Issue 64 – 30th July 2010

Friday 30.07.2010

THE MCGINN PERSPECTIVE
 
TYRONE TEAMS READY FOR DUBLIN AND KERRY AFTER MEMORABLE ULSTER DOUBLE
 
I would not say there was an air of inevitability about it but when the draw was made for the All-Ireland quarter finals last Sunday night and Dublin were drawn out as Tyrone’s opponents it did not come as any great surprise to many supporters.

Overall the draw threw up some very intriguing ties and with the exception of the Roscommon versus Cork game, the Bookies will have set the odds for each game with very little between the sides.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte and his assistant Tony Donnelly were down in Croke Park last Saturday having a close look at possible quarter final opponents. Interestingly we ran into Jack O’Connor also and as it turned out the two winners in Croker were drawn out to face Tyrone and Kerry in the next round. So both managers got to run the rule over their opponents and will have left headquarters with plenty of information as they make preparations for this weekend’s do or die games.

The Dubs have been rebuilding under Pat Gilroy and scored a notable success over Tyrone during the league when Bernard Brogan ran riot in Omagh. That match guaranteed relegation for Tyrone but seemed to signify the start of a new era for Dublin. There was a lot of hope and expectation this year surrounding the Dubs as they entered the Leinster Championship seeking a fifth title in a row. All had been going reasonably well until Meath launched a series of high balls into their forward line and hit the net five times. The Dubs were well beaten in the end and were forced to go back to the drawing board in an attempt to find the winning formula.

The qualifiers have allowed them to try out new things and new players. They have worked well for Dublin this year and in addition to playing all their games at home, there has been no burden of expectation on them. Relatively small crowds have followed them thus far and their recent wins over Armagh and Louth were well received but no one was talking about winning All Irelands.

There is a sense of realism about this team and most Dublin followers are just delighted to have a few new heroes to cheer on. Eoghan O’Gara is a big strong, slightly naive but very talented full forward who caused mayhem against Louth when he won the ball and ran straight at them. He has helped to take the pressure off the Brogan brothers and all three will take considerable watching when they face Tyrone on Saturday.

Their new midfield pairing has worked reasonably well and Ross Mc Connell seems to suit playing in the centre of the field while Mc Auley is full of pace, endeavour and strength.

However there are still question marks about their defence and in spite of their meticulous attention to detail and thorough preparations, nothing can compare to the experience of coming up against top quality inter county forwards. Ultimately that is where this game will be decided and if the young Dubs can cope with the pace, experience and scoring threat of the Tyrone forwards they might pull off a major shock. Tyrone, unlike 2005 and ’08 will be coming into this game as favourites and that is something completely different for them. The pressure is off Dublin and all on Mickey Harte’s men and that should aid the Dubs as they seek to continue their development.

It is a great draw for both sides and has the potential to be the best of all the quarter finals. It is nice for Tyrone that the game has been arranged as a triple header which will include the Tyrone minors, although there will be a big break between the two games with Down and Kerry meeting in between. Playing in Croke Park this Saturday is a huge boost for the young Tyrone lads as they prepare for a challenge on the All Ireland Minor title.

Good luck to both Red Hand teams and here’s hoping that the feast of football in store at Croke Park on Saturday lives up to all expectations.
Reflecting on recent weeks, it had been quite a few years since Tyrone had managed to put two provincial titles back to back, fourteen to be precise, and going into this year’s Ulster final few in the press were predicting that the O’Neill County would change that historic fact.

However on Sunday 18th July in Clones not only did the Tyrone senior side emulate that marvellous feat achieved under the guidance of Art Mc Crory in 1996 but the county’s minor side managed to make it a wonderful double with a very comprehensive victory over the 2009 All Ireland champions Armagh.

