Tyrone Ease To Win Over Down

Wednesday 01.04.2026

Tyrone 4-23 Down 1-14

Holders Tyrone picked up their first win of this season’s Ulster U20 championship when they turned on the style to secure an emphatic result against Down at O’Neill Park on Wednesday night.

 

After losing to Cavan first day out they knew that they couldn’t afford another slip up and they certainly played like that with the game moreorless over as a contest by the interval. They played attacking football at pace on a night when they had a dozen different scorers with their halfback line contributing 2-5 from play while the return of full forward Ruairi McCullagh was a big plus as well. With Armagh beating Cavan it sets up a winner takes all clash at the Athletic Grounds next Wednesday night when the winner of the section will be decided.

 

Leo Hughes and Eoghan Travers swapped early points before Tyrone seized control with the wind at their backs. Turlough Muldoon, Jamie Concannon, Shea McDermott and Adrian McGurren all raised white flags with Concannon also raising an orange one before Brian Gallagher exchanged passes with Dromore clubmate McGurren to score the first goal in the 9^th minute.

 

Travers knocked over another Down free but it was Tyrone who continued to make all the running with Conor O’Neill and James Mulgrew on top in midfield. Mulgrew, Conall Sheehy and McCullagh all tagged on points before good work from McGurren saw him play the ball across for the inrushing Gallagher to palm in his second goal of the evening. Team Captain Conor Devlin followed that up with a quality two pointer and after McCullagh and Luke Quinn had traded scores McDermott got Tyrone’s third major to leave it a long way back for Down.

 

Travers and Concannon swapped points on the resumption before substitute Aodhan Quinn split the posts. McCullagh, Muldoon, Quinn, Peter Colton and McDermott all added points with Down’s sole response coming from a two point free from full forward Travers. Travers then landed another two pointer for the visitors but at the other end of the field Down had keeper Callum Travers to thank for making at least four outstanding saves.

 

Bobby Magowan did get in for a Down goal in the 56^th minute and Travers converted another two pointer from a placed ball while Ruairi Madine raised an orange flag from play but they were only consolation scores. On his home pitch Hughes notched a second point before McDermott completed the scoring with a 4^th Tyrone goal after keeper Travers had denied Colton.

 

 

Tyrone scorers: Shea McDermott 2-4 (3f), Brian Gallagher 2-0, Ruairi McCullagh 0-4 (2f), Jamie Concannon 0-3 (1 x tp), Turlough Muldoon 0-2, Leo Hughes 0-2, Conor Devlin 0-2 (tp), Aodhan Quinn 0-2, Adrian McGurren 0-1, James Mulgrew 0-1, Conall Sheehy 0-1, Peter Colton 0-1

 

Down scorers: Eoghan Travers 0-7 (2 x tpf, 3f), Ruairi Madine 0-3 (1 x tp), Bobby Magowan 1-0, Taidgh O’Hanlon 0-2 (tp), Luke Quinn 0-1, Liam Blaney 0-1

 

Referee: Mark Dorrian, Donegal