Mayo hold on for narrow win over Tipperary

Mayo maintained their unbeaten run in the LGFA Lidl National League with a hard-earned 0-9 to 0-7 victory over Tipperary in round three at Swinford Amenity Park on Sunday, writes Aiden Henry.

The hosts laboured for long periods and found it difficult to get to grips with their Munster opponents. In the end they struggled to hold on to the lead, and had goalkeeper Laura Brennan to thank on a couple of occasions in order to keep their unbeaten run intact.

However, Diane O'Hora's charges held on to take the two league points on offer, which was the most important thing of all.

In a game where Mayo and Tipperary recorded eight wides each, there were many mistakes by both sides. Possession was needlessly given away, especially in the opening half, and there were plenty of times when the wrong option was taken.

But it is only early February, and we can expect a lot of the issues that surfaced on Sunday to be worked on and improved upon over the next number of weeks.

Tipperary dominated the opening period and raced into a two-point lead within six minutes, Heather Spillane and Emma Morrissey on target.

However, once Mayo opened their account in the 10th minute, they came more into the game. The lively Kayla Doherty raised Mayo’s first flag and added a second three minutes later, this time from a placed ball, to level matters.

Centre-back Ciara Needham fired over a delightful point on 24 minutes to put Mayo in front, and as things transpired it was a lead they would never relinquish.

The hosts doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time with a second pointed free by Kayla Doherty, leaving the interval score 0-4 to 0-2.

There was a bit more life to the game after the resumption. Mayo increased their lead to four points by the 36th minute after Maria Reilly and Tara Needham landed fine points.

But Tipperary were not going away and cut the deficit by to three in the 42nd minute with a point from Lauren Cunningham.

Two minutes into the final quarter Kayla Doherty and Reilly increased the Mayo lead to five points. Tipperary refused to throw in the towel, however, and hit back with two unanswered points to leave just a goal between the sides.

There was still a goal between the sides in the 53rd minute after Mayo’s Aoife Geraghty cancelled out a point from Tipperary’s Emma Morrissey. Geraghty’s point would prove to be Mayo’s last score of the game, and with four minutes of normal time to go (and four minutes of injury time added also), Tipperary threw everything at their hosts. In the 56th minute, a blistering shot by Emma Morrissey appeared to be heading for the top corner but was brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Mayo 'keeper Laura Brennan, with the ball then cleared to safety.

A minute into injury time a point by Tipperary’s Heather Spillane made it a two-point game, and Mayo again had to thank goalkeeper Brennan as she blocked another shot, this time from a 21 yards free, to deny Morrissey once more in what was the final action of the game.

*See Tuesday's print edition for more on the game