Interestingly in the lead up to the senior final most of the talk was about Monaghan and how well their campaign had gone this year. Expectation within the county was at an all time high and unlike 2007 Seamus Mc Eneaney’s side came into the game expecting, not hoping, to win. Few people could have argued against the optimism that had been building in The Farney County as the final got closer. I spoke to several people I know in Monaghan and they were so confident of lifting the title that they had organised to take the Monday and Tuesday off work to watch the DVD recording of the match and enjoy the celebrations. Perhaps the players themselves got caught up in the whole euphoria that grew and developed as one newspaper after another as well as radio pundits nailed their colours to the mast in support of the team in blue and white. Sometimes the weight of such views and opinions can have a serious effect on things such as Parliamentary elections or the like but in GAA circles it usually adds to the debate and sets a team up for a fall just like we saw in the Connacht Final as well.

Fortunately for Tyrone it would appear that our players tend not to spend too much time reading newspapers and far less time believing what is written. Instead attention is given to exploiting potential weaknesses in the opposition and ensuring that no stone is left unturned in the quest for victory. So it was with the Red Hand sides in both Ulster finals.

The minors completely outplayed Armagh and had they been less profligate in the first half they would have been completely out of sight by half time. Indeed Ronan O’Neill, who had a fine game throughout, could have reached the break with a personal return of 1-5. Fortunately the missed chances did not have any major impact on the final outcome and Raymond Munroe’s team won easily in the end and congratulations to all those involved in the minor set up as they attempt to add another All Ireland title to the county’s growing list of honours.
Similarly with the seniors and their ten point defeat of Monaghan. Micky Harte and his team must have been delighted with such an excellent team display that was clear evidence of a combination of great play and careful planning. Tyrone played some superb football throughout the game and such was their dominance that Monaghan actually failed to score for the best part of forty minutes after they had gone four points to three up midway through the first half. Team captain Brian Dooher lifted the Anglo Celt Cup for the third time in his career and his choice of the phrase “so far” during his acceptance speech was a clear indication that while provincial titles are valued and fought for, there are other bigger targets and goals ahead.

Congratulations from all associated with Teamtalk on what was a fantastic day for GAA fans throughout the county. It was a magnificent double victory and “so far” this summer things are looking good.  

Sunday 18th July was certainly a day that will live long in the memories of Tyrone fans following the county’s double victory in Clones.

Both the minors and seniors had hugely convincing wins and what made the victories even more enjoyable was that in both cases many of the pundits had tipped the opposition to come out on top.
Tyrone have a fantastic record in underage football over the past few years and have produced some excellent minor teams recently. The 2008 All Ireland winning team was blessed with many hugely talented individuals some of whom are now beginning to make the break through into the senior squad.
The present bunch have now shown that they are developing into a very good team with designs on emulating the achievements of the panel of two years ago. Manager Raymond Munroe was delighted to lift another Ulster title but ultimately he realises that the true worth of this squad will be measured in the remaining fixtures of the season. Provincial titles are still highly valued prizes in Tyrone but such is the confidence and belief within the county that our teams contest the All Ireland series fearing no one.

Many of these young lads have been members of development squads for a number of years and have tasted success at school and club level and have now added an Ulster Minor medal to their growing collection of honours.

The Armagh side they faced had to field without their team captain and leader Peter Carragher but even allowing for that it has to be said that Tyrone produced a real team performance and their dominance was reflected not only in the statistics but more importantly on the scoreboard also.

Tyrone started the game very well and the key battles in and around the middle of the field were being won by Harry Og Conlon and Conan Grugan. Their ability to not only win the ball but to make good use of it meant that the Armagh defenders were working overtime trying to keep tabs on John Mc Cullagh and Ronan O’Neill. The first half was all Tyrone and had they capitalised on the chances they created they would have been out of sight long before the half time whistle. Such was their territorial and possession dominance that Niall Sludden was able to get forward regularly to supplement the attack and Armagh looked like they were in danger of being over run. Indeed the Orchard County were under such enormous pressure that it took almost twenty minutes of the game before they mustered a shot on goal.

