Tyrone U20s all set for their third successive Ulster final

By Niall Gartland

IT wasn’t looking good for Tyrone at half-time of last Wednesday’s Ulster U20 Championship semi-final, but they produced a remarkable second-half comeback against Donegal to seal their place in the Ulster final.

They came from six points down to record a 0-12 to 0-8 win and their resilience has been evident throughout their run.

Tyrone will take on Monaghan at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds this coming Wednesday evening and the prize on offer is a third Ulster title in as many years. Coach Connor O’Donnell says the players will give it everything they have on the big day.

“This group haven’t been as successful coming through up the ranks, but I can tell you what, they’re really hungry for success. It’s helter-skelter trying to get places on the team, and they’re really giving it their all.”

O’Donnell knows they will get nothing easy in Wednesday evening’s Ulster final showdown against Monaghan.

The Farney County upset the odds in style in their semi-final win against a fancied Armagh side last week with a 3-13 to 1-8 victory at the Athletic Grounds.

Young guns need time to grow: Boyle

Earlier in the campaign, Tyrone fell short against Armagh, so putting two-and-two together, the Red Hands will really need to produce a five star performance to get their hands on a third successive Ulster title.

O’Donnell said: “They definitely beat Armagh in style and we weren’t expecting that to be honest, Armagh are a really strong team in their own right.

“This Monaghan group are a really good side and they showed that at minor level. We’ve done well to get to another Ulster final but a big challenge is ahead of us and we have it all to do.”

While the wind was a big factor in Tyrone’s comeback win over Donegal in the semi-final, the management team recognised that their first-half performance wasn’t up to scratch, and they made the necessary adjustments.

“Our handling wasn’t what it should have been; we were going down blind alleys, giving away ball and they were able to control possession.

“That was a big focus for us – we knew that when we had the ball, we had to move it slickly, move it fast, and that would stop errors creeping in.

“We managed to do that in the second-half and that gave us a platform to go on and getscores, and ultimately win the game.”