Football

Tyrone minors beat Donegal with five-goal blast

Tarlach Quinn (8) of Tyrone celebrates a goal against Donegal during the Ulster Minor Football Championship round one match at Ballybofey on Saturday Picture by Margaret McLaughlin
Tarlach Quinn (8) of Tyrone celebrates a goal against Donegal during the Ulster Minor Football Championship round one match at Ballybofey on Saturday Picture by Margaret McLaughlin Tarlach Quinn (8) of Tyrone celebrates a goal against Donegal during the Ulster Minor Football Championship round one match at Ballybofey on Saturday Picture by Margaret McLaughlin

Electric Ireland Ulster Minor Football Championship

Donegal 1-10 Tyrone 5-12

RAMPANT Tyrone had far too much power and panache for a badly outgunned Donegal side in a most one-sided encounter in Sean MacCumhaill Park.

The reigning Ulster and All-Ireland U17 champions were well worth their 14-point victory as a five-goal blitz demolished the home side.

It was hard to believe that the home side had prevailed by a point when these sides last met in the MFL. But the addition of the six Holy Trinity players from Cookstown certainly helped to beef up the red-hot Red Hand squad.

The winners cantered to a 2-7 to 1-5 half-time lead, and the second half was a stroll in the park for Collie Holmes men.

A satisfied Holmes paid tribute to his impressive young charges.

“It was a pleasing performance, for we have only had the full 32-man panel back full-on this past couple of weeks.

“Monaghan turned us over in the league semi-final, and we played Mayo since, learned a lot and fixed a lot.

“We are happy for the lads for they have put in a big shift since last October.

“We were a bit wasteful at the start of the second half, but thankfully we pinged in the goals, and that deflated Donegal.

“If they had got a goal, the game was back on again, but I think we managed the game fairly well.

“Boys came in and the were asked to do a job, and championship is championship. You just do it with a wee bit more class and a wee bit more quality.

“There is a bit of momentum gathered now and I know there is a back door system in place but it is just nicer to go through first time.

“Kevin Barker is a real leader, he’s captain for obvious reasons, and you could see it in his performance. He knows when to drop off and when to sit in, he talks a lot an organises and that is key, because boys can come out and freeze on the big stage.

“That confidence that Kevin brings is definitely settling for the lads”.

Of that there was no doubt as Tyrone, brilliantly led by team captain Barker, never allowed the home side any real leeway.

Accurate full-forward Mark Hayes and Tarlach Quinn grabbed the first half goals with Hayes, Michael McGleenan and Cormac McBride hitting the rest as the Red Hands eased into a meeting with Down.

Hayes finished with a tally of 2-4, his first goal a well-executed effort on 16 minutes after Donegal had begun brightly to lead 0-3 to 0-2 after 12 minutes.

But, as Tyrone settled, the home side failed to score for another 14 minutes. When they did it was a superbly finished goal from Shane O’Donnell, younger brother of senior star Niall O’Donnell.

However, Tarlach Quinn replied in kind for the Red Hands in injury-time as they led by 2-7 to 1-5 at the interval.

The clinching score came from the inevitable Hayes seven minutes into the second half when he again found the net.

And this affair was well settled by the time Michael McGleenan, son of Mattie, slid home the Red Hands' fourth goal in the 51st minute.

McGleenan’s cool strike put Tyrone into a 4-10 to 1-7 lead and there was no way back for Tir Chonaill.

Wing-back Cormac McBride added goal number five, but matters were very academic at that stage.

Disappointed Donegal manager Gary Duffy said that “leaking goals” was a major issue.

“We will have to reassess that, but it is the scenic route for us now and we will just have to take it on the chin and move on.

“There are no excuses and Tyrone were the better team on the day.

“Mark Hayes is one of the most talented players in Ulster and he is very difficult to mark.

“It is disappointing for everyone but we will just have to bounce back”.

Demoralised Donegal did manage to tack on late points from Nathan Byrne, Shane Gillespie and Shane O’Donnell, but this was an impressive victory for a clever and composed Tyrone side that now meet Down in a fortnight.

Meanwhile, Donegal run the risk of meeting their League conquerors Monaghan who will be fancied to get past Antrim next week.

Donegal: C Byrne; A Gillooley, C Gildea, S Og Byrne; C Gallagher, S Gillespie (0-2), Anthony Doherty; R O’Donnell, P McGettigan (0-3); S Rooney, S O’Donnell (1-2), S McFadden; E Carr, N Byrne (0-2), L Dunphy. Subs: J Grant for C Gallagher 30; J Toye for McFadden half-time; J Conlon (0-1f) for Dunphy h/t, D Doogan for E Carr 41, E Doherty for A. Doherty, (black card, 45), M Coughlan for Rooney 58

Tyrone: M McGale; C Quinn, L McBride, L Kilpatrick; R Duffin, K Barker, C McBride (1-0); T Quinn (1-0), M McGleenan (1-1, 1f); O Mulgrew (0-1), O McHugh, B Groogan (0-1); D Fullerton (0-3, 3f), M Hayes (2-4), T Mackle (0-1)

Subs: M Devlin for Mackle, 41, S Murphy (0-1) for D Fullerton 46; S McGarrity for B Groogan 48; C Devlin for C McBride 52; P McCallan for C Quinn, 53, S Daly for O McHugh 57

Referee: K Faloon (Armagh)