The game plan from Tyrone was all about high energy and intensity and that took its toll particularly on the two midfielders. It was no surprise that big Conlon was replaced late in the second half as he had virtually run himself into the ground. Tyrone lost their way a little in the second half but were never really in danger although goal keeper Mc Reynolds was called on to make a super save from the Armagh corner forward late in the game.

All that was missing was a goal and it duly arrived when wing half forward Devlin got on the end of a good move to score the game’s only major. Armagh’s heads dropped after that and Tyrone played out the remainder of the game under no serious threat. However second half substitute Dara Donnelly did his cause no harm at all with two fine points late in the game. He had replaced Trillick lad Richard Donnelly who showed himself to be more than adept at the art of dead ball kicking. He struck over two superb forty fives with ease and that is something we don’t often see even in senior football.

Raymond Munroe’s team will now face Kerry this weekend in the quarter finals and the Carmen man knows that this will be a much tougher test than anything his players have faced in Ulster this year. Kerry lost out to Cork in a close battle in their provincial final and will have had a close look at Tyrone. The Kingdom will realise the threat that exists within the Tyrone forward unit and will seek to counter that. They will also have noticed that Tyrone gave the ball away carelessly a few times against Armagh when coming out of defence and against better sides such mistakes could prove costly. Another feature of their play which could cause them problems is their tendency to ‘play’ too much football in the wrong places. At times on Sunday week past, players were soloing and bouncing the ball inside their twenty metre line in dangerous situations. A turnover could easily have led to a goal and such a score would have changed the complexion of the game completely. There is a thin line between confidence and being casual, the trick is not to cross it.

It was a very proud and happy looking Shea Mc Garrity who climbed the steps of the Gerry Arthurs Stand for the presentation. The young Cookstown lad seemed to suffer an injury early in the game and I thought at one stage he might have to leave the field. Fortunately for Shea and Tyrone he managed to recover and stayed on the field to play a key role in this latest success for his county. I am sure he will be hoping this is not the last trophy he lifts as team captain this year and if his team mates and himself continue to produce the type of football they played last time out there is a fair chance they will have a major say on the destination of the Tom Markham trophy.

We were just enjoying the feeling of being Ulster Minor Champions once again when the great Down team of the sixties were introduced to the spectators. They got a tremendous reception from the huge crowd and thoroughly enjoyed their few moments in the limelight. Even the weather was beginning to pick up and with the formalities all over it was almost time for the main event to begin. There was much speculation right up to the start of the match as to what sort of game it would turn out to be. People wondered what strategies Monaghan would adapt to deal with Tyrone and as usual many rumours abounded about what might or might not happen in the opening minutes. I had a very interesting conversation with Orla Bannon who writes for The Daily Mirror and she seemed to have the inside line on how Banty’s men would approach the game. She was rather nervous waiting for the throw in but as she told me she was wearing her “lucky” red and white slippers so that should have been more than enough to allay her fears.

The crowd were late coming in but it was almost a packed house by the time the game was ready to start. The vast majority of the crowd were decked out in blue and white and were clearly backing Banty’s men. The general mood of the assembled masses seemed to reflect what had been written and said in the media all week. It was all about Monaghan and their game and the progress they had made and how set they were on winning this elusive Ulster title. It seemed that Tyrone were being overlooked in all the talk and that was a strange thing considering the records of both teams. Mickey Harte’s team were coming into the match as defending Ulster Champions and although they had been relegated to Division Two of the National League they had shown enough in their opening championship games to suggest they were capable of progressing even further.

Both teams were forced to start without key players with Stevie O’Neill failing to recover from his heel problem and Monaghan captain Vinny Corey missing out following a training injury. Corey’s loss proved to be a major issue for The Farney men and although they made a much better start to the game than they did in the 2007 final they were in serious bother by the time referee David Coldrick blew for the end of the first half. They had failed to score from the eighteenth minute of the opening half and were trailing by three points at the break. In fairness Pascal Mc Connell made two fantastic saves from goal attempts which could have had a significant impact on the game but Tyrone looked comfortable nonetheless.

