Electric Ireland MFC QF: Terrific Tyrone advance

Electric Ireland Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final

Tyrone 3-17 Galway 0-19

By Billy Coss at Donaghmore-Ashbourne GAA Club

Holders Tyrone booked their place in the last four of the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship following a come-from-behind victory over Galway at the home of Donaghmore-Ashbourne GAA Club.

It was a meeting between the back-to-back Ulster champions, such impressive final victors over Derry, and the Tribesmen whose quest for a first Connacht title at the grade since 2018 came up short against Roscommon.

Gerard Donnelly's side produced a storming second half display to turn it around after Galway's lead reached a high of 0-16 to 1-8 shortly after the break. The Red Hands' response was swift and decisive, outscoring their opponents by 2-9 to three points from there to the finish.

The all-important goals in that dominant spell came from the unrelated Eglish duo of Matthew J Daly and Matthew F Daly and followed Brian Óg McGuckin's earlier green flag before the break.

The sides were level on three occasions before a wind-aided Galway edged the opening quarter by 0-5 to 0-4. Three Aaron Hanrahan points and one apiece from Éanna Maher and 'keeper Evan Burke (45) accounted for their tally, while Tyrone's replies came courtesy of Tomás Gallen (two), Vincent Gormley and Ruairí O'Neill.

Burke was prolific from distance frees throughout Galway's provincial campaign and nailed the first of four orange flags for the Tribesmen in the second quarter. The other three came courtesy Oisín Ó Neachtain, the half's standout performer.

Tyrone had edged ahead with McGuckin's 28th minute goal, but Galway reeled off the closing five points before the break through Ó Neachtain's second and third from range plus a Mikey Mitchell effort that left it 0-15 to 1-8 at the break.

Ó Neachtain extended Galway's lead to five on the resumption, but Tyrone soon took control in the battle for primary possession and made it count on the scoreboard. Gormley and McGuckin were superb up top for them and when Matthew J Daly broke forward to finish to the net on 45 minutes, the sides were level at 2-12 to 0-18.

Further points from Conan Canavan and Logan O'Connor pushed Tyrone into a lead they would not relinquish and though Aaron Hanrahan cut the deficit to one, the winners were pouring forward at will with crucial points coming from McGuckin, O'Connor and Martin J Daly.

The seal on a terrific second half Tyrone display came when McGuckin teed up Martin F Daly to palm home their third goal deep in injury-time.

Scorers for Tyrone: Brian Óg McGuckin 1-3; Vincent Gormley 0-4; Matthew F Daly and Matthew J Daly 1-1 each; Tomás Gallen, Logan O'Connor and Conan Canavan (2f) 0-2 each; Ruairí O'Neill and Aodhán Corry 0-1 each.

Scorers for Galway: Oisín Ó Neachtain 0-7 (3tp, 1f); Aaron Hanrahan 0-6 (3f); Evan Burke 0-3 (1tpf, 1f); Éanna Maher 0-2; Mikey Mitchell 0-1.

Tyrone: Ronan O'Neill; Ciaran McCrystal (captain), James Maguire, Tiernan McCarron; Matthew J Daly, Aodhán Corry, Conor Fyffe; Matthew F Daly, Charlie Meenan; Tomás Gallen, Ruairí O'Neill, Logan O'Connor; Vincent Gormley, Brian Óg McGuckin, Conan Canavan.

Subs: Conall Shevlin for Fyffe (temp, 10-12 & 44), Aidan Farley for McCrystal (39), Ciarán McKeown for O'Neill (58), Lorcan Meenagh for McGuckin (60+4), Caolan McKee for Matthew F Daly (60+4).

Galway: Evan Burke; Ciarán Collins, Eoin Gannon (captain), Evan McDonagh; Jamie Dillon, Oliver Ó Suilleabháin, Éanna Maher; Darragh Kelly, Joey Cullinane; Shaane Rather, Oisín Ó Neachtain, Ryan Connolly; Mikey Mitchell, Aaron Hanrahan, Adam Healy.

Subs: Tiernan Mitchell for Healy (HT), Shane Heneghan for Connolly (47), Cillian Browne for Rather (47),

Referee: Ian Howley (Dublin).