Tyrone Minors crowned Ulster champs as they beat Breffni Blues

Tyrone 2-11  Cavan 1-8

RESILIENT Tyrone landed the Ulster Minor Championship title at Brewster Park on Sunday evening, second half goals from Cathal Farley and man of the match Joel Kerr seeing them across the winning line.

A devastating scoring blitz of 1-3 without reply down the home stretch enabled the Red Hands to eventually stave off the stubborn resistance of Cavan who hung in there throughout.

Kerr stole the headlines with his dazzling runs and scoring instincts but mention also has to go to a superbly disciplined full-back line, with the trio of Elliott Kerr, Padraig Goodman and Ciaran McCrystal outstanding as they completely snuffed out the Breffni Blues attacking threat in the second half.

Cavan were held to just a solitary pointed free after the break but it wasn’t until Kerr really took centre stage that the young Red Hands were able to put the issue beyond doubt.

On a blustery evening, which brought a contrasting mixture of sunny spells and torrential downpours, it was the Red Hands who enjoyed the more productive start, as they chased a record 26th Ulster provincial crown at this level.

James Mulgrew, a menacing and towering presence at midfield throughout, burst up the centre to fire over the opener, before Joel Kerr found Thomas Meenan who floated over a lovely effort, all inside three minutes.

Tyrone had already beaten Cavan twice this season, and the dominance they enjoyed against the Breffni Blues appeared set to continue as Peter Colton darted through to drill over a score, and Eoin Long slipped a shot over from close range, after the alert Peter Garrity swooped on a poor Cavan kick-out.

Cavan eventually settled to their task and it required a superb last ditch tackle by Ciaran McCrystal to deny Mark Reilly a goal, though Faolan Graham did slip over a subsequent free for an earlier infringement.

Jake Brady then halved the deficit with a composed strike, but it was Tyrone who continued to maintain a firm grip on the contest, with James Mulgrew and Padraig Donaghy in the ascendancy around the centre.

Peter Colton steered one over the black spot and Long tagged on a free, after Cavan were blown up for dropping too many men back into their own half.

The Breffni boys were in need of a lift and with the wind picking up half back John Donohue took advantage as he sent a two pointer thundering over.

With Tyrone’s approach play becoming increasingly wasteful (they hit five wides in the first 20 minutes) Cavan grew in confidence, though they did concede another score to Tyrone captain Donaghy, whose barnstorming run was capped by an assured finish.

Cavan full-forward Nathan Quigley then rounded off a blistering counter-attack with a tidy score, and in the 24th minute they drew level at 0-7 apiece, Faolan Graham floating over a spectacular two pointer from fully 50m out.

And while Mulgrew responded with his second of the night, Cavan then swooped for a goal just on half-time, Mark Reilly teeing up Nathan Quigley for a low deflected finish beyond keeper Ronan Donnelly.

With the weather deteriorating Tyrone established a vice-like grip on proceedings on the restart, but their finishing was still wasteful, with a number of efforts dropped short.

However Joel Kerr then produced a moment of magic in the 38th minute, slaloming his way through and finding Cathal Farley to apply a crisp low finish to the net.

Quigley hit an equalising free but that was as good as it got for Cavan who were held scoreless in the last twenty minutes.

In a cagey second period the Red Hands toiled to make much headway until Kerr found a pocket of space to hammer in a low shot which beat sub keeper Kevin Henry.

With his confidence soaring the Rock whippet struck over two more quality scores before the close, which added to Long’s free, as Tyrone took the spoils.

Scorers

Tyrone: Joel Kerr (1-2), Eoin Long (0-3,2f), Cathal Farley (1-0), James Mulgrew (0-2), Peter Colton (0-2), Thomas Meenan, Padraig Donaghy (0-1 each)

Cavan: Nathan Quigley (1-2,1f), Faolan Graham (0-3,1tp,1f), John Donohue (0-2,tp), Jake Brady (0-1)

Teams

Tyrone: Ronan Donnelly, Elliott Kerr, Padraig Goodman, Ciaran McCrystal, Aodhan Quinn, James Daly, Thomas Meenan, James Mulgrew, Padraig Donaghy, Darren McAnespie, Peter Colton, Cathal Farley, Joel Kerr, Eoin Long, Peter Garrity. Subs used: Vincent Gormley for P Garrity (46mins), Matthew F Daly for C Farley (47), Michael Mullin for T Meenan (54), Pearse McDonnell for D McAnespie (60), Mark Kennedy for E Long (60)

Cavan: Cian McConnell, Danny Brady, Shea Brady, Andrew Smart, Michael Smith, Harry McMullen, John Donohoe, Sam Maguire, Faolan Graham, Mark Reilly, Jake Brady, Cathal Smith, Donagh Lynch, Nathan Quigley, Matthew Duffy. Subs used; Dylan Brouder for M Duffy (11mins), Jay Graham for M Reilly (41), Senan Smith for J Donohoe (41), Kevin Henry for C Smith (47), Christopher Bough for S Brady (50),

Referee: Conall Roberts (Antrim)