If the first thirty five minutes were about taking the opponents best shots and defusing them the second period was about control and demolition. Tyrone tightened their grip on the game and squeezed the life out of Monaghan. All the key battles were won by Tyrone and Monaghan looked sterile and devoid of ideas. They continuously ran down blind alleys, were forced into turnovers or kicked the ball away aimlessly. It really appeared as if Seamus Mc Eneaney’s men had learned nothing from their indepth study of Tyrone and as the game drew towards the end it was only a question of how large the margin of victory would be.

However it would be wrong of anyone to think this was an easy victory or a facile challenge. Tyrone won because they were the better side and had better players all over the field. They had leaders and winners throughout the field and strong individuals in key positions but this was a win for the team and team work essentially. It looked as if every single eventuality had been covered and every possibility discussed and dealt with.

Tyrone looked the hungrier side and fought for every single inch of space as if their lives depended on it. The intensity of the tackling was reminiscent of 2003 at its best but it was even more clinical and thorough in its execution. Few frees were conceded as the opposition were swallowed up in a sea of red shirts. No sooner was the ball turned over than the ever eager runners were away again as they sought to exploit the gaps that were becoming all too evident in the Monaghan defence. If you did not know any better you could have been forgiven for thinking that it was Tyrone who were chasing their first Ulster Title in twenty two years and not Monaghan.

Captain Brian Dooher continues to ignore the passage of time as he produced another excellent display of end to end running and tackling. He became only the second man in Tyrone’s history to be presented with The Anglo Celt trophy for the third time. This was his sixth Provincial win and judging by his acceptance speech, it was probably the sweetest of all.
 
Tyrone had heroes all over the field and in total the manager used twenty players including all five allocated subs. Some were on the pitch for only a few minutes but they all got to the pace of the game quickly and made very positive contributions to the win. The Man of the Match award generated a lot of debate and such is the subjective nature of it that The Sunday Game, the BBC and The Irish News all had different recipients, but interestingly all three were Tyrone defenders. That might lead some to believe this was a defensive game which would be wrong but what it does show is that Monaghan obviously contributed hugely to the occasion and enjoyed considerable possession only to find their path to goals blocked continuously by a hardworking and hungry Tyrone rearguard.

Tyrone finished with a total of one goal and fourteen points and for a change Owen Mulligan was not among the scorers. He did however put in a tremendous shift and won ball after ball that was played into him. He was also involved in setting up quite a few chances for his colleagues particularly in the first half and will be even more eager to get back on the scoring charts next day out. The 1-14 was shared across ten different players and included a wide variety of excellent scores. Davy Harte notched two excellent points and his first half one was a good a score as was seen in Clones in many’s a year. The Errigal man had a super game and will have been justifiably delighted with his display.

Tyrone’s work rate and organisation were so choreographed that they seemed to have options at every turn.

The McMahon brothers stood out like beacons as they carried ball after ball from defence and made life miserable for the Monaghan fowards. Cathal Mc Carron had an outstanding first Ulster final and tied up Tommy Freeman completely. I don’t think I have ever seen the Donaghmoyne forward so well marked and Cathal repaid his manager’s faith in him in bagfuls. The longer the game went on the more confident he became and even managed to make the occasional surge forward to support the forwards. On one occasion when Sean Cavanagh was shooting for a score Cathal was inside the Monaghan twenty metre line completely unmarked.

Philip Jordan and Conor Gormley were two other men who had outstanding game making up a half back line that ruled the roost turning defence into attack at every opportunity. Both men were involved in almost everything good that Tyrone did and managed to get their names on the scoresheet with two wonderful points. It was easy to see why these guys picked up individual awards following their outstanding displays. Kevin Hughes and Colm Cavanagh fought like demons for every ball in the middle third and for Colm Cavanagh it was his best championship showing in a Tyrone shirt which was capped with a fine individual goal. Hub just kept going as only he can and broke the hearts and resolve of the opposition pair in addition to lobbing over two great scores including the final point of the game.

