Tyrone          1-11

Donegal        0-9

 Alan Foley reports from St Tiernach’s Park, Clones

FIVE POINTS IN succession at the start of the second-half, with Ethan Jordan on form, helped Tyrone to victory over Donegal in this afternoon’s Ulster U-20 final at Clones.

Jordan scored four points from play in all and a 48^th minute goal from Darragh Canavan – son of two-time All-Ireland winner Peter – proved enough for the side managed by Paul Devlin to set up an All-Ireland semi-final against Leinster champions Dublin at Croke Park on St Patrick’s Day.

Donegal will rue the black card picked up by Oisin Walsh for hauling Canavan down three minutes into the second-half when they were 0-5 in 0-4 ahead. By the time the corner-back returned, his team were 0-9 to 0-5 in arrears.

Against the breeze, Shaun Paul Barrett’s Donegal would’ve been reasonably content with their first-half showing, as they trailed by a single point at 0-4 to 0-3 down. 

Padraig McGettigan and Aaron Doherty were the early Donegal point-scorers, while Tyrone had that slender lead with Kevin Barker, Joe Oguz and Jordan raising white flags.

The Red Hands went two in front with a long-ranger from Tiarnán Quinn, although Donegal kept in touch thanks to sweeper Paul O’Hare popping over having been the recipient of a short 45 by Doherty.

The only goal chance that was created in the opening half hour came on 19 minutes when Ethan Jordan drew a save down low from Donegal goalkeeper Ronan McGeehin.

Donegal opened the second half with scores from Doherty and Keelan McGroddy to move 0-5 to 0-4 ahead, but that merely acted as the springboard for Tyrone.

Tiarnán Quinn’s free and one from play was added to thanks to a brace from Jordan, with Donegal down to 14 following Walsh’s black card.

Doherty was denied a goal by a top-class save from Lorcan Quinn on 39 minutes following a Ronan Frain break. The Tyrone goalkeeper managed to push the effort, which was bound for the top corner, onto to crossbar. 

Moments later, with things on fire now, Tiarnán Quinn struck the Donegal post with McGeehin beaten, only for Jordan to fire over Tyrone’s fifth on the bounce for a 0-9 to 0-5 lead.

A Tyrone goal 12 minutes from time made for a 1-10 to 0-6 lead, when Canavan slotted home from a rebound after McGeehin had saved brilliantly from Jordan. 

Liam Gray’s point proved to be the cheery to top of the icing on the cake, as Donegal’s Luke Gavigan was given an injury time red card for striking following the sin-binning of Conor McHugh meaning they finished with just 13 men. Whatever about the closing stages, Tyrone’s third quarter had built the foundation for victory.

 Scorers for Tyrone:

Ethan Jordan (0-4), Darragh Canavan (1-0), Tiarnán Quinn (0-3, 1f), Joe Oguz (0-2), Kevin Barker (0-1)

Scorers for Donegal:

Aaron Doherty (0-3, 1f), Padraig McGettigan (0-2, 1f) Paul O’Hare, Luke Gavigan, Keelan McGroddy (0-1 each), Johnny McGroddy (0-1f)

Tyrone: 

Lorcan Quinn

Cormac Quinn
Cormac Munroe
Matthew McCusker

Neil Kilpatrick
Antoin Fox
James McCann

Kevin Barker
Joe Oguz

Tomás Donaghy
Darragh Canavan
Michael Gallagher

Ethan Jordan
Matthew Murnaghan
Tiarnán Quinn

Subs:

Ryan Jones for Donaghy (half-time)
Simon Garrity for Gallagher (51)
Liam Gray for Oguz (55)
Caolan Slevin for Jordan (60+2)
Eunan Devlin for Kilpatrick (60+2). 

Donegal: 

Ronan McGeehin

Oisin Walsh
Conor O’Donnell
Paul O’Hare

Cormac Finn
Luke Gavigan
Peter McEniff

Rory O’Donnell
Richard O’Rourke

Ronan Frain
Aaron Doherty
Keelan McGroddy

Matthew Duffy
Padraig McGettigan
Ethan Harkin

Subs:
Conor McHugh for O’Hare (37)
Johnny McGroddy for Harkin (41)
Eric Carr for Frain (45)
Lanty Molloy for O’Rourke (53)
Ryan Broagn for Walsh (55).

Referee: Darren O’Hare (Down)