Tyrone fend off Cavan to make it through to semis

Tyrone 1-14

Cavan 0-15

BY KEVIN KELLY

Tyrone are through to the last four of the Ulster Minor Championship, but not before they endured a stern challenge from Cavan in the Quarter Final at Healy Park on Saturday afternoon.

It was a contest that the Red Hands never trailed in, but they had to work hard to chisel out a result after a first half where they looked in control… at times. On two separate occasions, they led by seven or six points, but each time the visitors rallied, and Cavan would have been happy to find themselves only three in arrears at the short whistle after playing against the wind.

With the brilliant Joshua Shehu a constant threat throughout they closed the gap to the minimum in the second half, but despite having chances, they couldn’t get level. They lost the influential Ryan Nwaneri to injury, and then had defender, Fiachra Brady, black carded in the 53rd minute.

Despite that, they made Tyrone work hard for victory and no doubt the winners will have to improve ahead of next week’s semi final.

Tyrone were into their stride quickly with the elements in their favour. Shea McDermott kicked a fine early brace before Lorcan McMurray registered via the post. In the 11th minute, Tyrone had a goal chance, but Jamie Concannon was denied by keeper, Cian McConnell, although Sean Corry fisted over from the rebound.

Shehu opened Cavan’s account after a dozen minutes, but it was Tyrone who continued to look the better side. McMurray went for goal, but his rasping shot was tipped over by McConnell before a superb long range brace from Sean Og Teague and one from Liam McGeary had Tyrone well in control at the end of the opening quarter. Any thoughts that this was going to be a stroll in the sunshine were quickly dispersed, as the visitors landed the next four scores through Tadgh Shiels, Shehu, Oisin Maguire and Nathan Quigley; the latter’s coming after Tyrone keeper, Oisin Watson, had saved smartly from Maguire.

Tyrone needed a response and they got it in the 24th minute when Enda Donaghy and McMurray combined to send McGeary in for a goal.

Cavan’s response again illustrated the character within their side as two Quigley frees were followed by efforts from play from Shehu and Shiels to cut the gap to two. Tyrone had the final say of the half from a long range Teague mark, but at 1-9 to 0-9, a semi-final spot was still very much up for grabs.

Cavan looked the sharper side in the opening stages of the second half, and within five minutes, they had trimmed the deficit to the minimum thanks to scores from Shehu and Nwaneri. Tyrone responded via McDermott, but that score was cancelled out by Charlie Fallon before Red Hands Captain Paul McGinley came to his side’s rescue with a goaline clearance to thwart Shehu in the 44th minute. Cavan were on top at this stage, but they missed two good chances to at least get on level terms and Tyrone made them pay with well taken breakaway scores from McGeary and Concannon. To make matters worse for Cavan, they then lost Brady to a black card, although moments later, they could have had a goal when Shehu’s blistering pace took him clear of the Tyrone defence but he elected to fist the ball over the bar.

The home side then demonstrated good composure to retain possession before McGeary took a fine score and when McDermott converted a 31st minute free they led by four and appeared to be home and hosed. Cavan, though, refused to throw in the towel with points from Shiels and Shehu, and either side of those scores they perhaps could have won it when a long ball in was brilliantly caught by Jamie Clarke who offloaded it to Senan Macken but the latter failed to control it with a goal on.