Football

Back In The Day - Tyrone through Ulster first round untested - The Irish News June 27, 1999

Tyrone's Adrian Cush put in a superb shift as Tyrone eased past Fermanagh
Tyrone's Adrian Cush put in a superb shift as Tyrone eased past Fermanagh Tyrone's Adrian Cush put in a superb shift as Tyrone eased past Fermanagh

Tyrone through untested - Ulster Senior Football championship first round: Fermanagh 0-8 Tyrone 0-18

IT can’t be very often Tyrone get a penalty in the last minute of a Championship match which scarcely raises a mutter among their vast support.

No pulses racing either when the shot came back off the post, but it was that sort of day.

Ten days and 13 months since their last taste of Championship, and Tyrone were raring to go. But the anticipated challenge from Fermanagh never came and the anti-climax left the victors to ponder just how well they had really played.

Adrian Cush, who put in a superb performance knocking over seven of the total, had no doubts.

“In 1997 all the stuff we were reading in the media about so-called inter-club politics really disrupted us, I think we started believing what we were reading. Then last year we had half a team sitting on the sideline.

“Some people maybe thought it was a disadvantage we were last out in the Championship but maybe it’s just as well.

“We waited 13 months for this so the quicker the matches come now the better, we’ve all the training done.”

Although cruising from an early stage, Tyrone manager Danny Ball insisted afterwards he wasn’t sure the game was won until the 70 minutes were up. Cush agreed.

“Okay we went on a six or seven point streak in the first-half but it’s hard to know whether you’re strolling or not, Fermanagh were getting a lot of possession. I think our experience showed though, when we got down the field we scored.”

For Fermanagh, the manner of the capitulation hurt most of all.

Many’s a red eye in the dressing room, Paul Brewster among others sitting head in hands inconsolable.

Manager Pat King said he would not “make any rash decisions” about his future following the completion of his three-year term but talked strong words of a man at his lowest ebb.

“You could say the last three years have been a waste.

“We didn’t put it up to Tyrone any better than the team did three years ago. I wasn’t involved that day (1996), but I left Omagh very disillusioned.

“The team is heading into the first division now which is a step up, but it’s hard to say what the management structure will be.”

Dunloy first in Feis

INVINCIBLE Dunloy continued their domination of Antrim hurling, winning the Feis Cup at Carey last night, beating Loghgiel 1-20 0-14 in the final.

Leading 0-12 to 0-9 at the halfway stage patrons witnessed some excellent scoring, Gregory O’Kane leading for Dunloy with Brendan McGarry equally effective for the Shamrocks.

Eight minutes into the second half Loughgiel saw their chances go up in smoke when Colm McCloskey was sidelined and after Brendan McGarry picked up their final point at the end of the third quarter they were finished.

Dunloy: S Elliott, S McElhatton, P Molloy, S Mullan, M Molloy, Gary O’Kane, S McMullan, N Elliott, F McMullan (0-2), C Cunning (0-1), Gregory O’Kane (0-7), L Richmond (0-3), M Curry (0-3), J Elliott (0- 2), E McKee (1-1). Sub: P Richmond (0-1).

Loughgiel: D Quinn, J Campbell, O McCloskey, K Casey, P Gillan, D McKillop, S McElhatton, N Gillan (0-1), C McCloskey (0-1), C Smith (0-1), SP McKillop (0-1), B McGarry (0-6), J McGarry (0-2), A McCloskey (0-2), A Watt. Referee: E McHugh (Ballycastle)