Martin Penrose and Sean Cavanagh had quiet games by their own high standards but still made major contributions to the cause with two very hard working performances while Tommy Mc Guigan grew into the game and was particularly outstanding in the opening fifteen minutes of the second half. All in all it was a most satisfying victory that showed Tyrone not only have the talent and skill but also the hunger and passion necessary to make the difference in big games.

I watched The Sunday Game later that night with interest hoping to pick up some pearls of wisdom following the display by Tyrone earlier in the day. It seemed that most of the southern media remain to be convinced and rate both Kerry and Cork ahead of the Ulster Champions in the quest for Sam. Not a bad thing really as it puts that little bit of extra pressure on the two Munster teams while deflecting attention away from Mickey Harte’s men.

The other thing of interest to me on the show was the picking of the “Team of The Year” so far. There were several Tyrone players chosen, but none of them were forwards. Fortunately big Pascal was chosen in goals and deservedly so. His performances have been excellent “so far” but I feel his game has improved, particularly his variation on kick outs which could prove decisive later in the year. In my view he is streets ahead of any of the opposition keepers I have seen this year and could well be chosen later on as Ulster Footballer of The Year. He may not have won man of the match award in the Ulster final but his contribution was, like himself, massive and timely.

Interestingly, I think that makes it four Ulster senior medals apiece now for Pascal and his brother Finbarr!
Hopefully, for Pascal, All-Ireland medal number 4 is in the pipeline!
 

ULSTER SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL REVIEW
 
Tyrone 1-14 Monaghan 0-7
 
Tyrone will go into this weekend’s All-Ireland senior quarter-final clash with Dublin as warm favourites after they secured back to back Ulster senior football titles for the first time since 1996 with a comprehensive victory over a disjointed Monaghan side at St Tiernach’s Park Clones on Sunday 18th July.

It was Tyrone’s fifth provincial title in ten years, the fourth under Mickey Harte’s management, and the third title in four seasons. It also increased the county’s Ulster senior championship title haul to thirteen, and Tyrone’s record breaking captain Brian Dooher has been involved in the last half dozen.

In the build up to this game all the talk centred on the hunger that the Farney County would have as they chased the Anglo Celt for the first time in twenty two years but when it boiled down to it the greater will to win was displayed by Mickey Harte’s charges as they romped to an easy ten point win.

Monaghan will point to the two saves that Pascal McConnell made in the first half as decisive moments in the game but it’s doubtful if the result would have been any different had one or both of those efforts found the net. The first one fell to sharp shooter Tommy Freeman after only three minutes, with his older brother Damian also being denied by the brilliant Newtownstewart shot stopper right at the end of the opening period.

Exchanges were even early on with a well taken Rory Woods point helping Monaghan into a 0-4 to 0-3 lead but by the time they found the target again the game was already beyond their reach. Tyrone rattled off seven unanswered points either side of the break to take a stranglehold on proceedings that they never looked like relinquishing and when midfielder Colm Cavanagh stormed through to finish to the Monaghan net late on it was the icing on the cake for Mickey Harte’s charges.

This was a superb all round performance from Tyrone as they once again silenced the critics who suggested they had too many miles on the clock. But, showing all their old zest, they totally dismantled a Monaghan challenge that had been highly rated before the game following two massive wins over Armagh and Fermanagh.
 
The psychological damage Tyrone inflicted on the Farney men was compounded six days later when Kildare heaped further misery on Seamus McEnaney’s side at Croke Park, bringing a year that had promised much to a sour ending.

Tyrone were the better side throughout the field as Monaghan were given a lesson by a group of footballers who demonstrated that the appetitie is still there for more success.

