Tyrone Minors reach Ulster Final

The county minors took to the field on Sunday in the NWP Recycling championship fixture in Garvaghey knowing a win would book a place in the final. It was a much changed starting line-up than last weeks team that saw the red hands dominate Monaghan in the same competition.
Donegal won the toss and decided to have a very substantial wind in their favour in the first half. It was bitterly cold and the players were trying to deal with the conditions as best they could. Donegal had a lot of the early possession and were using the wind to their advantage with their midfield peppering the Tyrone forwards. Donegal’s Niamh Doherty took full use of their possession and added the first goal of the game on the five minute mark. It was shortly after that they extended their lead with a well taken point from Maria Coyle. The visitors continued to press however Laura Mason in defence was at her best for Tyrone as she looked so comfortable on the ball.
Tyrones first passage of play inside the Donegal half on the twelve minute mark however that only resulted in a wide. Aisling McLaughlin was introduced with fifteen minutes on the clock. Tyrone then managed to apply pressure of their own but a series of four consecutive wides followed. Donegal pushed hard on the Tyrone goals but it was Mason again who stood firm in defence. Maeve Maxwell in the goals was impressive and stopped a few goal bound chances. Kyra Donnelly and Rona Mallon did most of the pressing for Tyrone as the half progressed but the Red hands failed to score as the half time whistle blew. Tyrone 0-0 Donegal 1-1.
Tyrone made more personnel changes at the start of the second half and with the wind advantage it paid immediate dividends. Niamh Forker, Rosin McErlean and Catherine Muldoon all scored a goal apiece within the first four minutes. Casey Gallagher added a point and almost immediately McErlean took her first point. The game had turned on its head in just five minutes of the second half. Donegal added a goal but Muldoon for Tyrone took one of her own from close range. Aoife Morgan then launched a ball from the half way line on fifteen minutes that sailed straight into the back of the net to extend Tyrones lead. It was from the resulting puck that McErlean lost her marker and from a very tight angle added a point to her tally. Donegal were awarded a free and the sliotar landed perfectly for Leanne for Kelly who scored their third and final goal of the game for the visitors. It was Muldoon, Tyrones prolific scorer, who in the dying embers of the game added the final goal to end Donegal’s hopes of an Ulster Title.
Full Time Tyrone 6-3 Donegal 3-1. Tyrone have now booked a place in the Ulster shield final. The team has an All Ireland championship final next Sunday against Monaghan to look forward to before the Ulster Final. Time and venue for next weeks championship final has yet to be confirmed.
Tyrone Scorers C Muldoon 3-0 R McErlean 1-2 N Forker 1-0 A Morgan 1-0 C Gallagher 0-1