Sport

Clonoe experience sees them edge quarter-final clash with Donaghmore

Clonoe defied four dismissals to hold on and see of Donaghmore in their Tyrone SFC quarter-final     Picture: Jim Dunne
Clonoe defied four dismissals to hold on and see of Donaghmore in their Tyrone SFC quarter-final Picture: Jim Dunne Clonoe defied four dismissals to hold on and see of Donaghmore in their Tyrone SFC quarter-final Picture: Jim Dunne

LCC Group Tyrone SFC quarter-final: Clonoe 1-9 Donaghmore 0-10

A REMARKABLE act of survival against the odds saw Clonoe defy four dismissals – four blacks and a red – to chisel out a dramatic win over Donaghmore at Edendork.

Defender Jerome McClure was red-carded alongside a black for Connor McAliskey late in the first half, but the O’Rahilly’s battled their way to a place in the last four with the assistance of generous measures of experience and courage, along with the stunning attacking impact of Danny McNulty off the bench.

The 2015 All-Ireland U21 winner joined the action in the 37th minute and had a hand in virtually every score that saw his side over the line, grabbing the only goal of the game at a crucial stage.

Despite two more black cards late on, they withstood everything Donaghmore could throw at them, to set up a semi-final clash with Carrickmore.

The sides were level at the end of the opening quarter, with Conor Cush (0-2) and Cormac McCann on target for the St Patrick’s and McAliskey, Steven McNulty and flying wing back Ryan Morrow hitting Clonoe points.

Cush was a constant threat up front, adding a third, before Ronan Cassidy put two points between the sides.

And in the 29th minute it all started to go wrong for the O’Rahilly’s when they lost two men as a result of separate incidents.

After consulting with his officials, referee Shane Meehan black-carded former Tyrone attacker McAliskey and flashed a straight red at corner back Jerome McClure.

However, they hit the final score of the half, Morrow pressing with pace along the right flank to pick off his second, cutting the deficit to just one at the break, 0-5 to 0-4.

Donaghmore managed just two points while playing with two extra men, wing back Shea Hamill and Cush opening up a three points lead.

But the return of McAliskey was accompanied by the arrival of McNulty, the man who was to swing the game in his side’s favour.

He converted a mark and made a diving lunge to punch Morrow’s cross to the net in the 47th minute, giving his side the lead for the first time since the early stages of the first half.

And McNulty set up a couple more points, including a delightful flick into the path of older brother Steven, as the seasoned O’Rahilly’s reached for the finish line.

They squeezed their opponents out of the game, sealing the win as Declan McClure charge through for a late score, and held on despite the loss of two more players to black cards in the closing stages.

Clonoe: M O’Neill; J McClure, P O’Neill, D Quinn; R Morrow (0-2), S Hughes, S Coney; S McNulty (0-2, 0-1 free), D McClure (0-1); R Quinn, C McAliskey (0-3 free), P Coney; P Doris, F McClure, C Magee.

Subs: D McNulty (1-1, 0-1 mark) for Magee, J Taggart for R Quinn

Donaghmore: L Quinn; P McCann, P McKenna, D McCann; S Hamill (0-1), D Toner, P Donnelly; R Cush, A McCluskey; T Grimes, J McCann, R Cassidy (0-1); C McCann (0-3, 0-2 frees), N McKenna, C Cush (0-5, 0-1 free).

Subs: R Donnelly for Grimes, P McCann for Donnelly, B Molloy for Cassidy, C Hegarty for Toner, D Quinn for P McCann

Referee: S Meehan (Glenelly).