EirGrid Ulster U20 Football Championship Section A: Tyrone 0-11 Down 1-8
DEFENDING champions Down are still without a win in the current Ulster U20 Championship campaign after Tyrone came from six points behind to earn a draw at the Dub last night.
Hogan Cup winning captain Callum Daly came off the bench to grab a stoppage-time leveller for the Red Hands as they finally found a way to break down a packed defence.
Down dropped 15 men into their own half, repeatedly thwarting their opponents throughout the first half, and picking off scores on the breakaway.
Dara Mussen and Jamie Doran registered the only points of a low-scoring opening quarter, as the Mournemen led by 0-2 to 0-1, before Oisin Gormley finally got Tyrone off the mark in the 17th minute.
Doran was on target with his second long-range free, and with Ronan Kelly and Tom McCarroll leading the Down charge with their strong running, they continued to raid from deep.
With composure in possession, they crafted another score through Senan Carr, and despite losing full-back David Ruddy to a black card, grabbed a goal with another swift breakaway, finished on 26 minutes by Donal Scullion, to lead by 1-4 to 0-2 at the break.
The Red Hands closed the gap through Ronan Cassidy and Conor Owens (2), but remained vulnerable on the break, with Luke Quinn racing clear for another Down score.
But their six-point lead had been trimmed back to two by the end of the third quarter, and Cormac Devlin made it a one-point game.
Doran kept the Mourne side in front, but late points from Conor Owens and Daly tied it up, though Tyrone will reflect on their wides count of 17, against Down’s sole miss.
Elsewhere in Section A on Wednesday night, Monaghan beat Antrim 2-8 to 1-6 in Castleblayney – though they were made to work for it.
Coming in off the back of 33-point hiding at the hands of Tyrone in their opening game, the Saffrons displayed no lack of confidence as they went toe-to-toe with the Farneymen early on.
A 16th minute goal from Bobby McCaul put Monaghan in the ascendancy, 1-2 to 0-1, but three scores in-a-row brought Niall Jackman’s men right back into contention as half-time loomed.
Three Stephen Mooney frees after the break pushed out Monaghan’s lead as the Saffron challenge started to run aground.
An added time goal from Antrim Jonny Hannon sent nerves around Castleblayney, until Kian Duffy’s goal a minute later nipped any potential resurgence in the bud.
Paul Curran’s Farney face Down in Newry next on Wednesday, March 27 while Antrim come up against the Mournemen on Wednesday, April 3.
