TYRONE collected their 12th Ulster Bank intercounty Vocational Schools title with an impressive victory over a strong Donegal side in the replayed final in Celtic Park, Derry yesterday.
Despite facing the breeze, Eoin Mulligan and Aidan O’Connor dominated midfield, while Stephen Donnelly, Enda McGinley and Darren O’Hanlon excelled in the attack.
Donegal created some good chances but they found the Tyrone defence steadfast, with half-backs Gavin Devlin and Brian and Peter O’Neill in very impressive form.
The losers relied on the accurate free-taking of J P Boyle and J P Gallagher to keep them in the game, while in defence Hugh Cunningham, Declan McGlinchey and Michael Byrne worked overtime in their efforts to contain the Red Hands’ attack.
Tyrone: P Ward, M McCarron, F Loughran, J Devine, G Devlin, B O’Neill, P O’Neill, E Mulligan (0-1), A O’Connor (0-1), D O’Hanlon (1-0), K Hughes, S Donnely (0- 5), A Quinn, E McGinley (0-1), J P Kane (0- 1)
Subs: B McDermott (0-1) for F Loughran, G Coney (0-1) for A Quinn. Donegal: G McCready, D Ward, H Cunningham, D Ferry, M Byrne, D McGlinchey, P McConigley, P O’Donnell, C O’Donnell, J Keeney, G Maguire, J P Boyle (0-4), A McAteer (0-1), J P Gallagher (0-1), K McGlynn (0-1)
Subs: L Coyle (0-2) for J Keeney, S Sharkey for G Maguire, E Sweeney for A McAteer.
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DOWN players fear splinters in buttocks and are running scared from the bench and manager Frank Dawson.
Household names, Martin Mallon, Noel Sands, Paul Coulter and Gerard McGrattan are frightened of the tracksuit ‘Grim Reaper’ and Dawson’s a lucky man.
As Down prepare for Sunday’s second round Division 2B fixture, against Louth in Ballycran, Dawson can afford personnel changes to the side which beat Westmeath in the opening round two weeks ago.
“That’s a luxury and not a sign of disrespect,” he’s quick to point out.
“I’m just a very lucky man who has players busting a gut to be in the team. Players who fear being dropped.”
Waterford-born Anthony Tinnelly, an impressive young man according to his manager, comes in at centre half-forward.
The former Waterford U21 is now working, resting and playing in Rostrevor.
Down: G Smyth, J Brown, S Murray, B Milligan, M Mallon, M Braniff, P Coulter, D Hughes, J McCarthy, B Braniff, A Tinnelly, G Savage, J McGrattan, G McGrattan, N Sands. Antrim: R Matthews, P Molloy, E Colgan, C McCambridge, S McMullan, R Donnelly, C Kelly, P McKillen, M Molloy, J Elliott, C McGuckian, A Elliott (capt), A Delargey, J Carson, J McIntosh
Subs: S Elliott, SP McKillop, R McNaughton, S O’Kane, S Bailie, S Og McGuinness, J O’Neill, C Hamill, C Cunning, L Richmond, M McCambridge. Derry: C Stevenson, G Brunton, P McCloy, N Mullan, R O’Hagan, A Hickey, B Ward, R McCloskey, A McCrystal, G Biggs, O Collins, G Biggs, D McGrellis, G McGonigle, J O’Dwyer Subs: R O’Mainin, M Collins, M Conway, C McGurk, S Colgan, P McEldowney
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IRATE Derry selector Frank Kearney has blasted the Games Administration Committee as “amateurs” after the football team’s National League quarter-final against Mayo was fixed for Markievicz Park yesterday.
Kearney said he felt a “sense of disbelief” after Croke Park confirmed the April 5 tie would be in the neutral venue of Sligo.
“If they think Sligo is halfway between Derry and Mayo then they need a course in Irish geography,” said Kearney.
“We could be in Dublin quicker than Sligo while Mayo are just half an hour away.
“The officials who organised this are amateurish and astounding in their bungling.”
