Electric Ireland MFC: Tyrone edge out Roscommon

Electric Ireland MFC Semi-Final

Tyrone 2-12 Roscommon 1-8

By Ian Cooney at Kingspan Breffni

A quickfire double before the break created a buffer for Tyrone that they used to keep Roscommon at arm’s length and reach this year’s All-Ireland minor football final

The Connacht champions were 1-5 to 0-5 ahead, thanks to Séamus Hussey’s excellent 26th minute goal. Playing into the wind and with a vociferous support behind them, things looked very rosy for Shane Moran’s young men.

But Tyrone’s response was emphatic and when Peter Colton’s mishit attempt for a point dribbled across the goalmouth, allowing Joel Kerr to finish to the net, Gerard Donnelly’s charges were back in business.

It got better for the Ulster champions as a point from impressive midfielder James Mulgrew was followed by Colton weaving his way through the Roscommon defence for a second goal.

Suddenly, Tyrone were 2-6 to 1-5 ahead at the change of ends, and they never looked back after that.

The teams swapped the opening four scores — Eoin Long and Darren McAnespie on target for Tyrone, while Luke Shally and Dean Casey replied for Roscommon.

A two-pointer from McAnespie — the only orange flag of the contest — edged Tyrone back in front but Roscommon weren’t overawed as Shally and Seamie Carthy, an audacious effort with the outside of the boot, left the sides level at 0-4 apiece after nine minutes.

Mulgrew and Carthy swapped points, but Roscommon struck a big blow when wing back Hussey finished off a sweeping move with a cracking goal.

Tyrone’s response was lethal, helped by those goals from Kerry and Colton, to give them a flattering four-point interval advantage.

A heavy shower didn’t help Roscommon’s cause to erode the deficit, and they could never generate the momentum to make inroads in the second half.

Tyrone lost Thomas Meenan to a black card, but a couple of early frees from Pearses McDonald and Eoin Long stretched their advantage further.

Roscommon ran into black card trouble when a trip by goalkeeper Cian Trimble on Kerr led to a penalty, but stand-in ‘keeper Dean Casey saved Kerr’s resultant spot kick.

Tyrone were always able to keep the scoreboard ticking over through points from Aodhan Quinn, Long, Meenan and Cathal Farley — the latter’s point meaning that all six Tyrone starting forwards contributed to the scoreboard.

Casey (free), Shally and Christopher Feerick added to Roscommon’s tally, but it was never going to be enough to a trouble a physically powerful Tyrone side that will take some beating in the decider.

Scorers for Tyrone: Eoin Long (1f) 0-3, Darren McAnespie (1 tp) 0-3, Joel Kerr 1-0, Peter Colton 1-0, James Mulgrew 0-2, Peter McDonald (1f), Aodhan Quinn, Thomas Meenan 0-1, Cathal Farley 0-1

Scorers for Roscommon: Luke Shally 0-3, Seamus Hussey 1-0, Dean Casey (1f) 0-2, Séamie Carthy 0-2, Christopher Feerick 0-1

Tyrone: Ronan Donnelly; Elliott Kerr, Pádraig Goodman, Ciarán McCrystal; Aodhan Quinn, James Daly, Thomas Meehan; James Mulgrew, Pádraig Donaghy; Darren McAnespie, Peter Colton, Cathal Farley; Joel Kerr, Eoin Long, Pearse McDonald.

Subs: Vincent Gormley for McDonald 49, Matthew F Daly for Kerr 55, Michael Mullin for Meenan 57, Diarmuid Martin for Colton 59.

Roscommon: Cian Trimble; James Cassidy, Tadgh Rogers, Conor Tighe; Seamie Carthy, Diarmuid O’Higgins, Séamus Hussey; Alex Oates, Sam Hannon; Christopher Feerick, Dara Curran, Luke Shally; John Price, Shay McGuinness, Dean Casey.

Subs: Adam Killian for Hussey 52, Marc Shally for Cassidy 55, Conor Kelly for Hannon 59, Tadgh Fallon for Feerick 60.

Referee: Chris Maguire (Clare).