Keeper Pascal McConnell made those breathtaking two saves in the first half while the Tyrone defence limited the starting Monaghan attack to just three points from play. Cathal McCarron was making his first senior championship start and he was handed the daunting task of marking Tommy Freeman and while the former All Star hit the opening point of the game and got away for that early goal chance, he was well shackled by the Dromore clubman. Justin McMahon was yet again a tower of strength at full back as he held the much vaunted Conor McManus scoreless from play while the Omagh man managed to get forward on numerous occasions to lend his attack a hand. Ryan McMenamin completed a superb full back line and Ricey was back to his best as he limited direct opponent Rory Woods to just a single point.

The half back line was perhaps Tyrone’s best line. Davy Harte justified his return with a fine defensive display that also yielded two brilliant points while beside him Conor Gormley gave a man of the match display. Paul Finlay was the play maker on this Monaghan side but he was limited to scraps and only managed a point, the Carrickmore man also getting a point as he was once again the rock on which a lot of Monaghan attacks perished. Philip Jordan wasn’t far behind him as not only did he get a point but he held his opponent scoreless and got forward on numerous occasions during the course of the game.

At midfield Colm Cavanagh and Kevin Hughes got the better of their tussle with Dick Clerkin and Owen Lennon. The Moy man continues to grow in this position as he got through a serious amount of work at both ends of the field as well as scoring the only goal of the contest, a clinical finish. Alongside him Kevin Hughes ran himself to a standstill as well as contributing two points from play as last season’s Ulster footballer of the year produced another power packed display.

Up front all but one of the Tyrone starting forwards registered as an impressive ten different scorers featured for the winners. Owen Mulligan may have been the only one not to score but that doesn’t take away from his display as he won every ball that came his way and gave his marker Dermot McArdle a torrid time.

Team Captain Brian Dooher once again led by example in the half forward line with a tireless display with Sean Cavanagh alongside him contributing three points from play. Joe McMahon played as a sweeper in front of his own full back line and once again he carried his duties out in style with another superb display that included a coolly converted ’45’.

Martin Penrose was again a bundle of energy throughout the game with his marker forced to follow him throughout the field while Tommy McGuigan played well at full forward, not only notching a point but bringing his team mates into the game at every occasion.

It was a display that no doubt pleased Mickey Harte and his management team and the aim now will be to build on that in their pursuit of a fourth Sam Maguire Cup triumph.

The Monaghan game is now history of course and all eyes will be focussing on Croke Park this Saturday as the Red Hands bid for a fifth All-Ireland quarter-final victory in eigth seasons under Mickey Harte.
 
Tyrone – Pascal McConnell, Cathal McCarron, Justin McMahon, Ryan McMenamin, Davy Harte, Conor Gormley, Philip Jordan, Colm Cavanagh, Kevin Hughes, Brian Dooher, Sean Cavanagh, Joe McMahon, Martin Penrose, Tommy McGuigan, Owen Mulligan. Subs – Peter Harte for Tommy McGuigan, Dermot Carlin for Cathal McCarron, Brian McGuigan for Brian Dooher, Colm McCullagh for Owen Mulligan, Sean O’Neill for Davy Harte
 
Monaghan – Shane Duffy, Dermot McArdle, John Paul Mone, Colin Walshe, Damian Freeman, Darren Hughes, Gary McQuaid, Dick Clerkin, Owen Lennon, Stephen Gollogly, Paul Finlay, Kieran Hughes, Rory Woods, Conor McManus, Tommy Freeman. Subs – Hugh McElroy for John Paul Mone, Ciaran Hanratty for Stephen Gollogly, Dessie Mone for Paul Finlay, Martin McElroy for Kieran Hughes, Neil McAdam for Gary McQuaid
 
Tyrone scorers – Sean Cavanagh 0-3, Colm Cavanagh 1-0, Davy Harte 0-2, Kevin Hughes 0-2, Martin Penrose 0-2, Conor Gormley 0-1, Philip Jordan 0-1, Joe McMahon 0-1, Brian Dooher 0-1, Tommy McGuigan 0-1
 
