Red Hand Minors sink Orchard down the straight

TYRONE 2-9  ARMAGH 1-4

Tyrone Minors powered across the finish line to claim a deserved 2-9 to 1-4 victory in Saturday’s Ulster Championship group stage clash against Armagh at a wet and windy O’Neill’s Healy Park.

Their opponents hit a purple patch in the third quarter and led the game for the first time when Calam Hughes knocked over a point with 44 minutes on the clock. However, their joy was short-lived as Tyrone regained their supremacy with quickfire goals from the hugely impressive Ruairi McCullagh and Aidan Hegarty, after which they never looked back as they went o to secure a deserved victory in in their second outing of the campaign.

It wasn’t a game for the ages with the inclement weather playing a big part in the day’s proceedings, but Tyrone will be pleased with how they saw the game out.

With the rain lashing down on a frustratingly stormy Saturday afternoon, the opening exchanges were cagey with both sides hitting wides as they felt their way into the game.

The slippy underfoot conditions and tricky cross-field breeze weren’t exactly conducive to free-flowing football and there was a fair bit of to’ing and fro’nig and misplaced passes in the opening five minutes or so.

Armagh had a bit of physical presence about them with Michael McSorley and Ryan Nugent particularly imposing presences in the middle sector, and they got the first point of the day when Paul Hendron tapped over from 20 yards out.

The Orchard County had plenty of bodies stationed at the back and Tyrone had to work extremely hard for their first score with the ball recycled to corner-back Jamie Concannon, who knocked over a fine long-range score with 10 minutes gone.

While the scores were now level, Tyrone had most of the possession and seemed expotentially more willing to commit bodies to the attack. Indeed, they moved into the lead with Trillick’s James Corry finding the target.

When Armagh did venture up field, Tyrone full-back James Rafferty looked comfortable with a couple of fine interceptions. The Orchard did, however, manage to draw level with an impressive individual effort from Darragh McNulty, leaving the scoeboad 0-2 apiece after 15 minutes.

Tyrone responded with a free from Ruairi McCullagh after some strong running from full-forward Aidan Hegarty. Much of Armagh’s attacking play by contrast was misjudged and error-strewn, but in fairness the conditions were a major factor in the low-scoring nature of the game.

Then came the point of the game so far as McCullagh barged through and found his range after a probing long-range pass from skipper Conor O’Neill with Armagh caught napping at the back.

Tyrone’s interchangeability in attack was starting to pose Armagh problems with Leo Hughes and Darragh Donaghy helping to stitch together the play, albeit there was a lack of end-product with a few attempts at points going askew at the tail-end of the half.

The Red Hands carried a 0-4 to 0-2 lead into the second-half and they got an early score when O’Neill, not for the first time, floated in a lovely pass which was latched onto by McCullagh who did the rest. Armagh delivered an immediate response with a tricky free converted by Hendron.

The rain had stopped teeming down but there was still a stiff breeze and Tyrone recorded their seventh wide of the afternoon in contrast to Armagh’s two with Jamie Concannon’s effort drifting wide.

THE SCORERS

Tyrone
Ruairi McCullagh (1-4, 0-2f), Aidan Hegarty (0-1), Jamie Concannon (0-2), James Corr, Nathan Farrey and Matthew Howe (0-1 each)

Armagh
Daragh McNulty (1-1), Paul Hendron (0-2f), Calum Hughes (0-1)