Electric Ireland MFC semi-final: Tyrone edge out Kildare

Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football semi-final

Tyrone 1-15 Kildare 1-12

By Francis Mooney at Kingspan Breffni

All-Ireland Minor champions Tyrone survived a scare at Kingspan Breffni to edge out a gritty Kildare side and book their place in another final.

Jack Reilly’s superb 1-7 haul, all from play, was not enough to earn what would have been only the Lilywhites’ second appearance in the Markham Cup decider.

Their hopes were high as they approached the final quarter, with a one point lead, but the Red Hands seized control of the middle third in a dominant final quarter, pushing for home with Matthew F Daly’s 0-6 contribution and a stoic defensive showing, particularly from James Maguire and Aodhan Corry.

Daly got the holders off to a strong start with a to-pointer inside the opening minute, but the Lilywhites took the lead with an eighth minute goal.

It was centre back Jack Doran who made the surging run through the middle, before Jack Reilly nipped in to get a shot away, kept out by ‘keeper Ronan O’Neill, but Reilly netted the rebound from close range.

Fionn Lawlor and Liam Mescal grabbed every opportunity to raid from deep for the Leinster champions, at the heart of the move that saw Aidan Tobin shoot them two ahead.

But Tyrone carried a goal threat, Logan O’Connor finding space to dart through and rifled a shot just wide.

They did find the net in the 14^th minute, Charlie Meenan forcing a turnover for Daly to send Conan Canavan in to finish low past Joe Crotty.

Kildare continued to press, with the strong running of twin brothers Jack and Charlie Doran keeping them on the front foot, but wasteful finishing saw them go 12 minutes without a score, before they hit four in the space of two minutes, two each from goalscorer Reilly and Greg Kelly, to go back in front.

And they were denied a second goal by Ronan O’Neill’s fine save from substitute Logan Tennyson.

Tyrone turned it back in their favour with a Brian Og McGuckin two-pointer, before Matthew J Daly shot them ahead in stoppage time, 1-8 to 1-7 at the break.

A strong start to the second half saw them add scores through Matthew F Daly and McGuckin, but sharpshooter Jack Reilly fired over a brilliant two-pointer to equalise, before firing his side back in front, bringing his tally to 1-6.

As torrential rain battered Kingspan Breffni, Tyrone went level again through Aodhan Corry, and with Charlie Meenan and Tomas Gallen getting a foothold around the middle, went ahead with scores from Matthew F Daly and Matthew J Daly.

Kildare’s attacking opportunities were dwindling as the game progressed, but a chance for a crack at goal did fall to substitute Logan Tennyson, whose shot was deflected over for a point.

As the Kildare lads tired in the closing stages, Tyrone tightened their grip on the middle third, with Matthew F Daly still full of running and a constant threat, punching over his sixth point of the evening

The Lilywhites did have a late goal chance, but Ruairi O’Neill blocked Eoghan Lyons’ effort, and the Red Hands survived.

Tyrone scorers: C Canavan 1-0, MF Daly 0-6 (1tp), B Og McGuckin 0-4 (1tp), M J Daly 0-2, A Corry, F Quinn, L O’Connor 0-1 each.

Kildare scorers: J Reilly 1-7 (1tp), G Kelly 0-2, A Tobin, E Lyons, L Tennyson 0-1 each.

Tyrone: Ronan O’Neill; T McCarron, J Maguire, A Farley; M J Daly, A Corry, C Fyffe; T Gallen, C Meenan; L O’Connor, B Og McGuckin, Ruairi O’Neill; C Canavan, MF Daly, V Gormley. Subs: C Shevlin for Fyffe (h-t), C McKeown for Canavan (50), F Quinn for O’Connor (53), C McKee for McGuckin (58)

Kildare: J Crotty; E Markey, R Crawford, L Mescal; F Lawlor, J Doran, L Shanahan; C Doran, P Ryan; A Bergin, A Tobin, E Lyons; J Reilly, G Kelly, C Keogh. Subs: L Tennyson for Bergin (21), O McAfee for Crawford (36), R Cooke for J Doran (51), F Martin for Keogh (58)

Referee: C Ryan (Galway).