Big defeat for Mayo in Tyrone for O'Meara's first game in charge
Mayo's Ava Lambert and Tyrone's Una McCann picture with referee Keith Cahill before the game.
New Mayo camogie manager Colum O’Meara endured a baptism by fire in his first game in charge as his team were put to the sword by ruthless Tyrone last Saturday.
Tyrone ran away with the game in the second half but in the first, it was far tighter. It was 0-9 to 0-5 just before the break but a scrambled Becky Santos goal gave Tyrone a bigger cushion at the break and a platform on which to build for the second half.
The hosts opened the scoring with points by Cara Little and Lara Devlin within the first 30 seconds. They doubled up through Devlin and Aine Cunningham by the fourth minute but by the eighth minute, Mayo tuned in and improved their accuracy. Brona Joyce and Hannah Tener got them up and running before Little and Devlin re-established the four-point gap. Kate Scahill fired over for Mayo and Roisin McErlean sent over a 45’ to keep arm’s length between the sides.
Mayo enjoyed their best spell as Emer Delaney got in for an attempt on goal that was well saved by Tyrone custodian Eimear Colton before a fine Lilian Keane effort reduced the gap to three. Devlin and Little got in on the act again with further scores before Delaney responded for Mayo. The half time whistle would have been manna from heaven for Mayo but Tyrone struck again before it sounded throughout Tattyreagh. Cunningham sent a free into the danger zone and Becky Santos scrambled it past Shauna Peoples in the Mayo goal.
Lilian Keane got Mayo moving in the second half but McErlean responded with a free. The same player then robbed a Mayo player of possession and sent it past the keeper for the second goal.
Tyrone would raise further green flags through Lauren Fitzgerald and their persistent attacking menace Lara Devlin and Cara Little in addition to a handle of points.
In the second half, Mayo did manage to tack on eight points through a trio of Keane frees, an Ava Lambert 45’ and one each for Laoise Greally and Emer Delany.
There were lessons in defeat for Colum O’Meara and his team will now regroup and dissect this game ahead of this weekend’s visit of Louth for the second round of the league.
