McCarthy the star as brilliant Tipp crown glorious season in style
Shane Ronayne’s charges ground out a three-point victory over Tyrone to seal senior championship football for themselves in 2018.
Victory caps a glorious season for the Premier County, who also won the Lidl Division 3 and Munster titles.
Gillian O’Brien chipped in with four points, while Róisín Howard and Mairead Morrissey, a survivor from Tipp’s previous intermediate win, in 2008, landed two points each.
Tipp, who survived some nervy moments, before landing the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup, were extremely well-organised for the most part, with another 2008 winner, Jennifer Grant, operating in the sweeper role.
Tipp held on grimly at the finish and, just before the hooter went, Aishling Moloney lashed the ball triumphantly into the Canal End.
Tyrone battled extremely hard, but they’ll operate in the intermediate ranks again next year — as Tipp join Kerry, Cork, and Waterford to make a four-team Munster senior championship.
Tipp end the 2017 season unbeaten and it was a vital run of 1-3 without reply, in the first-half, that proved crucial to this win. Tipp found themselves on the back foot right from the start, as Lauren Fitzpatrick denied Lycrecia Quinn with a brilliant save, after 15 seconds.
Tipp settled, though, and were 0-3 to 0-1 clear, before Gráinne Rafferty slotted home a classy, 16th-minute goal for Tyrone.
The response from Tipp was excellent, as Howard and McCarthy (free) landed points, before McCarthy scored a goal in the 18th minute. It was a moment of quick-thinking from the Cahir midfielder, as she picked off Caoileann Conway’s hand-pass, before lobbing stranded goalkeeper, Shannon Lynch.
O’Brien was almost in for a second Tipp goal, a minute later, but Lynch pulled off a brilliant save to keep Tyrone in it.
A point from O’Brien completed Tipp’s purple patch, but, at the other end, they were opened up in the 23rd minute by a slick Tyrone move, only for Niamh O’Neill to blaze wide.
Tipp were almost in for a second goal of their own, before half-time. Moloney was fouled in the process of shooting, but with play allowed to continue, Morrissey fisted the ball over for a point.
Gemma Begley, one of Tyrone’s 2010 senior finalists, completed the first-half scoring, but Tipp had a four-point interval lead to protect, and they did so.
The lead was out to five points early in the second-half and while Fitzpatrick saved from Begley in the 37th minute, Tipp were keeping Tyrone at bay. Chloe McCaffrey’s magnificent point, in the 47th minute, brought Tyrone to within three, but a brace of McCarthy frees pushed the gap out to five again. Tyrone weren’t finished, as Maria Canavan (free) and Begley landed late points — but Tipp held out to atone for their 2013 final loss to Cavan.
A McCarthy (1-4, 4 frees); G O’Brien (0-4); M Morrissey & R Howard (0-2 each); A Moloney (0-1).
G Begley (0-4, 3 frees); G Rafferty (1-0); E.J. Gervin & M Canavan (2 frees) (0-2 each), N O’Neill & C McCaffrey (0-1 each).
L Fitzpatrick; S Condon, M Curley, E Buckley; B Condon, S Lambert, L Dillon; A McCarthy, J Grant; N Lonergan, M Morrissey, A Moloney; R Howard, G O’Brien, O O’Dwyer.
C Condon for Lonergan (47), C Walsh for Howard (56).
S Lynch; E Brennan, E Mulgrew, C Conway; N Woods, S Cunningham, C Hunter; M Mallon, E.J. Gervin; N Hughes, L Quinn, Á Canavan; N O’Neill, G Begley, G Rafferty.
N McGirr for Conway (20), M Canavan for Rafferty (37), E Hegarty for Á Canavan (37), C McCaffrey for Quinn (50).
G McMahon (Dublin).
