Taken from Hoganstand.com
By Cóilín Duffy
Ulster Senior Football Championship: Tyrone
2-08 Down 2-08
Tyrone and Down must battle it out again
after Paul McComiskey’s late score earned
the Mourne men a much deserved draw in this
Ulster SFC tie at Omagh.
Down’s wait for a first win over Tyrone
in the Ulster Senior Football Championship
since 1999 will have to wait at least another
week, as despite a battle hardened second
half performance by the Mournemen, the sides
will have to meet again at Páirc Esler,
Newry for a quarter-final replay.
The first draw of this Summer’s Championship
got off to a mute start, but Down upped their
game in the second half, and were very unlucky
not to cement a semi-final place against Armagh
or Cavan.
It was a point from substitute Paul McComiskey
on the stroke of injury-time which brought
the sides level for the third time in the
second half, but despite pressure from both
teams in injury-time, neither side could secure
a match winning point and they had to be content
with a replay.
Tyrone began at a blistering pace and led
by 1-3 to 0-1 after 14 minutes, with Colm
McCullagh blasting home the first goal of
the contest.
Down Primary Schools play at half time
McCullagh’s eighth minute strike came
following a great surge of energy up-field
by the Tyrone attack, with the ball passing
through Brian Dooher, Martin Penrose and Brian
McGuigan, before Dromore forward McCullagh
powered the ball past Down goalkeeper Brendan
McVeigh, for the first score of the contest.
Down’s first scoring chance fell to
corner forward John Clarke a minute later,
but the An Riocht player’s shot failed
to reach the target, and it would take a further
three minutes for Ross Carr’s charges
to convert, as Ronan Sexton’s acute
effort went between the posts.
But Tyrone were certainly in the middle of
a purple patch and with McCullagh and Colm
Cavanagh on fire, they built into a 1-3 to
0-1 advantage by the 14th minute.
Down kept in touch thanks to a Dan Gordon
point, but with Enda McGinley now absent through
injury, Mickey Harte’s side were made
battle hard for the remainder of the half.
However the hosts settled again with the
energetic Sean Cavanagh operating at full-forward,
and the Moy clubman crashed home his sides
second goal in the 17th minute, to end the
opening quarter with Tyrone 2-3 to 0-2 clear.
But the hosts accuracy in front of the posts
in the second quarter wasn’t the best
and Down held Tyrone to just a point before
the interval.
Despite this Tyrone weren’t without
their opportunities, and indeed could have
brought their goal tally to five ’majors’
by the interval with near misses from Martin
Penrose, Colm McCullagh and substitute Kevin
Hughes.
Indeed Tyrone were also given the benefit
of a decision by referee David Coldrick, who
disallowed a 25th minute Dan Gordon goal,
for what the Meath official apparently deemed
to be a square ball.
But sides persevered for scores, in the closing
stages of an opening half which saw defences
come out on top.
However Benny Coulter broke the mould, after
his goal shot was deflected by Tyrone defender
Justin McMahon to the net for a 34th minute
goal.
In what was one of the best moves of the
contest, Down gathered the ball cleanly at
midfield by their captain Dan Gordon, who
found substitute Paul Murphy in support, and
Murphy latched the ball to Coulter, who despatched
a goal shot which deflected off the boot of
McMahon and to an empty net.
Despite Tyrone producing a dynamite opening
half display, a sensational turnaround was
on the card from Ross Carr’s side in
the second half.
The manager who gained ’interim relief’
from the DRA as he awaits his final fate over
an eight week suspension, watched on from
the sideline as his charges made a 100% improvement
in the second half.
Substitutes Ambrose Rodgers, Kevin McKernan
and Paul McCumiskey certainly made their impact,
with Rodgers scoring 1-1 in the second half,
and McCumiskey clinching the point which secured
a replay next Saturday in Newry at 7pm.
Centre-half back Liam Doyle sent the Down
comeback on its way, with a second minute
point, and with further points from midfielder
Gordon and substitute Paul Murphy, the deficit
was cut to two-points 14 minutes into the
second half.
A minute later and Down were in front for
the first time after Rodgers slid the ball
to the back of the Tyrone net, following a
fisted pass from corner-forward Benny Coulter.
Although Tyrone drew level thanks to a Sean
Cavanagh point, scores were very hard to come
by in the final quarter with the sides trading
the lead on two occasions, until McComiskey’s
70th minute kick sent the Down supporters
into raptures. However the Mournemen couldn’t
produce an encore, and both counties must
travel to Newry next Saturday to settle the
issue.
Tyrone - P McConnell; R McMenamin, J McMahon,
D McCaul; D Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan; C
Holmes, S Cavanagh (1-1); B Dooher (0-1),
B McGuigan, E McGinley; M Penrose (0-1), C
Cavanagh (0-2, 1f), C McCullagh (1-2). Subs
- K Hughes (0-1) for McGinley (15); D Carlin
for Harte (43); M McGee for McCaul (53); T
McGuigan for C Cavanagh (inj) (55); N Gormley
for B McGuigan (61); J McMahon for Holmes
(63).
Down - B McVeigh; L Howard, M Cole, C Murney;
A Carr, L Doyle (0-2, 2f), D Rafferty; D Gordon
(0-2), J Lynch; J Fegan, R Murtagh, D Hughes;
J Clarke, R Sexton (0-1), B Coulter (1-0).
Subs - P Murphy (0-1) for Murney (31); A Rodgers
(1-1) for Lynch (HT); K McKernan for Fegan
(HT); P McCumiskey (0-1, 1f) for Clarke (47)
Ref - David Coldrick (Meath)
