Sport

Tyrone make Donegal pay the price for their wastefulness

Tyrone's Michael McKernan emerges with the ball as Donegal's Michael Carroll hits the deck during Wednesday's Ulster U21 Championship semi-final at Celtic Park <br />Picture by Margaret McLaughlin&nbsp;
Tyrone's Michael McKernan emerges with the ball as Donegal's Michael Carroll hits the deck during Wednesday's Ulster U21 Championship semi-final at Celtic Park
Picture by Margaret McLaughlin 
Tyrone's Michael McKernan emerges with the ball as Donegal's Michael Carroll hits the deck during Wednesday's Ulster U21 Championship semi-final at Celtic Park
Picture by Margaret McLaughlin 

Ulster U21 Football Championship semi-final: Tyrone 1-15 Donegal 2-8

TYRONE made Donegal pay the ultimate price for their wastefulness as they emerged from a titanic battle to reach another Ulster final.

The Red Hands went in at half-time trailing by 0-6 to 0-4, but Declan Bonner’s men could have been out of sight. They totally dominated the opening 30 minutes, but kicked six scoreable wides and missed a gilt-edged goal chance seconds after the restart.

Donegal destructed the Tyrone kick-out in the opening period, winning seven of the Red Hands’ restarts, but it didn’t reap the rewards it ought to have. The first six minutes almost summed up the half as Donegal started much the brighter, but kicked three wides and found themselves 0-2 to 0-0 down.

Mark Kavanagh and Lee Brennan (free) put the reigning champions into the early lead, though it was wiped out in the space of 30 seconds as the outstanding Stephen McBrearty and Caoimhin Bonner fired over. Ryan Coleman was looking threatening on the edge of the square when Tyrone got the ball his length early on, but Ciaran Gillespie very quickly stood up and took control of that battle.

Ciarán Thompson kicked Donegal 0-3 to 0-2 ahead from a free before he was involved in an incident that saw Tyrone midfielder Ben McDonnell black carded. Barry Cassidy punished the Errigal Ciaran man for apparently pulling Thompson down off the ball, but the incident appeared the other way around.

Moments earlier, Andy McClean had burnt his way in along the endline to meet Sean Fox one-on-one, but the Tyrone ‘keeper stood up well to turn the shot away at the near post. Stephen McBrearty and Conor O’Donnell pointed to push Tír Chonaill three points clear, but Tyrone kicked two of the half’s final three scores to narrow the gap again.

Sean Fox - a bright spark all night - fired over off the outside of his right before Cathal McShane pointed an easy free after the lively Jack O’Brien was penalised for overcarrying, leaving two in it at the break.

The second-half was hardly 15 seconds old when Jamie Brennan was presented with a great chance. Cillian McCann let a long ball slip through his grasp and the Bundoran man was clean through, but Sean Fox read his intentions superbly to make a crucial save.

Tyrone’s decision to abandon the sweeper and push Frank Burns up the park paid dividends as the game went on and he fired over a brilliant 50-yard effort to make it 0-6 to 0-5. They were level when Sean Fox’s long ball was brilliantly directed over the bar by Ryan Coleman’s fist.

And when Mark Kavanagh’s 50-yard effort came down off the very top of the post and into Ryan Coleman’s arms, he finished magnificently into the top corner to put Tyrone 1-6 to 0-6 ahead with 38 minutes gone.

Donegal responded with a McBrearty free and, from the resulting kickout, Michael Carroll read the ‘keeper’s kick superbly to intercept and set up Conor Doherty, who slid Donegal 1-7 to 1-6 ahead after 41 minutes. It swung straight back against them on the kick-out as Caolan McGonagle was black carded and Stephen McMenamin was given a second yellow, seemingly for his dissent to the first decision.

Lee Brennan, quiet in the first-half, swung over an effort from play before landing a sublime effort from a sideline ball to put Tyrone in front again at 1-8 to 1-7. Donegal were then reduced to 13 when sub Bruce Waldron was black carded to add to his earlier yellow and Tyrone hit six of the next seven scores to storm towards the final.

A late penalty from Stephen McBrearty wasn’t enough to alter the outcome and the final whistle was marred by a brief skirmish.

MATCH STATS


Tyrone: Sean Fox (Killyclogher); C McCann, P Teague, S Hamill; C Byrne, S Loughran (0-1), M O’Neill; C McShane (0-2, 0-1f), B McDonnell; M Kavanagh (0-2), F Burns (0-1), D Mulgrew; L Brennan (0-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 line ball), R Coleman, Sean Fox (Greencastle) (0-1); Subs: M McKernan for Teague (15), R McGlone for M O’Neill (46), E Murray for McShane (52), S O’Donnell (0-1) for Kavanagh (58); Black cards: B McDonnell replaced by J Harkin (17), Sean Fox (goalkeeper) replaced by R McGeary (61); Yellow cards: P Teague (9), L Brennan (30), Sean Fox (Greencastle) (35)


Donegal: D Rodgers; C Morrison, C Gillespie, J O’Brien; S McMenamin, E McGrath, A McClean; C O’Donnell (0-1), C Thompson (0-1f); C Bonner (0-1), E Bán Gallagher, S McBrearty (1-5, 1-0 pen, 0-3 frees) J Brennan, C McGonigle, M Carroll; Subs: C Doherty (1-0) for Brennan (32), M Coyle for Bonner (40), C Mulligan for McClean (46), A Neely for O’Donnell (54), J Skelly for O’Brien (57); Black card replacements: C McGonagle replaced by B Waldron (44); Yellow cards: S McMenamin (27, 48), B Waldron (48); Red cards: S McMenamin (second yellow, 48), B Waldron (black card + yellow, 48)


Referee: B Cassidy (Derry)