point lead after 22 minutes.
Tyrone’s lethal half forward line of Rafferty, Shona O’Hagan and Orlay Foley contributed the majority of those scores and were tearing apart the Monagahan defence at will with deadly accuracy a feature of their play.
Monahan were unlucky not to concede a goal by the brilliant Hagan for Tyrone as she crashed a rasper off the cross on 29 mins.
Monaghan got in for a pointed free by Mairead McCarron on the stroke of half time but had a mountain to climb in the second half trailing by 1-12 to 0-3.
The second half started as the first half ended with Tyrone on the attack. Shona O’ Hagan adder her fourth point of the game and this was soon followed by a good score from their midfielder Shana Jordan.
Then O’Hagan pounced for Tyrone’s second goal and at this stage it was matter of keeping the scoreboard respectable for Monaghan.
Monaghan did get a point back through Siobhan McKenna but Tyrone in total control eased further ahead with a Rafferty goal and a point with further white flags from Asling Corr and O’Hagan with a quarter left in the game.
With the game long since past a contest, Tyrone soon began to empty their bench.
Monaghan to their credit fought on and were rewarded when in their best spell of the game they shot an unanswered 1-3. The goal on 22 minutes came from by Siobhan McKenna with two more Monaghan points and a fine score from sub Nicola Morgan to leave it at 3-19 to 1-7.
But Tyrone had the last say when Player of the Match Caoimhe Rafferty pointed to see her side enjoy a deserved Ulster title.
Tyrone Team: Cara Fitzgerald, Siobhan Hughes (Eglish), Frances Bigley (Eglish), Laura Barker, Niamh Gavin (Captain), Catherine Hanna, Aisling Corr, Shauna Jordan (Eglish), Orlagh Foley, Caoímhe Rafferty, Shóna Hagan, Cathy Jordan (Eglish), Óonagh O’Neill, Ciara McGready (Eglish). Subs Used: Eithne O’Neill for Oonagh O’Neill; Emma Gormley for Orlagh Foley; Louise Casey for Laura Barker; Orla Cunningham for Cathy Jordan; Laura Logue for Jane Canavan.
