DONEGAL’S UNDER-21s suffered a harsh and painful defeat against a strong Tyrone side in their final McKenna Cup game at Healy Park tonight.
Tyrone 2-23 Donegal 0-6
A lopsided game will hardly be of much benefit to either outfit, although the big win does mean that Tyrone advance to the semi-finals of a competition they’ve won in each of the last five years.
Declan Bonner’s Donegal side proved no match for an in-the-mood Tyrone, who saw Darren McCurry score six points from play on a night when Ronan McHugh’s first-half goal laid the foundations for a facile win.
[adrotate group=”46″]Bonner had predicted a ‘very trying 70 minutes’ for his team and his prediction came true, although the showings of Michael Langan and Jason McGee were among the few positive entries in the ledger.
Tyrone had 23 points to spare at the end as Cahir McCullagh fisted to the net in the closing stages, turning the knife into Donegal’s already gasping lungs.
At half-time, Tyrone led by twelve – 1-12 to 0-3 – and the night was already seeming like a long one at the office for those atired in green and gold when the Red Hands bagged the opening goal after 13 minutes.
By the time Ronan McHugh rattled the net, Tyrone were already holding a healthy 0-5 to 0-2 lead, with McCullagh, Jonathan Munroe, McCurry (2) and Niall McKenna on the mark.
[adrotate group=”53″]Donegal had two early points from Langan, but it was apparent from a very early stage that this would be an ordeal for Donegal’s young guns.
Tyrone got in for the goal when Peter Harte’s fine ball in around the back found McHugh and he tucked neatly past Donegal goalkeeper Danny Rodgers.
Harte added two quickfire points as Tyrone rammed home their dominance.
Langan showed up well for the visitors and he laid on a point for Micheál Carroll, but it was only brief respite for the Donegal men.
Tyrone fielded seven starters from last year’s Ulster final between the counties, with Niall Morgan, Cathal McCarron, Tiernan McCann, Justin McMahon, Mattie Donnelly, Peter Harte and Ronan O’Neill the heavyweights included as Mickey Harte sought to make up the score difference to give his men a chance of making the knockout phase.
[adrotate group=”76″]Bonner was without the likes of Conor Morrison, Caolan McGonigle, Cian Mulligan, Stephen McBrearty, Kieran Gillespie and Lorcan Connor; making an already arduous task even more daunting.
McCurry clipped over some brilliant long-range points and Donegal were without a score for 22 minutes until Langan broke their second-half duck in the 54th minute.
The home side were 1-12 to 0-3 ahead by the break and cruising.
Niall Sludden, another of Tyrone’s aces from the 2016 Ulster SFC final, came off the bench and added a point either end of the interval.
Tyrone kept their feet on the gas and within ten minutes of the restart the advantage went out to 17 points with Sludden, O’Neill, McCullagh and a sumptuous brace by Harte adding to the Donegal woe.
Midway through the second half, Donegal had a chance of a goal when Jamie Brennan, a half-time substitute, saw his drive fall off the underside of the Tyrone crossbar.
At the other end, McCurry fired just wide, but the Edendork man added another two points to his and Tyrone’s ever-growing tallies.
McCullagh converted from McNabb’s deliver, but by then Donegal were bidding the McKenna Cup a farewell.
Bonner’s men will return to action in the North-West Under-21 Cup as their preparations continue for the Ulster Under-21 Championship; they return here, to Healy Park, to joust with Tyrone on March 15.
You’ll find it’ll matter quite a bit more on St Patrick’s week.
Tyrone: Niall Morgan; Pádraig Hampsey, Justin McMahon, Cathal McCarron; Peter Harte, (0-5, 2f) Tiernan McCann, Jonathan Munroe (0-1); Mattie Donnelly, Padraig McNulty; Declan McClure, Ronan O’Neill (0-5, 3f), Niall McKenna (0-1); Darren McCurry (0-6), Cahir McCullagh (1-2), Ronan McHugh (1-1). Subs: Niall Sludden (0-2) for McClure (black card, 32), Colm Cavanagh for Donnelly (52), Ronan McNabb for Harte (55), Lee Brennan for McCurry (67).
Donegal: Danny Rodgers; Danny Monagle, Stephen McMenamin, Eoghan Ban Gallagher; Ciaran Gibbons, Niall Friel, Christian Bonner; Michael Langan (0-3), Tony McClenaghan; Micheál Carroll (0-1), Gavin McBride, Daire Ó Baoill; Ethan O’Donnell, Jason McGee (0-1), Conor Doherty. Subs: Daniel Gallagher for O’Donnell (half-time), Jamie Brennan (0-1) for McBride (half-time), Colm Kelly for Friel (44), Gary McFadden for Gibbons (55), Ciaran Diver for Bonner (57), Adam Neely for Doherty (67).
Referee: Padraig Hughes (Armagh)
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