By 
DR MCKENNA CUP
ARMAGH 0-17 TYRONE 2-13
TYRONE kick-started their 2026 season in encouraging fashion on Friday night, four points on the bounce down the home straight helping them edge out Armagh 2-13 to 0-17 at the Athletic Grounds in the McKenna Cup.
Fisted goals in either half from Lorcan McGarrity and Mattie Donnelly proved to be the key scores as the Red Hands overcame an interval two point deficit to take the spoils.
Tyrone handed competitive debuts to four players- Oisin O’Kane, Peter McCaughey, Conor O’Neill and Oisin Gormley- and in front of a healthy attendance (7,180) they enjoyed a sprightly opening.
They led 1-4 to 0-3 after 12 minutes, Lorcan McGarrity fisting home the goal after Michael Conroy teed up the opportunity. There was also Red Hand points from Mattie Donnelly, Ben Cullen and Ruairi Canavan as they laid down an early marker.
Jarly Og Burns was twice on target for Armagh, while Daniel Magee and Ross McQuillan also split the posts but from the midway stage of the half the Orchard wrested a firm grip on exchanges.
Tyrone were held to just a solitary point in the second quarter, that a Conroy free right before the half-time whistle, as the hosts eased ahead with a litany of sparkling scores at the other end.
Oisin O’Neill slipped over a tidy brace, as did Andrew Murnin, and a two point free from Conor Turbitt helped ease them 0-10 to 1-5 in front at the break.
Tyrone rung the changes after the break and Donnelly’s goal in the 38th minute brought them right back into contention.
It remained nip and tuck after that, the highlights for Tyrone including a superb score from Joe Oguz and a couple of sharply taken Darren McCurry efforts.
When sub Aaron O’Neill registered for Armagh they led by two but late on McCurry, the impressive Ben Cullen and Lorcan McGarrity split the posts as the visitors edged the verdict
Teams & Scorers
Armagh: Ethan Rafferty, Peter McGrane, Aaron McKay, Joe McElroy, Ross McQuillan (0-1), Daniel Magee (0-1), Jarly Og Burns (0-2), Callum O’Neill, Andrew Murnin (0-1), Darragh McMullan, Dan McCarthy, Fergal O’Brien (0-2), Oisin Conaty (0-3), Oisin O’Neill (0-4), Conor Turbitt (0-2,tpf). Subs used: Conor Magennis for R McQuillan (h-time), Padraig O’Keefe for J McElroy (41), Aaron O’Neill (0-1) for O O’Neill (49)
Tyrone: Oisin O’Kane, Nathan McCarron, Michael McKernan, Peter McCaughey, Ben Cullen (0-2), Frank Burns, Cormac Quinn, Joseph Oguz (0-1), Conor O’Neill, Ronan Cassidy, Ruairi Canavan (0-3,1f), Oisin Gormley, Michael Conroy (0-1,f), Lorcan McGarrity (1-1), Mattie Donnelly (1-2). Subs used: Niall Devlin for F Burns (h-time), Seanie O’Donnell for C Quinn (h-time), Cathal Donaghy for O Gormley (h-time), Oisin McCann for C O’Neill (38), Darren McCurry (0-3,1f) for M Conroy (38), Aidan Clarke for P McCaughey (41), Matthew Og McGleenan for R Cassidy (50)
Referee: Diarmuid Boylan (Monaghan)