Monaghan scorers – Conor McManus 0-2, Dick Clerkin 0-1, Paul Finlay 0-1, Rory Woods 0-1, Tommy Freeman 0-1, Dessie Mone 0-1
 
Referee – David Coldrick, Meath
Attendance – 34,634

 
ULSTER MINOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL 2010

Tyrone 1-14 Armagh 0-5

Tyrone set up this weekend’s All-Ireland minor quarter-final meeting with Munster runners-up Kerry when they eased to their twenty second Ulster minor championship title with a surprisingly comfortable victory over a disappointing Armagh side at St Tiernach’s Park Clones on Sunday 18th July.

It was a contest that the Red Hands dominated from start to finish and they could have won by a greater margin as their wides total went into double figures. Shea McGarrity, Conor Clarke, Niall Sludden and Eunan Deeney gave little away in defence for the winners with Conan Grugan and man of the match Harry Og Conlon totally on top in midfield.

Up front Ryan Devlin, John McCullagh and Ronan O’Neill kept the Armagh defence on their toes throughout.

All-Ireland champions Armagh failed to play to their potential on the day and there is no doubt the loss through injury of midfielder and team captain Peter Carragher was a severe blow to them although it didn’t have any bearing on the end result.

Tyrone laid the foundations for this win in the first half as they established a 0-9 to 0-2 advantage by the interval and while Armagh battled to the final whistle they never looked like getting back into contention.

Ronan O’Neill knocked over the opening two scores of the game from frees before a superb effort from distance from midfielder Grugan helped Tyrone into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead.

It took the defending champions a dozen minutes to open their account through Ryan Rafferty but it was Tyrone who continued to dictate the pace of the game with Devlin, McCullagh and half back Niall Sludden all on target.

Paul McGeown converted an Armagh free but a well taken point from Deeney brought the first half scoring to a close. Richard Donnelly converted his second ’45’ of the game on the restart before Conlon stormed through for a fine individual score. Tyrone keeper Mark McReynolds then made a good save to deny Colin Stevenson.

Armagh keeper Matthew McNeice was also called into action to deny Devlin but with nine minutes to go the left half forward first timed the ball to the net for the only goal of the game. Substitutes Ryan Conlon and Dara Donnelly had two points each for their respective sides as Tyrone sealed an impressive success. 
 
 
Tyrone – Mark McReynolds, Shea McGarrity, Conor Clarke, Hugh Pat McGeary, Niall Sludden, Mickey Donaghy, Eunan Deeney, Conan Grugan, Harry Og Conlon, Richard Donnelly, Thomas Canavan, Ryan Devlin, Stefan Tierney, John McCullagh, Ryan O’Neill. Subs – Dara Donnelly for Richard Donnelly, Dwayne Quinn for Mickey Donaghy, Padraig McNulty for Hugh Pat McGeary, Darren McCurry for John McCullagh, Rory Loughran for Harry Og Conlon
 

Armagh – Matthew McNeice, Ruairi McCaughley, Colm Hoey, Ronan Finnegan, Dean Nugent, James King, Niall McConville, Aaron Findon, Conor Gough, Miceal McKenna, Aidan Forker, Barry Seeley, Colin Stevenson, Paul McGeown, Ryan Rafferty. Subs – Dominic McParland for Aaron Findon, Ryan Conlon for Miceal McKenna, Caolan Trainor for Barry Seeley, Pearce Casey for Dominic McParland

Tyrone scorers – Ryan Devlin 1-2, Richard Donnelly 0-2, Ryan O’Neill 0-2, John McCullagh 0-2, Dara Donnelly 0-2, Niall Sludden 0-1, Eunan Deeney 0-1, Conan Grugan 0-1, Harry Og Conlon 0-1

Armagh scorers – Paul McGeown 0-2, Ryan Conlon 0-2, Ryan Rafferty 0-1

Referee – Jimmy Galligan, Cavan