Ulster U20FC: Tyrone hold off Down

Monday 1st July 2019

Tyrone 2-11

Down 1-12

Leading by 2-6 to 0-2 at half-time, Tyrone had to withstand a second half fightback by Down at Healy Park before securing an Ulster U20FC semi-final date with Cavan.

The Red Hands dominated the first half, yet were relieved to hear the final whistle after Down rallied in the closing stages. Darragh Canavan opened the scoring with a goal after seven minutes before Tiarnan Quinn and Conor Clarke (Down) traded points. Further scores from Quinn and Sean Og McAleer helped the winners to a 1-5 to 0-1 lead before Seamus Loughran registered Down's second point five minutes before the break.

There was no respite for the Mournemen, however, as Mark McKearney raised another green flag to send the hosts into the break with a 10-point buffer.

The visitors were much-improved after the restart and had halved the deficit with points from Conor Clarke, Declan McClements, Seamus Loughran and Liam (two) before Quinn steadied Tyrone with his fifth point.

After points had been exchanged between Tyrone's Canavan and Michael Conroy and Down's Liam Kerr and John McGeough, Conor Clarke netted for the visitors to reduce the deficit to the minimum at the end of normal time. 

But they couldn't regain parity as a late Ruairi Gormley point sealed the win for the Red Hands.

Tyrone - O Grimes; A Clarke, C Quinn, P Mullan; C Grimes, A Fox, C Devlin; R Gormley (0-1), J Oguz; P Og McCartan, D Canavan (1-1), M McKearney (1-0); J Garrity, S Og McAleer (0-1f), T Quinn (0-6, 4f). Subs: L Gray for P Og McCartan, M Conroy (0-1) for S Og McAleer, D McGuigan for C Devlin, O Mallon (0-1) for L Gray, E Jordan for T Quinn, L McBride for A Fox.

Down - J Hazard; P Fegan, R McCrickard, A McAvoy; J McGeough, C Clarke (1-3), S Annett; R Carr, L Middleton; F McIlroy, D McClements (0-2), R McCormack; C McCrickard, L Kerr (0-4, 2f), S Loughran (0-2f). Subs: C O'Rawe for R McCormack, A Devlin for C McCrickard, D Rice for S Annett, R McEvoy (0-1) for S Loughran, B Gallen for C Clarke, R Harrison for L Middleton.

Referee - A Marron.