Football

Back in the Day - Eilish Gormley is the key for Tyrone - The Irish News, Aug 7 1999

Tyrone's Eilish Gormley (pictured left) gets to grips with Monaghan's Therese McNally. This day 20 years ago, she was singled out by Down as one of Tyrone's biggest threats
Tyrone's Eilish Gormley (pictured left) gets to grips with Monaghan's Therese McNally. This day 20 years ago, she was singled out by Down as one of Tyrone's biggest threats Tyrone's Eilish Gormley (pictured left) gets to grips with Monaghan's Therese McNally. This day 20 years ago, she was singled out by Down as one of Tyrone's biggest threats

Ladies Gaelic Football: Ulster Ladies JFC final Down v Tyrone

Gormley the key for Tyrone

DOWN have singled out Eilish Gormley as the biggest threat to their ambitions of ending Tyrone’s winning streak in the Ulster Ladies Junior Football Championship in tomorrow’s showpiece at St Tiernach’s Park.

In a potentially helpful twist of fate, the fact the final is being staged as part of a double-header with the men’s minor final replay could be the Mourne girls’ biggest ally with Down fans expected to provide the bigger share of vocal support.

However, if recent form is any guideline, Down might need more than that if they are to prevent their opponents from winning the trophy for the fifth year in a row.

Tyrone have found the net a total of 11 times in their two championship outings to date against Fermanagh and Monaghan, five of the goals credited to corner forward Caroline Kelly.

But Down manager Seamus Braniff, believes, with some justification, that Gormley pulls most of the strings in the Tyrone side.

“She will need careful watching as will Caroline Donnelly and the fact we play our football in Division Three whereas Tyrone are in the top flight now makes us the underdogs.” said Braniff.

“But we can take heart from our display against Tyrone in last year’s final when we clawed our way back into the game after trailing by seven points at half-time, only to lose by two at the finish.”

Braniff does, however, confess that his side will need to shore up their defence if they are to have a chance of reversing that result against the Red Hands this time around.

Meanwhile, Tyrone midfielder, Nicola Scott, insists her team will not be underestimating the Down challenge.

“We have been knocking on the door of an All-Ireland for a few years now with two defeats at Croke Park so we are hoping this might be our year.”

The winners of the Clones clash will go on to meet either Roscommon or Leitrim in the All-Ireland quarter final in Connacht on August 28.

Camogie: All-Ireland Senior Camogie semi-final: Down v Tipperary

DOWN’S preparations for today’s match have been disrupted by the withdrawal of defender Edel Mason from the squad.

No reason was given for the highly regarded Dunloy player’s withdrawal.

Team selectors were believed to be last night trying to persuade the player to return and have made her available to play by including her on the substitutes bench should she change her mind.

At the start of the nineties both Down and Tipperary were languishing in junior camogie. One of them will be appearing in a senior final on the first Sunday of September 1999.

They represent the breath of fresh air the game at top level requires, but which of them is best equipped for progress to a probable showdown with Cork?

Down beat Tipp for the 1991 Junior title, Tipp made up the leeway a year later and with a few seasons of successful minors, passed through the Intermediate ranks quite rapidly.

Down on the other hand struggled to eclipse national titles until last season. they did not have much under age success but careful husbandry of what young talent there was, resulted in a strong panel of players.

The draw has favoured Down this year. They have been mastering Dublin for the past half dozen seasons while Tipperary has not the psychological baggage that either of the other semi-finalists carry.

Down: T McGowan, D Savage, D Greeran (cap), B Kelly, P Greene, N Magee, C McGovern, J Henderson, J Braniff, V Hynds, M McAleenan, M Murray, C Hynds, C Mulholland, C McGrath