DOWN U21's HOLD OUT IN CASEMENT THRILLER AGAINST TYRONE

Ulster Under 21 semi-final - Down 0-14 Tyrone 0-13

There were no early leavers at Casement Park last night. Down and Tyrone kept a packed stand enthralled until the final minute with everything that was good in Gaelic Football, in this Ulster under 21 semi-final. It was a match of see-sawing fortunes. First it looked as if Tyrone were going to skate it,; they led by four points after ten minutes, and would have been ten in front but for two brilliant saves by Down goalkeeper, Michael McAllister, one of these from a jason McAnulla penalty! Then point by point, Down crept back into the gameto trail by just 0-5 to 0-6 at half time. The second half was even better. Tyrone were 8-6 up by the 36th minute. But by the start of the final quarter, Down had shot five unanswered points to go 11-8 clear. Back came tyrone to level the match at 0-11 each and even go 12-11 up with five minutes remaining. But it was Down who finished the hungrier team, hitting three points in the closing minutes against a single reply from Tyrone in added time.

QUALITY

As well as excitement, there was also a lot of quality football. Tyrone produced most of it in the first half, with Niall McGinn starting brilliantly on paul McComiskey, cathal Mccarron and sean O’neill playing with dash in the middle of the defence, Aidan cassidy and Shane O’hagan elegantly superior at midfield, and Colm cavanagh, Ronan McRory and Jonathan Lafferty tormenting the Down defence with their angled running. That Down survived the opening ten minutes was largely due to the heroics of Michael McAllister, but as the game wore on, Conor Garvey,Kevin Duffin and Timmy Hanna began to get to grips with things at half back, and Paul McComiskey at last was finding spacein the attack. The real quality of Downs football, however, was reserved for the second half, when John Caldwell put his shoulder to the midfield wheel alongside James Colgan, and Colgan, together with Kevin Mckernan repeatedly provided leadership when it was most needed. Other successes in an improved Down performance were Ryan Kelly, who never missed a ball kicked in his direction all evening, the tireless Conor Maginn and an alert corner back, Mark Digney.

STUNNED
The second half display was in line with what we had expected. The first ten minutes were not! Tyrone tore us apart. Ronan McRory popped over two points. Cathal mcCarron had another and Jonathan Lafferty tapped over a free. In between all this Michael McAllister had saved superbly from a McAnulla penalty, awarded when Colm Cavanagh was hauled down in the square, and McAllister pulled off another instinctive save from a wickedly ricocheting shot from full forward Lafferty! Paul McComiskey was being so tightly marked that it wasn’t until the 15th minute that Ciaran Brannigan at last managed to conjure up a sliver of space for him to fist Downs opening score, and the wily Brannigan was agin supplier when Kevin McKernan drilled over Downs second score a minute later. McComiskey and Lafferty exchanged frees, but the little Dundrum flier was finding his way more and more into the game, and with 25 minutes gone, Down, completely undeservedly, were ion level terms, one of the points from a McComiskey free, the other from play, by the same player after a clever interception from Kevin Duffin had launched a smoothe Down counter-attack. Justice was seen to be done, however, when Sean O'Neill burst into the Down half to leave tyrone 0-6 to 0-5 up at the break

THRILLING
Within seconds of the throw-in, James Colgan had carried the ball through the middle to equalise again, but Tyrone responded impressively. McRory shot them back in front andColm Cavanagh slipped Kevin Duffin to make it 0-8 to 0-6. Now Down looked to be in trouble, and they came back with their best spell of the game. Super play by Ryan Kelly and Ciaran Brannigan in the corner enabled Kevin McKernan to pick out Conor Maginn for a point in the 38th minute. And three minutes later James Colgan sent Kevin McKernan clear on the right to level matters once more. Down went in front when Cathal Magee grabbed a rebound off the upright to make it 9-7, and increased that lead after brave play from Cathal Magee sparked a Down counter finished by a Brannigan point. Clever footwork from Conor Maginn then led to another McKernan point and as the match went in to its final quarter, Down now held a three point lead. Not for long. Gareth Devlins strong running was rewarded by a point in the 48th minute, and a gorgeous crossfield pass from Ronan McRory set up Colm Cavanagh for another. There were seven minutes to go when Gareth Devlin brought the teams level again, and five when Shane O’Hagan stormed through to put Tyrone 12-11 in front!

But Down finished much the keener team. They swarmed Tyrone around the middle of the park, and the scores followed. Paul McComiskey stepped inside his marker to equalise. The same player punished a foul on the brave Ryan Kelly with his sixth score of the game, and with the game in its sixtieth minute, Kevin McKernan seemed to have clinched the win for Down with a glorious point. But there were still four nerve-racking minutes of added time to negociate.Tyrone managed one point in that period, from Conor O’Donnell, but they didn’t really look like getting more. Down, on the other hand, squandered several scorable chances, but it was at a time of the game when a firmly kicked wide was almost as useful as a ascore, and they deservedly held out to earn a place in the Ulster Final against Derry on saturday week.te

Down scorers; Paul McComiskey [0-6] 3 frees; Kevin Mckernan [0-4]; James Colgan [0-1]; Conor Maginn [0-1]; Cathal Magee [0-1]; Ciaran Brannigan [0-1].
Tyrone scorers; Ronan McRory [0-3]; Jonathan Lafferty [0-2] 1 free; Colm Cavanagh [0-2]; Gareth Devlin [0-2]; Cathal McCarron [Omagh] [0-1]; Conor O’Donnell [0-1]; Sean O’Neill [0-1]; Shane O’Hagan [0-1]

Down team; Michael McAllister [Clann na Banna]; Mark Digney [Newry Shamrocks], Colm Murney [Rostrevor], Hugh Magee [Longstone]; Conor Garvey [Mayobridge], Kevin Duffin [Castlewellan], Timmy Hanna [Bryansford]; James Colgan [An Riocht], Eamon Toner [Burren]; Conor Maginn [Bryansford], Cathal Magee [Mayobridge], Kevin McKernan [Burren]; Ciaran Brannigan [Bryansford], Ryan Kelly [Longstone], Paul McComiskey [Dundrum]

Subs used; John Caldwell [Mayobridge] for Eamon Toner; Joe Murphy [Ballyholland] for Hugh Magee; Seamus Grant [Mayobridge] for Timmy Hanna

Tyrone team; Greg Kelly ; Niall McGinn, Cathal McCarron [Dromore], Hugh Gallagher; Ciaran McGinley, Sean O’Neill, Danny McBride; Aidan Cassidy, Shane O’Hagan; Gareth Devlin, Colm Cavanagh, Jason McAnulla; Ronan McRory, Jonathan Lafferty, Cathal McCarron [Omagh]

Subs used; Conor O’Donnell for Cathal McCarron [Omagh]; Danny McDermott for Danny McBride; Shane McMahon for Hugh Gallagher

Yellow Cards: Down : James Colgan; Kevin McKernan; Cathal Magee.

Tyrone: Cathal McCarron [Dromore]; Aidan Cassidy; Colm Cavanagh; Jason McAnulla.

Wides: Down 11 Tyrone 5

Referee: G.Walsh [Antrim]

Man of the match: Paul McComiskey [Down]