EirGrid Ulster U20 Final: Tyrone triumph following penalty shootout
EirGrid Ulster U20 Football Championship Final
Tyrone 3-10 Derry 2-13 AET
Tyrone win 3-1 on penalties
From GAA.ie
Tyrone’s second EirGrid Ulster U20 Football Championship title in three years was won in dramatic fashion as they edged out Derry in a penalty shoot-out at BOX-IT Athletic Grounds in Armagh.
Goalkeeper Conor McAneney emerged as the hero by saving Derry’s first threes spot kicks, and it was left to Noah Grimes to slot home the winner..
The sides had been deadlocked on 1-11 to 2-8 at the end of normal time, but a Ryan McNicholl helped the Oak Leafers to a four point lead in extra-time.
However, the Red Hands refused toe admit defeat, and pressed with passion and courage to get themselves back in contention with substitutes Ruairi McHugh, with a goal, and Conor Owens, with the game’s 10th equaliser, bringing them level.
Niall O’Donnell got Derry off the mark as they made the more positive start to a game that started with both sides setting up with a fortified defensive structure.
They stretched the Tyrone cover for Shea McCann to move inside and cap a weaving run with a well executed score, but Ronan Cassidy and Conor O’Neill were both on target at the other end to keep the Red Hands close.
But Derry contrived an 11th minute goal, slicing a hole in the Tyrone defence as Ruairi Forbes and Danny McDermott combined, and it was Johnny McGuckian who cut in from the right to send a low shot past Conor McAneney.
Tyrone hit back with a goal inside a minute, Shea O’Hare finishing from close range after Joey Clarke’s shot was blocked.
Clarke denied the Oaks a second goal with a brilliant block on McGuckian, but they continued to press strongly with the wind in their backs, going back in front through O’Donnell.
Tyrone knocked them back with another goal, midfielder Conor O’Neill driving at the opposition defence before slipping the ball inside for Ruairi McCullagh to smash home his shot off the underside of the crossbar.
However, they went in level at the break, Ronan Walls bringing Derry level at 1-6 to 2-3.
Danny McDermott had Derry back in front, but it swung back in Tyrone’s favour as wing back Odhran Brolly pressed forward to pick off the lead score.
And a couple of Eoin McElholm gems had the Red Hands ahead by a point going into the final quarter.
The probing runs of Johnny McGuckian and the energy of corner back Fionn McEldowney propelled Derry forward again, and substitute Rory McGill fired over the leveller.
After Oisin Doherty had converted his third free of the evening, McCullagh had the sides level for the ninth time.
Both sides had chances to win it, but the closing ten minutes failed to produce a score, and it ended deadlocked at 1-11 to 2-8
Defensive heroics from Rory Small and Conleth McGrogan helped restrict Tyrone to a single point, and Derry gave themselves a massive boost at the end of the first spell of added time with a Ryan McNicholl goal to lead by 2-13 to 2-9 at the turnaround.
Substitute Ruairi McHugh punched home a third Tyrone goal two minutes after the restart to plunge a gripping contest right back into the balance, and a superb equaliser from Conor Owens set up a penalty shoot-out.
Scorers for Tyrone: R McCullagh 1-2 (1f), S O’Hare, R McHugh 1-0 each, R Cassidy 0-3 (1f), E McElholm 0-2, C O’Neill, C Owens, O Brolly 0-1 each.
Scorers for Derry: O Doherty 0-4 (3fs), J McGuckian, R McNicholl 1-0 each, S McCann, N O’Donnell, R McGill 0-2 each, D McDermott, C McGrogan, R Walls 0-1 each.
Tyrone: C McAneney; J Clarke, B Hughes, Conor Devlin; S O’Hare, M Rafferty, O Brolly; R Fox, C O’Neill; Cormac Devlin, E McElholm, G Potter; R McCullagh, R Cassidy, C Daly.
Subs: F Nelis for Conor Devlin (21), R McHugh for Brolly (42), P McCann for Fox (50), N Grimes for Cassidy (55), C Owens for O’Neill (70).
Derry: C Armstrong; F McEldowney, D McDermott, R Small; C McGrogan, P McGurk, R Walls; R Forbes, C Heron; C Spiers, J McGuckian; R Walls; N O’Donnell, C Chambers, O Doherty.
Subs: R McNicholl for McCann (HT), E Higgins for Spiers (36), R McGill for Chambers (44), D McPeake for Walls (55), T Rogers for Heron (73), F Donnelly for Rafferty (73).
Referee: D Boylan (Monaghan).
