Football

Late point from Casey gives the Red Hands final victory

DAMIEN Casey took the spoils for Tyrone with a point from a long-distance free a minute into added time at the end of yesterday's NHL Division 3B final at Markievicz Park yesterday.

Leitrim opened the scoring with a Padraig O'Donnnell point from a free in the first minute, but 14 minutes had elapsed before the Red Hands got off the mark, courtesy of Gerard Gilmore.

Neither side managed to fall into a pattern in the opening half but Leitrim held the upper hand as Tyrone struggled to find any kind of rhythm and led by 0-6 to 0-4 at half-time.

The Red Hands were shocked less than 30 seconds into the second half when full-forward James Glancy rattled the back of John Devlin's net to put Leitrim five points ahead and leave Tyrone with a lot to do even at that early stage.

Tyrone showed a lot more urgency as the second half progressed with Damien Casey showing the way with some superb striking and they gradually clawed their way back into the game.

A Casey free levelled matters with time running out and the same player put the Ulster men ahead almost immediately before the eoghan Rua player's dramatic point from outside the halfway mark settled the game in Tyrone's favour.

Tyrone boss Mattie Lennon put victory for his side down to "never giving up".

"There's a lot of character in this team from one to 15, as well as the substitutes. We did well to contain Leitrim in the first half and we dug during the second the second half," said Lennon (below).