Tyrone Bow Out In Semi Final

Saturday 14.11.2020

Club

Donegal 3-25 Tyrone 1-21

Tyrone Hurler’s hopes of Nicky Rackard Cup glory ended at the semi final stage in Letterkenny on Saturday afternoon when a strong second half display from Donegal helped propel them into the decider.

It was a former Tyrone Hurler who did a lot of damage, Gerard Gilmore with two goals inside sixty seconds in the second half on his way to a 2-4 personal haul. To their credit Tyrone played to the final whistle with Damian Casey very much to the fore in the scoring stakes but unfortunately on the day it wasn’t enough for the visit0rs.

Ronan McDermott and Casey exchanged early scores before Ciaran Matthewson and Gilmore left the hosts 0-3 to 0-1 to the good. The visitors then enjoyed a good spell with points from Conor Grogan and Casey coming either side of a well taken Keifer Morgan goal for a 1-3 to 0-3 lead by the 7th minute.

Matthewson, Joe Boyle and Jack O’Lochlainn traded points with Bryan McGurk, Morgan and Casey before McDermott and O’Lochlainn reduced the deficit to the minimum. Casey and McGurk then put Tyrone two in front before Donegal full forward Richie Regan scrambled home a 20th minute goal. O’Lochlainn tagged on a brace of frees with Casey doing likewise for Tyrone before Donegal keeper Luke White got his name on the scoresheet after a forty metre run. McGurk and O’Lochlainn had points for their respective sides before Casey first of all levelled  the game before another free from the same player gave Tyrone a narrow 1-13 to 1-12 interval advantage.

Casey opened the second half scoring from a free as well but Donegal were soon level thanks to a brace from the on song O’Lochlainn. Casey then scored from play as well as from a free as Tyrone moved two clear but that was to be as good as it got for the Red Hands. Gilmore then took centre stage with two goals in a minute to turn the game completely on its head and he added another two points either side of one from O’Lochlainn as Donegal weighed in with 2-4 without reply.

A Casey free stopped the rot for Tyrone but at this stage it as Donegal who had serious momentum with Matthewson, Boyle, Josh Connolly and O’Lochlainn all adding to their tally. Substitute Cain Ferguson and Casey had Tyrone points but it was to be Donegal’s day as they advanced to the Nicky Rackard decider.