Tyrone Minors beaten in Ballyshannon

Donegal 2-12 Tyrone 1-8

TYRONE suffered their first defeat of the Ulster Minor Championship when they were outmuscled by Donegal in Ballyshannon on Saturday.

Gerard Donnelly’s Tyrone had the significant breeze supporting them in the first half but didn’t make it count and Colm Ó Dochartaigh’s goal helped Donegal draw level at 1-3 to 0-6 at the break.

Ó Dochartaigh bagged a second goal after the restart and they also hit five points on the trot as the game quickly went out of reach for the away side.

Liam McMurray did hit a nice goal for Tyrone but there will be some soul searching required after this defeat.

Both teams came into the game with confidence after winning their championship openers.

Donegal played against a strong breeze in the first half but they played a clever possession-based game in the opening ten minutes. They hit the front when Conor McCahill fisted over in the sixth minute.

Tyrone were slow to find their feet but Davin McGeown got them going with a super score and Liam McGeary then followed up with a free.

The Red Hands didn’t press up overly aggressively and that allowed Donegal to control much of the play. McCahill landed a leveller after Pauric Devine was fouled.

The visitors would not have been happy with the opening twenty minutes but they did up the ante then and McGeary, McKeown, and Lorcan McMurray all hit points.

Tomas Carr landed a great free into the breeze for Donegal but Jamie Concannon quickly cancelled that out.

Tyrone were looking to finish the half strongly but it was the home side who grabbed a crucial goal.

Eoghan ‘Ban’ McNelis, Luke McGuinness, Conor McCahill, and Paddy Ward were all involved as Donegal worked the play down the right wing, and Colm Ó Dochartaigh fired the ball to the net.

The sides were level at the break and Donegal got off to a dream start when the action resumed.

Max Campbell went charging down the field and when his effort dropped short, Ó Dochartaigh rose highest to get his fist to the ball. Eoghan Conway looked to have stopped the danger on the line but he couldn’t collect and Gaoth Dobhair’s Ó Dochartaigh poked home.

Eoghan ‘Ban’ McNelis followed up with a point and Donegal could have had a goal in the 36th minute but Luke McGuinness drove his shot over the bar.

Tyrone had huge difficulty working the ball up the field, and creating scoring opportunities.

Donegal kept the scoreboard ticking and Turlough Carr (free), Paddy Ward, and Campbell all kicked points.

That put Ward’s men eight ahead and they had chances to extend that lead out even further.

Tyrone offered very little offensively until the 52nd minute when McMurray slipped in down the right and coolly slotted to the net.

Donnacadh Ó Baoighill and Peter Colton swapped points before Tyrone goalkeeper Oisin Watson made a great save to deny Tomas Carr a goal, but Ó Dochartaigh did follow up with a point.

Pauric Devine and Ó Dochartaigh added further points and McCahill was denied a goal by another stunning stop from Watson.

Peter Colton and McMurray concluded Tyrone’s scoring but they were second best and Donegal will be heartened by this result.

TEAMS & SCORERS

Donegal: Padraig McBride; Elliot Friel, Jordi Gribben, Cathal McGee; Pauric Devine (0-1), Cathal Ó Gallchóir, Max Campbell (0-1); Kalvin McLaughlin, Luke McGuinness (0-1); Eoghan ‘Ban’ McNelis (0-1), Tomas Carr (0-1, 1f), Turlough Carr (0-1, 1f); Colm Ó Docharataigh (2-2), Paddy Ward (0-1), Conor McCahill (0-2, 1f). Subs: Alex Cunnea for McNelis (51 mins), Donnacadh Ó Baoighill (0-1) for Campbell (52 mins), Sean O’Carroll for Ward (54 mins), Seaghan McCormick for McGuinness (54 mins).

Tyrone: Oisin Watson; Paul McGinley, Padraig Goodman, Eoghan Conway; Thomas Meenan, Davin McKeown (0-2), Aodhan Quinn; Enda Donaghy, Darren McAnespie; Padraig Donaghy, Jamie Concannon (0-1), Sean Óg Teague; Lorcan McMurray (1-2), Darragh Devlin, Liam McGeary (0-2, 1f). Subs: Peter Colton (0-1) and Peter McGoldrick for Meenan and Devlin (Half-time), Shea McDermott for McKeown (45 mins), Fionn McHugh for McMurray (61 mins).

Referee: James Lewis (Fermanagh).