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Tyrone young-guns clinically dispatch Armagh

Thursday, 22 July 2010

Tyrone minors celebrate as their captain, Shea McGarrity, raises the Ulster Minor Championship cup following their impressive 1-14 to 0-05 win over Armagh in the final at Clones on Sunday.

Tyrone 1-14 Armagh 0-5.

TYRONE cruised to their third Ulster MFC title in four years with a resounding win over All-Ireland champions Armagh at Clones.
This was a clinical display by the 'Red Hands', who hovered up valuable possession around midfield all afternoon to set up scoring opportunities to fast-moving attackers.
Harry Og Conlon dominated the midfield battle, and Ryan Devlin hit a decisive 1-2 salvo, including the 51st minute goal that finally killed off Armagh's challenge.
This was a 22nd minor title for the Red Hands, who now go forward to face Kerry in the All-Ireland quarter-final.
Tyrone were four points ahead inside eight minutes, two of their scores coming from Ronan O'Neill frees,with Conan Grugan also landing a superb effort and Richard Donnelly converting a '45.
Ryan Rafferty got Armagh's opening point in the 11th minute, but Tyrone were soon back in command, with Ryan Devlin, John McCullagh (2) and half backs Niall Sludden and Eunan Deeney all hitting the target.
Grugan and Conlon were dominant in the middle of the field, and six different players got on the scoresheet in the opening half.
They could have had a goal on 20 minutes when O'Neill turned his marker, but sent his shot zipping just wide.
Tyrone held a commanding 0-9 to 0-2 lead at the break, after Paul McGeown had hit a second Armagh point from a free.
Donnelly converted his second '45 to extend the advantage, with midfielder Harry Og Conlon adding a fisted point.
Both sides had goal chances, but Tyrone goalkeeper Mark McReynolds saved from Colin Stevenson, and Armagh 'keeper Matthew McNeice denied Ryan Devlin.
In the 51st minute, Tyrone killed off the challenge of the defending champions when Devlin side-footed to the net from Conlon's assist.
And a couple of late points from substitute Dara Donnelly sealed a comprehensive victory for the Red Hands.
But it's not all gloom for Armagh, who also go through to the All-Ireland quarter-finals through the minor championship's own version of the back door system.
“We concentrated on getting it right round the middle third of the field, to win breaking ball, and we got our launchpad," said Tyrone manager Raymond Munroe.
All the men in that area of the field, it's no surprise that that's where we made the changes, because the men were out on their feet.
“That was the area we focused on, where we did all our work, and one of our midfielders lifted the man of the match award, it says it all.
We watched Armagh against Cavan, their winning of the breaking ball was phenomenal, it launched everything for them. Today we got among them."
And Munroe was pleased with the return from the attacking unit.
“Sometimes we made bad choices in shot selection, but at the end of the day we got enough scores.
“That's what it's all about, getting more scores than the opposition."

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