Hurlers continue unbeaten start with win over Sligo

The Tyrone Senior Hurlers continued their unbeaten start to the year with a convincing 2-16 to 1-9 win over Sligo in Markievicz Park. Tyrone entered the game already assured of qualification for the Allianz Leagues Division 3B Final, and manager Mattie Lennon had to make several enforced changes to the side that overcame Leitrim 2 weeks ago. Sean Kerr, Mike O’Gorman and Gerard Gilmore came into the side to make their first starts of 2014.
It was Sligo who were first off the mark with Eolan McCarthy landing a free but there was an immediate response from Tyrone, with captain Damian Casey landing a long range free to equalise. Tyrone then went 0-2 to 0-1 in front through Centre Half Forward Conor Grogan with a fine score from play.
Eire Og man Grogan was on hand again shortly afterwards to put the Red Hands in front following a equalising score from Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch made it 0-2 each, the first score of his 1-3 total for the day.
A nip and tuck game ensued throughout the first half with both side matching each other score for score until the half hour mark. A double in this period for captain Casey and further points from Gerard Gilmore and Midfielder Mark Winters saw Tyrone enter the final 3 minutes of the half with a 0-7 to 0-6 advance before a goal crazy end to the half.
A long ball into the square from Casey was met in the air by the stick of Matthew Mulgrew who was able to flick the ball past the Sligo goalkeeper to the net for the first goal of the game to put Tyrone 1-7 to 0-6 in front.
From the resulting puck out, Sligo worked the ball forward and some slack concentration allowed Gerard O’Kelly-Lynch in to drive the ball home past John Devlin to leave it a 1 point game again.
As the end of the end of the half loomed, some very good approach play from Tyrone resulted with the ball in the hands of Ciaran McCrudden and the Eoghan Ruadh corner forward finished to the net with a superb strike to send Tyrone in 4 points up at the break 2-7 to 1-6.
Sligo were quickest out of the blocks at the start of the second half with the first 2 points, however these were quickly answered with replies from Casey and McCrudden,
Casey added a further 3 scores in a row before Sligo responded to leave it 2-12 to 1-9 and that was their final score of the game as Tyrone finished the stronger. Martin and Sean Og Grogan were introduced for their first starts of the year following their layoff from injury, as was Tiernan Morgan who missed the Leitrim game. All 3 played their part as 4 unanswered Tyrone points through Gilmore, McCrudden, Duibhir Marshall and Conor Grogan secured a 2-16 to 1-9 victory over the Yeats County.
This will not be the final time in 2014 that Tyrone and Sligo meet, with the redraw of the Nicky Rackard Cup, following the re-entry of Fingal into the competition, bringing the sides together in the first Round on Saturday 3rd of May with a home game for Tyrone. However, of more pressing concern will be the Allianz League Final against Leitrim which will take place on Saturday 5th of April, with the venue to be confirmed this week.
Tyrone : John Devlin (Eoghan Ruadh), Sean Kerr (Eire Og), Ruairi Devlin (Eoghan Ruadh), Mike O’Gorman (Naomh Colum Cille), Chris Cross (Naomh Colum Cille), Stephen Donnelly (Eoghan Ruadh), Aidan Kelly (Eire Og), Gary Fox (Eire Og), Mark Winters 0-1 (Eoghan Ruadh), Gerard Gilmore 0-2 (Shamrocks), Conor Grogan 0-3 (Eire Og), Matthew Mulgrew 1-0(Eoghan Ruadh), Ciaran McCrudden 1-2 (Eoghan Ruadh), Damian Casey 0-7 (Eoghan Ruadh), Duibhir Marshall 0-1 (Eoghan Ruadh) Subs: Martin Grogan (Eire Og) for Sean Kerr, Sean Og Grogan (Eire Og) for Matthew Mulgrew, Tiernan Morgan (Eoghan Ruadh) for Chris Cross​