The county’s women footballers fell to a third successive Lidl NFL defeat in quite agonising fashion at Swinford this afternoon. Four ahead as the game went into injury time against Tyrone, the home team eventually lost out by a point, on a scoreline of 1-15 to 2-11.

Defeat will be a very bitter pill for Liam McHale’s team to swallow, as this game was one they looked like winning for all but the final frantic minutes. Seven up at half-time, they saw that lead pared back after the break as the visitors reeled off four points without reply.

When Sinéad Walsh, once more her team’s scorer-in-chief, bagged the home team’s second goal – Clodagh Keane had scored the opening one in the first half – the lead was back out to six points. A much-needed first win in this Division One campaign was once more looking likely, despite the fact that Aoife Geraghty was sent to the sin-bin shortly before the goal.

Danielle Caldwell departed on a yellow card soon after as well but Mayo clung on in front as the clock ticked down. When the team was back to its full complement as the game went into injury time, it seemed certain that they would hold out for a hard-fought win.

However, the four-point gap between the teams evaporated in under a minute as a point from Niamh O’Neill and a goal by Sorcha Gormley hauled the Ulster side level.

Erin Murray looked to have won it for Mayo when she then pointed at the other end. in the dying seconds, though, Niamh O’Neill scored twice for the visitors to snatch a one-point win.

Following the earlier losses to Dublin and Meath, today’s reversal against Tyrone – who still only operate in the Intermediate ranks – will sting badly. With tough matches still to come against the likes of Kerry and Armagh, relegation from the top tier is now shifting from a possibility to a probability for Liam McHale’s young charges.

Next up for them is an away clash with the Orchard County the weekend after next.

Mayo: Charlie Reilly Benson; Lucy Wallace, Saoirse Lally, Danielle Caldwell; Annie Gough, Sherin El Massry, Hannah Reape; Erin Murray (0-1), Aoife Geraghty; Saoirse Delaney, Ciara Whyte, Ciara Durkin (0-1); Milly Sheridan, Sinéad Walsh (1-7, four frees), Clodagh Keane (0-1). Subs: Kayla Doherty for Whyte, Riona Jordan for Gough, Maria Cannon for Durkin, Chelsea Doherty for Keane, Ella Brennan for Lally (blood).

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There was better news, meanwhile, for the county’s hurlers. They got their NHL Division Three campaign off to a winning start this afternoon, beating Sligo at Enniscrone by 1-12 to 0-13.