Ulster Under-21 Final Tyrone 0-10 Cavan 1-10

Wednesday 11.04.2012

Time has run out for Tyrone and the Red Hands have lost to Cavan for the second year running in the Ulster under-21 final, a final winning margin of three points giving Cavan back to back titles at the expense of the Red Hands. It’s a disappointing outcome for Raymond Munroe and his men and the Tyrone manager must rue the fact that he was without Ronan O’Neill for this game tonight. Nevertheless the Tyrone lads fought to the end and made Cavan work very hard for a victory that they just about deserved on the night. Final score Tyrone 0-10 Cavan 1-10…

Tyrone are fighting to the end here as Thomas Canavan sends over his first point of the Ulster final to leave a goal separating the sides going into injury time. That goal in Cavan’s very first attack is the one that has done the damage here, but can Tyrone get one in these closing moments? Tyrone 0-10 Cavan 1-10…

Tyrone’s hopes of a twelfth Ulster under-21 title, and a first since 2006, are all but over as Cavan carve out a five point lead with another score from Jack Brady, although Niall Sludden gets one back with a couple of minutes left in Brewster Park. Is there enough time to do something about this? A goal is certianly needed very quickly! Tyrone 0-9 Cavan 1-10…

Make that a five point deficit for Tyrone as Raymond Lynch finds the target for the reigning champions who are now looking good for another Ulster under-21 title entering the last ten miniutes at Brewster Park. There is still time for Tyrone to do something about this situation but it’s going to take a huge effort to turn this one around now. although Darren McCurry offers some hope with a point from a free as John McCullagh and Padraig McNulty are brought in. Tyrone 0-8 Cavan 1-9…

Two more points at either end from the Tierneys, Barry from Tyrone reducing the gap briefly to three points, Kevin responding with another Cavan score to leave four in it again. Tyrone 0-7 Cavan 1-8…

The situation isn’t looking so good for Tyrone midway through this second half as Jack Brady extends Cavan’s lead to four points, Tyrone conceding three points in a row since registering that opening point of the second half. Tyrone 0-6 Cavan 1-7…

Joe Dillon finally gets a Cavan point from play and it’s a crucial score because it puts the holders into a very useful three point lead in this third quarter, as Tyrone bring on Shay McGuigan for Sean Warnock. Tyrone’s task looks even more difficult now, but they are still very much in the reckoning. Tyrone 0-6 Cavan 1-6…

But this is a resilient Cavan outfit, and Kevin Tierney finds the target again from a free kick, his fourth point of the night. Amazingly, Cavan are leading this Ulster final by two points early in this second half and they haven’t mustered even one score from play, as the referee continues to upset Tyrone supporters with some of his decision making. Tyrone 0-6 Cavan 1-5…

Tyrone have plenty of work to do in this game if they are to relieve Cavan of their title, but they make a very bright start to the second period as Darren McCurry sends over a free kick to leave a point between the teams again, and there appears to be more bite in Tyrone’s performance since the resumption. Tyrone 0-6 Cavan 1-4…

The teams are back on the field and Peter Mallon has entered the fray in place of Tiernan McCann for the second half, and there has been a bit of shuffling done elsewhere in the team.

We have reached the halfway stage here in Brewster Park and the defending champions have a two point advantage, 1-4 to 0-5, thanks largely to the penalty they scored almost straight from the throw in. They have since added four more points, all from frees, while Tyrone have arguably been the better team, albeit marginally, for much of the first half. But this is a strong Cavan outfit and they are very determined to hold on to this title. Tyrone have scored five times so far through Richard Donnelly (2), Darren McCurry, Harry Og Conlon and Stefan Tierney, and they will need to step up their efforts further on the restart if they are to emerge from this fixture with a different result from last year’s Ulster final meeting with the same opponents.

Tyrone hit back again with another great score from Richard Donnelly, leaving just a point between the teams again, but Cavan are awarded another free kick a minute later and Jack Brady splits the posts to give his side a two point cushion. Once again the Cavan score is from a free kick, while Tyrone don’t seem to be getting the same breaks at the opposite end. Tyrone 0-5 Cavan 1-4…

A really harsh free given to Cavan despite some excellent defending by Dean McNally and the chance is converted by that man Kevin Tierney, enabling Cavan to take a two point lead, all of their points coming from Tierney frees. In fact the defending champions have yet to notch a score from play, but the important statistic at the moment is that they are two points in front approaching half time. Tyrone 0-4 Cavan 1-3…

With 20 minutes played this game is turning out to be an end to end encounter and it’s clearly going to be difficult for Tyrone to see off the champions tonight as Kevin Tierney moves them back into the lead. Tyrone 0-4 Cavan 1-2…

And we’re level! Tyrone have been the better team since conceding that goal and their hard work pays off with a superb equalising point from Harry Og Conlon, which will hopefully spur them on as they try to edge ahead for the first time. Tyrone 0-4 Cavan 1-1…

Both sides add to their tally as Cavan’s Kevin Tierney points a free at one end and Stefan Tierney hits back almost inmediately with the game’s first score from play, a wonderful effort, to leave a single point between them once again in what is proving to be a keenly contested affair. Tyrone 0-3 Cavan 1-1…

No further change to the scoring as we approach the end of the first quarter of this Ulster final, although there has been goalmouth action at both ends, Tyrone doing more of the attacking in this match since that early Cavan penalty conversion. Tyrone 0-2 Cavan 1-0…

Tyrone have come back well from that early setback as Darren McCurry, Tyrone’s leading scorer in this campaign, shoots a great score from a free kick to leave the minimum between the teams and Raymond Munroe’s side continue to apply the pressure as Conor McAliskey sends a shot wide. Tyrone 0-2 Cavan 1-0…

PENALTY for Cavan! The Breffni County get a dream start as Darragh Sexton steps up and converts a penalty from their very first attack, but Tyrone respond quickly and positively as Richard Donnelly pops over a fine point to open his side’s account. Tyrone 0-1 Cavan 1-0…

We’re almost ready to go in Enniskillen as Tyrone seek to continue a fine winning run in 2012. In fact, all three Tyrone teams, minor, under-21 and senior, have remained unbeaten so far this year. You can listen to the match live or keep up to date with us on this page throughout tonight’s game. We’re running late here at Brewster Park and we’ll be starting around ten past eight. This should be a very interesting affair, as Tyrone attempt to bridge a six year gap in the Ulster under-21 competition against the team that denied them in last year’s final. Justin McMahon captained the Red Hands to that last, and 12th, provincial title in 2006 and his clubmate Ronan O’Neill will unfotunately not be available to captain the team this time after being ruled out for the season. That honour falls to Hugh Pat McGeary tonight and hopefully the Pomeroy man will be raising the cup later tonight…

Tyrone: 1 Darren McAnenly, 2 Barry Tierney, 3 Dean McNally, 4 Hugh Pat McGeary (captain), 5 Niall Sludden, 6 Sean Warnock, 7 Tiernan McCann, 8 Harry Og Conlon, 9 Conor Clarke, 10 Stefan Tierney, 11 Thomas Canavan, 12 Richard Donnelly, 13 Darren McCurry, 14 Conor McAliskey, 15 Caolan Daly