Tyrone and Cavan set up Ulster minor football final clash
Electric Ireland Ulster MFC semi-finalsTyrone 2-20 Monaghan 3-12A roller-coaster semi-final swung back and forth before Tyrone reached out for victory down the closing straight.Nine points ahead at one stage, they fell two behind to a resurgent Monaghan at O’Neills Healy Park, before recovering to wrest back control and seal their place in the decider.For all its flaws and imperfections, this was an encounter that thrilled and entertained right to its unpredictable conclusion, with the Red Hands finally finding a way to see it out.They’ll meet Cavan in the provincial final next weekend, with both sides now assured of their place in the All-Ireland series.Tyrone’s assured start to the contest saw them establish a strong midfield platform through James Mulgrew and Padraig Donaghy, with centre-back James Daly an assertive force in their support.Daly charged forward to set up early scores for Thomas Meenan and Joel Kerr, and picked off a point himself as the home side built a sizeable lead.Sean Murtagh did get the Farney lads off the mark in the fifth minute, but their wayward finishing prevented them from making inroads, as their opponents chipped in with further scores, going five clear through Peter Colton, before Peter Garrity fired in their first goal, connecting first-time after Liam Mulholland had saved from Darren McAnespie.By the 20-minute mark they were nine clear, Aodhan Quinn punching over from Mulgrew’s lofted effort, but a two-point free from James Ennis sparked Monaghan’s electrifying comeback.Ryan Lynch crossed for Adam Treanor to fire in a 24th-minute goal, a score that gave them real belief.An Ennis 45 was followed by a second goal, punched home by Shane Byrne, who added a point to bring his side level, 1-10 to 2-7 at the interval.Tyrone rediscovered their composure, striking a major blow five minutes into the second half with a Meenan goal, finished low to the net from Cathal Farley’s assist.But back came a defiant Farney bunch again, Murtagh and Tristan Nugent both converting frees, before Nugent forced a turnover at midfield and sent Harry Hamill away to smash home a brilliant third goal, giving them the lead for the first time on 42 minutes.They held a two-point advantage going into the final quarter, but the Red Hands held their nerve, and Joel Kerr steered over a couple of two-point frees to swing the momentum back in their favour.Now they led by four, and pressed home the advantage with two converted frees from Eoin Long to finally kill off Monaghan’s brave challenge.Tyrone R Donnelly; E Kerr, P Goodman, C McCrystal; A Quinn 0-2, J Daly 0-1, C Farley; J Mulgrew 0-1, P Donaghy; D McAnespie, P Colton 0-4, T Meenan 1-2; J Kerr 0-6 (2tpf), E Long 0-4 (0-3f), P Garrity 1-0)Subs M Mullin for E Kerr (36), M Daly for Farley (49), D Martin for Garrity (49), M Hughes for McAnespie (61)Monaghan L Mulholland; N Fanthorpe, C Mulligan, D Feeney; M Lynch, O Kelly, T McGeough; H McQuillan, J Ennis 0-4 (1x45, 1tpf); S Byrne 1-3, A Treanor 1-0, R Lynch; H Hamill 1-0, T Nugent 0-1 (f); S Murtagh 0-3 (0-2f)Subs S Meegan for Fanthorpe (43), M Doogan Burke for Lynch (49), H Treanor (0-1) for A Treanor (51)Referee E Murphy (Fermanagh)Cavan 1-17 Donegal 0-15CAVAN thundered into the Ulster minor football decider after a 39th-minute goal ignited a long and successful run for home for the hosts at Kingspan Breffni.Donegal led by the odd point in 17 at the interval but Nathan Quigley’s opportunist major propelled the hosts into a lead they would not relinquish thereafter.Ironically, it was Donegal who carried the greater goal threat in the first half, carving out their first chance in the 17th minute when Karl McLaughlin fisted the ball across the face of the Cavan square with team-mate Conor Farrell’s name on it only for Cavan centre-back Harry McMullen to hoover it up.Nine minutes later, Tír Chonaill came raiding again. Joe Doherty saw his goal-bound effort deflected into the path of Shane Sweeney, but the latter’s shot was deflected off the butt of the post for a fruitless 45.Tomas Carr’s two-pointer (16) was the score of the first half and one which catapulted Donegal into the lead (0-6 to 0-4) for the first time in the match after a Jake Brady brace had earlier opened up a two-point lead for the Breffni boys.Just when it seemed the sides would go in at the break on level terms, Jack Gallagher fisted a point for Donegal to give his side the lead by 0-9 to 0-8.Cavan gave themselves a real shot in the arm in the 39th minute when Nathan Quigley ghosted in behind the advancing Donegal full-back line before netting with aplomb.Quigley’s major helped steer Cavan into a 1-14 to 0-12 lead by the three-quarter hour mark.Donegal never looked like bagging the goal(s) to get themselves out of jail and it was left to the aptly named Sam Maguire to score two late points and seal the deal for the blues.Cavan C McConnell 0-3 (0-1f, tpf); D Brady, S Brady, A Smart; M Smith, H McMullen 0-1, J Donohoe; S Maguire 0-3 (0-1f), F Graham 0-1 (f); M Reilly 0-1, J Brady 0-2, C Smith 0-2; D Lynch 0-1, N Quigley 1-2 (0-2f), R DolanSubs D Brouder for R Dolan (15); S Smith 0-1 for M Reilly (44); J Graham for J Donohoe (46); J Crowe for D Lynch (56); CJ Fitzpatrick for C Smith (60)Donegal R O’Donnell; C O’Donnell, J Gavigan 0-4 (1tp), D Molloy; C Doherty, E Daly, C Farrell; K McLaughlin 0-1, C McGee; J Doherty, T Carr 0-2, J Gibbons 0-5 (0-3f); S Sweeney 0-2, J Gallagher 0-1, C McGillowaySubs T Lenehan for J Doherty (ht); P McLaughlin for C Farrell (37); D McCready for C McGilloway (44)Referee E Mallon (Armagh)
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