Tyrone Exit U20s Tamely

Wednesday 29.03.2023

County

Tyrone under 20 footballers surrendered their Ulster and All Ireland crowns at Healy Park Omagh on Wednesday night when they lost to a much hungrier Down side on a scoreline of 2-9 to 1-8.

Two first half goals proved the key scores but in truth the four point differential flattered the home side who found the pace, aggression and commitment of their opponents hard to live with and impossible to match. It was one of those nights for the young Red Hands when they simply had no luck as chances went abegging while Down made the most of theirs.

Oisin Savage and Oran Cunningham pointed early for Down but Tyrone responded well with points from Oisin Gormley and a converted Oisin Miller mark to tie the game after ten minutes. Centre back Callum Rodgers led by example as he drove forward and put Down in front again. Tyrone’s response was excellent and points from club mates Ronan Cassidy and Conor Cush edged the home side 0-4 to 0-3 in front.

At that stage the large home crowd expected Tyrone to tag on a few scores and pull away but Down had other plans and it was not long before Down were ahead again following a fine goal from full forward Oisin Savage.

Down found themselves under pressure from their own kickouts but still looked sharper, hungrier and quicker to the ball. Savage extended the lead to three with five minutes remaining but the key score came three minutes shy of the short whistle when Jason Morgan fired to the net to send the Mourne men off at the break leading 2-4 to 0-4. Indeed it could have been even worse for Tyrone but a last ditch Enda Mc Caffrey block prevented a third Down goal just before the break.

Tyrone made changes before the restart introducing Eoin Mc Elholm and James Donaghey and while they enjoyed more possession they could not penetrate the Down rearguard. The home side needed an early score but it was Down who scored first with another Oisin Savage point. Odhran Potter pointed on thirty eight minutes but Tyrone looked toothless in attack as Down sat deep and then hit them on the break. Points from Canavan and Cush narrowed the gap but with Odhran Murdock and Patrick Mc Carthy leading the way Down never looked like losing.

A late goal from Eoin Mc Elholm narrowed the gap but failed to impact on the outcome and Down ran out deserving winners on a final score of 2-9 to 1-8.