Minors Defeated in Ballyshannon

Saturday 13.04.2024

County

Ulster Minor Championship Rd 2
Donegal 2-12 Tyrone 1-8

Two goals either side of half time from Colm O’Dochairtaigh were enough to inflict Tyrone’s first defeat in the group stages of the Ulster Minor championship.

Tyrone buoyed from an excellent opening round victory over Down travelled to Ballyshannon in high spirits but were second best to an impressive Donegal outfit.

Tyrone played with wind advantage in the first half but struggled to utilise the elements until an excellent Davin McKeown point cancelled out Conor McCahill’s opener. Liam McGeary and McCahill swapped frees as little separated the sides in the opening twenty minutes. Tyrone did up the tempo in the final ten minutes and scores from McGeary, a monster point from McKeown and well taken points from Lorcan McMurray and Jamie Concannon saw Tyrone ease three clear. However, a well worked move saw Ward feed O’Dochairtaigh to finish to the net in the final minute of the half.

The second half was barely thirty seconds old, when Donegal had the ball in the net again, Paddy Ward and Oisin Watson competed in the air the ball broke goal wards for O’Dochairtaigh to tap home.

The home side were to totally dominate the third quarter with five unanswered points. A Lorcan McMurray goal with eight minutes remaining narrowed the deficit to five but two further points from man of the match Colm O’Dochairtaigh sealed victory.

Tyrone O Watson, P McGinley, P Goodman, E Conway, T Meenan, D McKeown (0-2), A Quinn, E Donaghy D McAnespie, P Donaghy, J Concannon (0-1), S Teague, L McMurray (1-2), D Devlin, L McGeary (0-2, 1f)
Subs P Colton (0-1), P McGoldrick, S McDermott,  F McHugh