Missed chances costly as Donegal minors lose to Tyrone

SECOND-HALF GOALS by Paul Donaghy and Jude Campbell fired Tyrone to an Ulster Minor League win over Donegal in Ballybofey.

Donegal 1-09 Tyrone 2-08

Donegal paid for a succession of missed chances – with 14 wides over the hour – as Paul Devlin and Iggy Gallagher’s Tyrone took the win.

A 33^rd minute rocket by Donaghy sent the Red Hands on their way and Campbell made the win safe when he punched home ten minutes later.

The opening goal came after Tyrone – who were 0-6 to 0-4 in arrears at the changeover – brought themselves level through a pair of Emmet McNabb frees.

When Donaghy picked up possession from Gavin Mulreany’s kick-out after McNabb’s second free, with Ryan Connors also losing his footing at the vital moment, the Tyrone attacker powered through.

Picture caption: Donegal’s Jason McGee in action against Tyrone in Ballybofey. Picture by Chris Doherty.

Donaghy made no mistake as he let fly to the net for a goal that rocked Donegal to the core.

Tyrone lost on the opening day to Antrim, but defeated Derry last Saturday and the O’Neill County have found their groove again.

They bagged their second goal after a neat move. Thomas Carney and Conall Grimes did the spadework and it was from Grimes’s ball in that corner-forward Campbell steered past Mulreany.

Donegal didn’t score for 23 second-half minutes and by the time Eoghan McGettigan bundled over the line from close range their chance was slipping away from their grasp.

The goal took them to within five points, but they had left themselves with too much to do.

Donegal began with points from Odhrán Ferry-McFadden and Niall O’Donnell, but they lost their way somewhat with eight wides and four short efforts in the opening half.

Donegal captain Jason McGee sailed over a wonderful long-range score, but Tyrone took advantage of the blunt edge on the Donegal sword in those early moments with Donaghy, Brannon Molloy and Thomas Carney on the mark to put the Red Hands in front for the first time in the 11^th minute.

Donegal restored parity when McGee brilliantly found his range, again from distance.

Donegal were denied a goal in the 14^th minute as Benny Gallen, the Tyrone goalkeeper, made a superb double save.

Gallen beat away McGee’s powerful drive and smothered and the feet of the in-rushing Garry Molloy.

Donegal were two up, 0-6 to 0-4, as JD Boyle steered over and O’Donnell magnificently pulled a McGee skyscraper from the air to score his second of the afternoon.

Donegal kept Tyrone scoreless for the last 19 minutes of the half, but could have been further in front.

Donegal opened up their campaign with a 2-11 to 0-8 success over Fermanagh a fortnight ago in Ballyshannon, where O’Donnell and Shane McGrath netted the goals.

Two frees in the opening two minutes of the second half by McNabb drew Tyrone back on level terms and Donaghy blasted to the net to turn the tide.

McGettigan’s major gave Donegal some hope, but they left it too late to mount the comeback.

Jack Flannery and Odhrán Shiels had shots blocked as Donegal went in search of another goal.

Gallen turned over a McGee effort and Donegal’s chance was gone.

Donegal: Gavin Mulreany (St Naul’s); Mark Curran (Dungloe), Aaron McCrea (Four Masters), Daniel Lyons (Kilcar); Aidan McLaughlin (Naomh Padraig, Muff), Ciaran McGinley (St Michael’s), JD Boyle (Naomh Conaill, 0-1); Jason McGee (Cloughaneely, 0-4), Oisin Rooney (Aodh Ruadh); Odrhán Ferry-McFadden (Gaoth Dobhair, 0-1), Enda McCormick (Termon), Shane McGrath (Aodh Ruadh); Garry Molloy (Kilcar), Niall O’Donnell (St Eunan’s, 0-3), Eoghan McGettigan (Naomh Conaill, 1-0). Subs: Ryan Connors (Dungloe) for Rooney (16), Jack Flannery (Naomh Conaill) for Molloy (42), Odhrán Shiels for Connors (50), Eoghan Carr for Ferry-McFadden (50).

Tyrone: Benny Gallen; Conor Shields, Brian McNulty, James McGurk; Tiarnan Corr, Conall Grimes, Peter Óg McCartan; Martin McGleenon, Cahir Goodwin; Brannon Molloy (0-1), Thomas Carney (0-1), Paul Donaghy (1-2); Emmet McNabb (0-3, 3f), Oran Sludden, Jude Campbell (1-0). Subs: Tiarnan Hurl for McNulty (half-time), Ryan Gray (0-1) for Molloy (49), Paul Donnelly for Carney (52), Tiarnan Drayne for Campbell (56).

Referee: E McAuley (Antrim).