A general view of O'Neill's Healy Park. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Ulster MFC Semi-Finals
Tyrone 2-20 Monaghan 3-12
Cavan 1-17 Donegal 0-15
Tyrone will meet Cavan in the Electric Ireland Ulster MFC final next weekend, thanks to thrilling semi-final wins for both counties over Monaghan and Donegal respectively.
The Red Hands had to survive a Monaghan fightback at O’Neills Healy Park, before getting over the line by 2-20 to 3-12.
The visitors were nine points behind at one stage, but stormed back to take the lead, before the Red Hands turned on the power in the closing stages.
Tyrone were the dominant force in the opening quarter, starting strongly with a string of points from Thomas Meenan, Eoin Long and Joel Kerr.
James Daly restored the three points cushion after Sean Murtagh had opened the Farney account, and Peter Colton made it a five point game, before Peter Garrity volleyed home a 14th minute goal to increase the pressure on the visitors.
Monaghan did have their chances, but poor finishing let them down as promising attacks came to nothing, and they found themselves trailing by nine points going into the closing 10 minutes of the half.
But a James Ennis two-pointer sparked a remarkable revival, followed by an Adam Treanor goal on 25 minutes, trimmed the deficit to three.
And they went in level at the break on 1-10 to 2-7, after Shane Byrne punched home a goal and followed up with an equalising point
Cathal Farley provided the assist for Thomas Meenan’s 35th minute goal as the Red Hands got on top again, but frees from Murtagh and Tristan Nugent kept their opponents close.
And Monaghan took the lead for the first time in 42 minutes, Nugent sending Harry Hamill away to finish to the bottom corner of the net for their third goal.
Tyrone rallied strongly, points from James Mulgrew and Colton levelling the scores, before Joel Kerr nudged them back in front with a two-point free.
He added another two-pointer, and they pulled away down the stretch with Eoin Long sending over a couple of frees to seal the win.
Cavan’s strong second half saw them overturn an interval deficit to defeat Donegal by 1-17 to 0-15 at Kingspan Breffni Park.
Jake Brady shot Cavan ahead with a couple of early points, but the sides were level by the 13th minute, after Shane Sweeney (2) and Joseph Gibbons, from a free, had responded for Donegal, with Mark Reilly on target for the home side.
And the visitors went ahead with a Tomas Carr two-pointer, holding on to that two points cushion as Sweeney sent over a couple of scores.
Cavan rallied again late in the half for Faolan Graham to register from a free, before a Cian McConnell two-pointer brought them level.
But Cathal Doherty sent Donegal in at the break with a narrow 0-9 to 0-8 lead.
Harry McMullen brought the sides level, and the crucial score came on 38 minutes when Natha Quigley rifled home the only goal of the game, giving the home side a lead they never lost.
Donegal responded with scores from Joseph Gibbions and Sweeney, but the Breffni lads were able to keep them at arms length as they hit the target through Cathal Smith, Senan Smith, Cian McConnell and Sam Maguire.
