High- fives for Tyrone Minors in League

TYRONE  5-7  CAVAN 1-10

Defending champions Tyrone picked up their first win of the Minor League campaign at the second attempt, when goals proved key against Cavan at Garvaghey on Saturday afternoon.

The sides were level at the end of the first half, but two goals inside ten minutes of the restart sent the Red Hands on their way to a comfortable enough victory in the end.

It was another good run out for Tyrone, and, no doubt, a number of players will have caught the eye of the management team, and, with the team set to get stronger in the weeks ahead, it’s another positive start to a new campaign.

It was Cavan who opened the scoring in the third minute, with a free from full forward, Jake Whyte, but within 60 seconds, Tyrone had grabbed their first goal of the afternoon. Good work from Turlough Muldoon saw him play the ball inside to fellow defender, Brian Gallagher, and he did the rest, as he slipped a tackle, before firing past Cavan keeper, Cillian Hagan.

Ben O’Hara converted a Cavan free, but the visitors were rocked again in the 12th minute, when Gallagher found the net again after Muldoon’s shot had been blocked.

Matthew Howe then converted a free after he had been fouled himself, before Cavan enjoyed a purple patch.

Whyte pointed from a free as well as from play either side of a mark from Darragh Noonan.

Howe replied with a good point from play, but then Cavan drew level in the 27th minute, when Noonan converted a penalty; Tyrone losing Conor Devlin to a black card for a foul in the build up to the spot kick. A Whyte free then put Cavan in front, but in first half injury time, Tyrone had the final say with a well-taken point from out on the right wing from midfielder, Liam Lawn, to leave it all square at the short whistle, 2-3 to 1-6.

Cavan centre half back, Ben Smith, opened the second half scoring, but with Tyrone now back to their full complement of players, the home side kicked on. A free from Howe levelled matters, before they took a lead that they were never to lose in the 37th minute, when Darragh Donaghy slipped the ball inside for corner back Sean Corry to fire to the net.

Tyrone, now, had their tails up, and three minutes later, they had a firm grip on proceedings, when a high ball in from the right wing from Lawn saw full back, James Corry, get on the end of it to palm past keeper Cillian Hagan.

Both sides made a few changes, but that didn’t affect the fluidity and confidence that Tyrone were now playing with.

Howe won a free, which Liam Corry knocked over from out on the right wing, before Cavan substitute, Caoimhin Magee, split the posts.

Tyrone lost double goal scorer, Gallagher, to a black card, but, by that stage, the result was beyond any doubt.

With ten minutes left on the clock, a flowing move involving Muldoon and Howe ended with wing half forward Donaghy giving keeper Hagan no change with a thumping finish to the top left hand corner of the net.

The players that came on for Tyrone all demonstrated that they have a role to play, with Kelvin Nelson and Owen O’Neill both getting their names on the scoresheet.

The visitors did get the last two scores of the game from Ben O’Hara and defender Smith, but it was Tyrone’s day, as they got their first two league points on the board.

Teams & Scorers

Tyrone

Oisin Watson, Brian Gallagher (2-0), James Corry (1-0), Sean Corry (1-0), Turlough Muldoon, Sean Broderick, Conal Morgan, Conor Devlin, Liam Lawn (0-1), Liam Corry (0-1), Matthew Howe (0-3,2frees), Darragh Donaghy (1-0), Jamie Concannon, Aiden Woods, Aidan Hegarty. Subs: Kelvin Nelson (0-1) for Hegarty, Conor Holmes for Muldoon, Owen O’Neill (0-1) for McNally, Paul McGinley for Morgan, Mattie McNally for Concannon.

Cavan

Cillian Hagan, Matthew McDermott, Aaron Shekleton , Cormac McAvinney, Luke Allison, Ben Smith, Donnacha Maguire, Ciaran Caldwell, Dylan Edwards, Jamie Clarke, Joshua Shehu, Ben Tully, Darragh Noonan (1-1), Jake Whyte (0-4,3frees), Ben O’Hara (0-2). Subs: Thomas Gilsenan for Maguire, Tadhg Sheils for Clarke, Caoimhin Magee (0-1) for Shehu, Arijus Metlovas for Caldwell, Phillip Shannon for McDermott.