Cumann Lúthchleas Gael Uladh

Tyrone win 23rd Minor Title

July 23rd, 2012

Electric Ireland Ulster Minor Football Championship Final:
Tyrone 0-14 Monaghan 1-8

Tyrone clinched the Red Hand County’s 23rd Ulster Minor Football title as they edged out Monaghan 0-14 to 1-8 in the final at Clones.

Monaghan led 0-3 to 0-1 but Tyrone responded with seven unanswered points in a 10-minute period to move five up.

Conor McCarthy’s 24th-minute goal got Monaghan back into the game and they moved 1-7 to 0-9 ahead after half-time.

But Tyrone hit five unanswered points to take control again as they earned a deserved victory.

Playing against the breeze, Monaghan made an impressive start as scores from McCarthy, James McElroy and Padraig Keenan helped them take a 0-3 to 0-1 lead.

However, Tyrone then produced the best football of the match as they hit seven scores in 10 minutes.

Sean Hackett [two], Anthony Devlin, the impressive Kieran McGeary, Peter McKenna, Caolan Harvey and James McGahan were the players to score during the period of Red Hand dominance.

However, Monaghan were back in the game as McCarthy fired to the net in the 24th minute after his initial shot had been saved by keeper Daire Martin.

Another Keenan point before the break cut Tyrone’s lead to the minimum and Monaghan were ahead as they outscored the Red Hands by 0-3 to 0-1 in the seven minutes after the resumption.

However, Tyrone regained control as Mark Bradley and McGahan both notched two points in the closing 25 minutes of the contest with Michael Cassidy also on target.

Colm Hughes ended a 22nd-minute scoring drought for the Farney men in the 59th minute but Tyrone held on to win another provincial minor crown.

Minor report: bbc.co.uk/ni

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