Donegal eye Ulster U-20 Championship semi-final after impressing against Tyrone

Donegal were eight-point winners against Tyrone in the Ulster U-20 Championship in MacCumhaill Park tonight.

Victory, with goals from Mark McDevitt, Conor McCahill and Dylan Mullholland, ensures that Gary Boyle’s side finish top of Group A and secure their spot in the last four of the Ulster Championship. Four wins from four means eight points, with Tyrone progressing on four, while Derry are top of Group A with four points following their 3-21 to 1-10 win over Monaghan, while Cavan are second with three following a 3-16 to 1-19 success against Armagh. 

Cavan welcomes Derry in the final set of fixtures this Wednesday, with Monaghan, who have three points, at home to an Armagh side stuck on one.

Donegal, against Tyrone, began promisingly, racing into an early three-point advantage courtesy of scores from Seanan Carr, Shane Callaghan (free) and Conor McCahill.

Tyrone got themselves off the mark on eight minutes with full-forward Ruairi McCullagh pointing from a placed ball before the same man found the target again three minutes later to narrow the gap to one.

Shane Callaghan converted his second free of the evening but the visitors hit two quick-fire scores through Liam Og Mossey and Conor Devlin to leave us all aboard on the quarter hour mark.

Gary Boyle’s side fired back though with back-to-back points of their own. Seanan Carr struck over a free before Conor McCahill found the white flag with a superb effort.

Paul Devlin’s men soon closed the deficit to a point again when Noah Grimes created an opening before firing over the bar. However, Donegal found their groove in the closing stages of the opening stanza, adding 1-4 without reply.

On 24 minutes, Mark McDevitt spotted an opening in the Tyrone defence in front of him. The Naomh Conaill man drove through before slotting the ball low past Conor McAneney and the green flag was raised.

This goal was closely followed by scores from Kevin Muldoon (two-pointer), Seanan Carr and Conor McCahill to leave them with an eight-point cushion at the break, 1-10 to 0-5.

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Donegal continued their fine scoring run after the interval as they found their second green flag of the evening. Kevin Muldoon played the ball into the path of Conor McCahill who raced through and buried it into the roof of the net.

Despite this setback, the Red Hand county responded superbly. They notched the contest’s next five scores with Conor O’Neill (two-pointer), Caolan Donnelly, Darragh Donaghy and Noah Grimes all finding the target to leave just the two goals between the sides.

Seanan Carr slotted over Donegal’s first point of the half with a 41st minute free but this was soon cancelled out when Ruairi McCullagh converted a placed ball of his own.

The home side would soon add a further two with Shane Callaghan firing over a fantastic point from an acute angle before Mark McDevitt added a point to his first-half goal to stretch the lead to eight.

Tyrone refused to lie down, though and would hit back through Shey McDermott (two-pointer) and Conan Devlin.

However, scores from substitute Dylan Mulholland and the in-form Conor McCahill increased the cushion to seven entering the closing minutes.

The next two points were exchanged between Seanan Carr and Darragh Donaghy before Donegal found the back of the net for the third time to all but secure victory.

David Monaghan darted through the Tyrone defence and squared the ball to Dylan Mulholland at the back post and the Buncrana native palmed home. Tyrone’s Conor O’Neill slotted over a late two-pointed free but it was only a consolation as Barry McMenamin ended proceedings to mark a fine evening for Gary Boyle and his men.

Donegal scorers: Conor McCahill 1-4 (0-1f); Mark McDevitt 1-1; Dylan Mulholland 1-1; Seanan Carr 0-4 (0-2f); Shane Callaghan 0-4 (0-2f); Kevin Muldoon 0-2 (1tp)
Tyrone scorers: Conor O’Neill 0-4 (2tp); Ruairi McCullagh 0-3 (0-2f); Noah Grimes 0-2 (0-1f); Darragh Donaghy 0-2 (0-1f); Shey McDermott 0-2 (1tp); Conor Devlin 0-1; Conan Devlin 0-1; Liam Og Mossy 0-1; Caolan Donnelly 0-1.

Donegal: Padraig McBride; Aaron Neely, Niall Prenderville, Cathal O Gallchoir; Max Campbell, Callum McCrea, Conor McGinty; Sean Martin, Kevin Muldoon; Mark McDevitt, David Monaghan, Seanan Carr; Conor McCahill, Daithi Gildea, Shane Callaghan. Subs: Dylan Mulholland for Gildea (41), Fionn Coll for Callaghan (49), Alex Cunnea and Ruairi Callaghan for McCahill and McDevitt (61).
Tyrone: Conor McAneny; Shane McCaul, Ben Hughes, Conor Devlin; Callum Daly, Joey Clarke, Fiachra Nelis; Conan Devlin, Conor O’Neill; Conall Sheehy, Darragh Donaghy, Matthew Quinn; Noah Grimes, Ruairi McCullagh, Liam Og Mossey. Subs: Caolan Donnelly and Eoin Donaghy for Nelis and Sheehy (half-time), Shey McDermott for Darragh Donnelly (46), Michael McElhatton for Grimes (58).
Referee: Barry McMenamin (Cavan).