Tyrone manager Darren McCann said he was confident all through that they had the measure of Laois at Croke Park to capture the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate title for the second time in history.
“On the sideline, we felt totally in control. We were creating chances but we just weren’t taking them, which was frustrating for us,” said McCann.
“When we play relaxed football, we are a hard team to stop and we played relaxed football, especially in the second half.
“The whole group have serious heart and determination as a collective and that was a collective performance. I was really happy with their performance today and the key thing was getting on top and staying on top.”
Goals in either half from Aoife Horisk and Katie Rose Muldoon proved pivotal as they edged out Laois by six points to deservedly capture the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup at Croke Park.
In the process Tyrone bounced back from last year’s final defeat to Leitrim to capture the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate title for the first time since they sole success in 2018.
Laois manager Stephen Duff said they were always chasing the game but he was very proud of their effort.
“We didn’t perform in the game. There was a bit of relief that we weren’t further behind at half-time,” said Duff.
“Whether the occasion got to us or it was just a bad day at the office, it just wasn’t a great performance.
“We kept in the game in the third quarter but we probably needed another goal at that time and they managed to pull away in the end.
“We’re savagely proud of everyone and we’ll just take it on the chin.” Tyrone enjoyed a 1-7 to 1-5 interval lead with Horisk’s 27th minute goal cancelling out an equally superb finish from Laois’ Shifra Havill four minutes previously.
There was little to separate the teams throughout a nervy second half but the decisive moment arrived in the 54th minute as Muldoon left Laois goalkeeper Eimear Barry helpless with a shot from close range.
It was Tyrone that seized the early initiative through points from Sorcha Gormley and Cara McCrossan before Laois struck back to level parity by the fourth minute courtesy of scores from Jane Moore and Emma Lawlor.
Lawlor edged Laois in front in the seventh minute, immediately after their corner-back Faye McEvoy had produced a superb goal line clearance at the opposite end, with parity restored soon after through a Niamh O’Neill free.
Parity continued as Emily Lacey and Aoife Horisk (free) traded points by the end of the first quarter with the Ulster county re-establishing their two-point advantage thanks to Sláine McCarroll and the lively Gormley.
However, their inaccuracy up front undermined their general control as O’Neill placed her shot too close to Eimear Barry in the 22nd minute and that profligacy was punished in an instant as Lawlor worked well in releasing Havill for an emphatic finish to the roof of Amelia Coyle’s net.
Frustration continued for Tyrone in the 26th minute as Gormley was denied from the penalty spot following a foul on Horisk but the latter made no mistake a minute later as she drilled home from ten yards to edge her side two points clear by half-time.
Laois wasted little time in getting back on level terms as Mo Nerney and Fiona Dooley both scored within three minutes of the restart.
Crucially, Laois were unable to get in front as this time as O’Neill (free) and Horisk responded for Tyrone, with the latter becoming increasingly influential as the contest evolved.
The same could be said for Nerney, who added two points in quick succession to bring Laois to within a point by the 43rd minute.
However, their momentum stalled ten minutes from time as Ciara Crowley was yellow-carded and O’Neill’s subsequent free helped double Tyrone’s advantage.
Tyrone wrapped up the issue when Muldoon followed up well to net after fellow substitute Emer McCanny had been denied and they pulled away by the final whistle thanks to insurance points from O’Neill, Gormley and captain Aoibhinn McHugh.
N O’Neill (0-7, 3f), A Horisk (1-3, 1f), S Gormley (0-3), K Muldoon (1-0), A McHugh, S McCarroll, C McCrossan (0-1 each).
E Lawlor (3f), M Nerney (3f) (0-5 each), S Havill (1-0), F Dooley, J Moore, E Lacey (0-1 each).
A Coyle; J Lyons, G McKenna, E Quinn; C Campbell, M Mallon, C Canavan; A McHugh, S McCarroll; E McNamee, S Gormley, A Horisk; N O’Neill, C McCrossan, M Corrigan.
E McCanny for McCrossan (36), K Muldoon for McNamee (45), A McGahan for Campbell (53), C McCaffrey for O’Neill (58), J Barrett for Horisk (59).
E Barry; S Farrelly, C Dunne, F McEvoy; A Gorman, A Moore, A Moran; F Dooley, J Moore; S Havill, E Galvin, C Crowley; E Lacey, E Lawlor, M Nerney.
L Kearney for Gorman (39), M Cotter for McEvoy (45), K Donoghue for Lacey (47), A Fitzpatrick for Havill (56).
Shane Curley (Galway).
