Sunday 26th February 2012
Allianz Hurling League Div 3A
Tyrone 3-18 Sligo 2-9
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Tyrone Senior Hurlers got the league campaign off to an excellent start in Omagh on Sunday afternoon when they dismissed Sligo with 12 points to spare. Debutant Damien Casey was the best forward on show in the opening half and it was his two points and scores from Justin Kelly and Aidan Kelly that got Tyrone off to an early four point lead. That advantage could have been much greater had they converted the five wides that they notched up inside the first ten minutes.
Sligo looked a little out of their depth and relied on Gary Cadden, Larry Cadden and Keith Raymond for their five first half points. Tyrone’s first goal of the afternoon came midway through the opening half when a well struck free from Stephen Donnelly was finished to the net by full forward Sean Og Grogan. Shea McKiver extended Tyrone’s advantage with another goal shortly after and by half time Tyrone led 2-11 to 0-05
Sligo came out much stronger after the break and within a few minutes a Keith Raymond goal and two points from Gary Cadden had reduced the Tyrone lead to seven points. Indeed that lead could have been just four points had it not been for a wonderful point blank save from Paul Devlin in the Tyrone goals. Points from Aidan Kelly and Casey eased Tyrone nerves before Sligo struck the net again through the hurl of wing half forward Damien Burke in 47th minute. Tyrone 2-13 Sligo 2-7.
Tyrone were rocked back for a few minutes but Casey kept the scoreboard ticking over before Red Hand’s substitute Rory O’Neill buried the ball to the Sligo net following a slick pass from McKiver. That finished the game as a contest and further points from Casey and Sean Og Grogan added to Sligo’s pain in the closing minutes. Final Score Tyrone 3-18 Sligo 2-09.
Tyrone. John Devlin, SP Begley, D Maguire, R Winters, M O’Gorman, S Donnelly, M Grogan, A Kelly(0-03), M Winters, G Fox (0-1), J Kelly (0-3), S Mc Kiver (1-0), C Grogan, S Og Grogan (1-3), D Casey (0-8).
Subs: Brendan Begley for D Maguire, J Patton for S Donnelly, R O’Neill (1-0) for J Kelly, S Mc Crory for M Winters.
Sligo: D Reidy, E Flanagan, J Kenny, T Cawley, MJ Crean, M Burke, D O’Brien, A Cawley, T Conneely, G Cadden (0-6), K Raymond (1-3), D Burke(1-0), L Cadden, K Gilmartin, A Walsh.
Subs N Cadden for L Cadden.
| POS | TEAM | P | W | L | D | F | A | POINTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TYRONE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 15 | 2 |
| 2 | MONAGHAN | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 14 | 2 |
| 3 | FINGAL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 12 | 2 |
| 4 | LOUTH | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 0 |
| 5 | DONEGAL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 21 | 0 |
| 6 | SLIGO | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 27 | 0 |
