Ulster Title Win For Tyrone U20s

Sunday 08.03.2020

Championship Football

Tyrone 1-11 Donegal 0-9
Tyrone retained their Ulster U20 title at Clones on Saturday afternoon when a powerful second half display saw them emerge convincing five point winners over Donegal.

Things didn’t look all that good for the holders at the break when they held a slender one point lead despite having the wind at their backs but all that changed in the second period. Donegal did land two quick fire points to get their noses in front but they then lost corner back Oisin Walsh to a black card and when he returned to action ten minutes later the winners had kicked five unanswered points with man of the match Ethan Jordan claiming four of them. Darragh Canavan then put the game to bed with the only goal of the contest as Tyrone qualified for an All Ireland semi final date with Dublin at Croke Park on March 17th.

Tyrone midfielder Kevin Barker opened the scoring in the second minute before Donegal levelled matters through full forward Padraig McGettigan. Aaron Doherty then edged Donegal in front but Joe Oguz equalised before a well taken Jordan point from out on the right wing put Tyrone 0-3 to 0-2 in front in the 20th minute. Both sides recorded wides and with both defences on top scores proved difficult to come by. A fine effort from Tiarnan Quinn from forty metres out put Tyrone two in front but in first half injury time defender Paul O’Hare had the final say of the half for Donegal.

Doherty levelled matters on the restart before centre half back and captain Luke Gavigan put them in front but that was as good as it got for Donegal. Walsh was black carded for bringing down Canavan with Quinn levelling matters from the resulting free and Tyrone never looked back. Jordan kicked a trio of points before Tyrone had keeper Lorcan Quinn to thank for a brilliant save in the 42nd minute, pushing Doherty’s shot onto the bar. Sixty seconds later Tyrone were unlucky not to get a goal when a flowing move saw Quinn hit the base of the right hand post although Jordan did point from the rebound.

Donegal were now back to their full compliment of players but they found themselves 0-9 to 0-5 in arrears with the momentum very much with Tyrone. Keelan McGroddy did get a much needed Donegal score with a quality strike from out on the right wing but they continued to struggle to break down a Tyrone defence where Cormac Munroe, Matthew McCusker and Neil Kilpatrick were to the fore.

Canavan and Munroe combined for midfielder Oguz to strike a fine point before Tyrone grabbed the only goal of the game. Quinn played the ball to Jordan whose shot was saved by Ronan McGeehin but Canavan was on hand to get the rebound and round the keeper before planting the ball into an empty net. McGettigan converted a Donegal free while substitute Johnny McGroddy scored from a mark but Tyrone were still looking comfortable. Substitute Liam Gray hit a superb effort with the outside of his boot just after Donegal had lost Conor McHugh to a black card. A Doherty free brought an end to the scoring and moments later Donegal were reduced to thirteen men when Gavigan was straight red carded. A superb win then for Tyrone who now have a date with the Leinster champions to look forward to at Headquarters.

Tyrone: Lorcan Quinn, Cormac Quinn, Cormac Munroe, Matthew McCusker, Neil Kilpatrick, Antoin Fox, James McCann, Kevin Barker (0-1), Joe Oguz (0-2), Tomas Donaghy, Darragh Canavan (1-0), Michael Gallagher, Ethan Jordan (0-5), Matthew Murnaghan, Tiarnan Quinn (0-2, 1F). Subs: Ryan Jones for Donaghy, Simon Garrity for Murnaghan, Liam Gray (0-1) for Oguz, Caolan Slevin for Jordan, Eunan Devlin for Kilpatrick

Donegal: Ronan McGeehin, Oisin Walsh, Conor O’Donnell, Paul O’Hare (0-1), Cormac Finn, Luke Gavigan (0-1), Peter McEniff, Rory O’Donnell, Richard O’Rourke, Ronan Frain, Aaron Doherty (0-3, 1F), Keelan McGroddy (0-1), Matthew Duffy, Padraig McGettigan (0-2, 1F), Ethan Harkin. Subs: Conor McHugh for O’Hare, Johnny McGroddy (0-1, 1M) for Harkin, Eric Carr for Frain, Lanty Molloy for O’Rourke, Ryan Brogan for Walsh

Referee: Darren O’Hare, Down