Tyrone U20s bow out at the first hurdle

Down 2-9

Tyrone 1-8

ONE to immediately scratch from the record books, this one. The Tyrone U20s bowed out of this year’s Ulster Championship in a disappointedly meek fashion to Down last Wednesday evening and as much as it pains us it’s difficult to put any sort of positive spin on their evening’s work.

A late Eoin McElholm goal added a touch of respectability to the final scoreline, but there was no doubting the superiority of a well-drilled Down side who tore up the script on a pleasant evening, weather-wise at least, at O’Neill’s Healy Park.

Sometimes the opening exchanges of a match say little in the overall scheme of things, but not on this occasion. Down opened up a two-point lead in the space of a matter of minutes and that set the tone for a hugely impressive hour from Conor Laverty’s side. Indeed, Oran Cunningham really should have, with a scintilla of composure, slammed home an early goal but blazed the ball wildly over the crossbar.

Tyrone obviously weren’t at panic stations at this juncture but a string of early wides was indicative of a side that wasn’t really at the pitch of things. Oisin Miller’s goal chance was smothered by Down goalkeeper Oisin Treacy, and it took until the seventh minute for the Red Hands to register their first score on a pleasant evening in Omagh, Oisin Gormley firing over the bar after coming round on the loop, so to speak.

The reigning Ulster Champions levelled matters in the ninth minute when Gormley’s namesake Oisin Miller converted an advanced mark, but on the whole there was a strange listlessness to Tyrone’s play.

Down made their move prized opened the Tyrone defence in the 20^th minute and their impressive full forward Oisin Savage did the rest, rifling the ball to the top corner of the net.

Savage was on hand again to finish another slick attacking move, this time knocking over a point. Then came arguably the game’s decisive moment on the stroke of half-time when Jason Morgan struck low to the net for a 2-4 to 0-4 interval lead.

Conor Laverty praised his side’s ‘game management’ after the contest and you could see why – their second-half tactic of soaking up the pressure and hitting Tyrone on the counter worked a treat and they kept the scoreboard ticking over with frees with Oisin Savage.

Tyrone ate into Down’s lead for a period but goals weren’t forthcoming and their opponents finished strongly with a string of late points to advance to an Ulster Championship semi-final against Monaghan in a fortnight’s time.