Potter pops up with late winner for Tyrone under-20s

DERRY 1-9  TYRONE 0-13

THERE are plenty of twists and turns to negotiate on the road to Under-20 glory but Tyrone are showing the underbelly of champions.

Gavin Potter’s 64th minute winner sunk Derry at Celtic Park after a game that was level on five occasions before the visitors took the first proper hold in the last ten minutes.

Points from substitutes Noah Grimes and Ruairi McCullagh eked Paul Devlin’s charges into a 0-12 to 0-9 lead before Derry’s Johnny McGuckian struck for the game’s only goal.

A draw was on the cards but with possession now 10 tenths of the law, there was still time for a winner.

Rather than going for a safe kick-out, goalkeeper Conor McAneney drilled his kick into the space on the right flank. Conor O’Neill got hands on the ball and after a series of neat passes it was Potter who flicked over the winner.

It was only a group game and there are more vital action to follow, but the Tyrone body language told it all.

The Red Hands stood shoulder to shoulder in the closest of huddles. Tight games do that.

Seven days earlier, they trailed Down 1-4 to 0-1 with five minutes to the half-time.

After clawing their way back into contention, it was Callum Daly – days after captaining Omagh CBS to Hogan Cup glory -who snatched a draw.

You don’t find that characteristic in a lucky bag. Manager Paul Devlin told his side to face battles every time they step over the white line.

Three years ago, the same Tyrone age group romped to an All-Ireland minor final without a glove being laid on them before going under to Meath by a single point.

“The big thing these lads had to learn this year was that when they came through the Minor Championship, maybe they were getting a lot of stuff their own way…getting big scores up,” Devlin offered after the game.

“It was stressed to them, from day one, it wasn’t going to happen this year. A couple of years ago, when we won the Under-20 All-Ireland, we had a couple of cracking games,” he added of their 2022 winning season.

Ruairi McHugh was part of that winning team but didn’t start with a “bit of a niggle” with Ronan Fox coming in. The other change saw Callum Daly start ahead of Odhran Brolly.

It was the Red Hands who began with a spell of possession before eventually kicking the ball over the sideline. Derry’s first attack saw referee Enda McFeely, who was excellent over the hour, sharp on the steps and award a free out.

It took nine minutes to produce a score as Derry used Tommy Rogers as their sweeper with players dropping back a line to fill in the spaces.

The early Tyrone ball forward was straight passes in with Derry defenders Fionn McEldowney and Conall Heron coming from behind to get a vital hand in.

Cahir Spiers and Oisin Doherty worked scores for Derry early on and it was the 14th minute before the visitors raised a flag, a sweet Gavin Potter strike from the wing.

Straight from the kick-out, ‘keeperArmstrong worked it short. Danny McDermott was involved in the move before Eoin Higgins dissected the posts for a 0-3 to 0-1 Derry lead.

The game began to open out and scores from Callum Daly and Oisin Gormley tied the game at 0-4 each.

Ryan McNicholl floated over a beauty from the wing before Joey Clerkin got forward for a score and the sides were again level at the break, 0-5 each.

Two points from Ronan Cassidy had Tyrone ahead but they needed a combination of goalkeeper McAneney and Eoin McElholm to thwart a goal Derry goal chance.

There was also another chance a Tyrone defender hacked away for a 45 before two Oisin Doherty frees tied the game once again, 0-7 all, after 44 minutes.

A Tommy Rogers 45 and a score from Conleth McGrogan saw Derry keep their noses in front.

Looking back, they’ll regret of wides from Cahir Spiers and Johnny McGuckian.

It had the feel of a game that needed a goal to decide it but it was Tyrone who pushed ahead with Ruairi McCullagh notching a score after Callum Daly and Odhran Brolly closed the door on a Derry attack.

Points from Conor Owens and Grimes, from a mark, put Tyrone well into the driving seat.

They were full value for it an looked to have saw the game out with Potter and Callum Daly’s positioning closing Derry’s channel to goal. Johnny McGuckian had other ideas. After cutting inside, he emphatically thumped to the net..

As Derry celebrated the goal, Tyrone had the kick-out away. Potter, Grimes and McElholm before Potter darted ttrough to fist the winner.

THE SCORERS

Derry

Oisin Doherty (0-4, 2f), Johnny McGuckian (1-0), Conleth McGrogan, Ryan McNicholl, Eoin Higgins and Cahir Spiers (0-1 each) and Tommy Rogers (0-1 45),

Tyrone

Gavin Potter (0-2), Ronan Cassidy (0-2, 1f), Conor Owens (0-2, 1m), each, Joey Clarke, Shea O’Hare, Callum Daly, Ronan Fox, Oisin Gormley (0-1 each), Ruairi McCullagh (0-1) and Noah Grimes (0-1m)

THE TEAMS

Derry

Callum Armstrong; Fionn McEldowney, Conall Heron, Rory Small; Conleth McGrogan, James Murray, Danny McDermott; Ruairi Forbes, Tommy Rogers; Cahir Spiers, Rory McGill, Johnny McGuckian; Eoin Higgins, Ryan McNicholl, Oisin Doherty. Subs: Niall O’Donnell for R McNicholl (54), Sean Young for C McGrogan (56)

Tyrone

Conor McAneney; Joey Clarke, Ben Hughes, Conor Devlin; Shea O’Hare, Michael Rafferty, Callum Daly; Ronan Fox, Conor O’Neill, Cormac Devlin, Eoin McElholm, Gavin Potter; Ronan Cassidy, Conor Owens, Oisín Gormley. Subs: Odhran Brolly for Conor Devlin (48), Ruairi McCullagh for S O’Hare (48), Noah Grimes for C Owens (57), Paddy McCann for R Fox (61)

Referee: Enda McFeely (Donegal)