Tyrone edge out Donegal in Buncrana Cup

A clinically finished goal from Tyrone’s Liam Corry in the 60th minute sealed this well contested Buncrana Cup affair in brilliant sunshine on the splendid Killyclogher pitch.

Tyrone 3-12

Donegal 1-12

Corry finished a clever cross from Red Hand substitute Kevin Cuddy to the Donegal net and extinguishing all resistance from Barry Ward’s boys who were always chasing the game.

But it was two well executed Tyrone goals in the first half from Tommy Taggart and Kelvin Nelson that was the main difference between the sides-a bulwark that Donegal just could not break.

Taggart grabbed the first goal for the winners as early as the 7th minute when he palmed an Aidan Hegarty cross to the Donegal net to put the home side into a 1-2 to 0-0 lead.

That was a telling start, but Donegal’s best players Shane Callaghan responded well with some well struck frees.

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The Red Hands could have had another goal in the 14th minute only for a brilliant deflection from Donegal defender Conan Brannigan from a Malachy McNally piledriver.

By then Tyrone had eased into a 1-6 to 0-3 lead.

Callaghan and Luke Clerkin had pegged a few scores back before Tyrone struck again with deadly effect in the 22nd minute when their classy corner forward Kelvin Nelson finished a six man move to the net.

It looked bleak for the visitors as they trailed by 2-6 to 0-7 at the break.

Matters improved for them on the resumption as they began to win some clean possession around midfield.

And they were rewarded when a mix-up involving three Tyrone players left full-forward Thomas Roache clear on goals and he cooly slotted the ball low to the net.

Roache’s goal cut the Tyrone lead to two points as the home side now lead by 2-7 to 1-8.

That was as close as they got as the Red Hands always just seemed to find the extra gear when they needed it most.

Callaghan was a constant threat to the Tyrone defence while big Johnnie McBride also had his moments.

But Tyrone always just seemed to have that slight edge and were more composed although both sides had a number of enforced errors.

Tyrone seemed to be adopting a keep ball policy well before the end of the match and they had a few turnovers while Donegal kept battling as the margin constantly veered between two and three points.

Both sides also ran their bench and Tyrone’s looked to be the slightly stronger with Owen O’Neill grabbing a point and Cuddy setting up Corry for that final clinching goal.

A deserved victory for a powerful and well drilled Tyrone side but Donegal gave them a right old battle in a richly entertaining affair.

Tyrone scorers: Liam Corry 1-2; Kelvin Nelson 1-1; Aidan Hegarty 0-4f; Tommy Taggart 1-0; Malachy McNally 0-2; Brian Gallagher, James Corry, Owen O’Neill 0-1.

Donegal scorers: Shane Callaghan (5f) 0-6; Thomas Roache 1-1; Tiarnan Ward 0-2; Luke Clerkin, Johnnie McBRide, Danny Browne 0-1.

Tyrone: Sean O’Doherty; Cahair Logue, James Rafferty,Sean Broderick, Aidan Colton, Malachy McNally, Brian Gallagher, James Corry, Conor Morgan; Turlough Mullholland, Liam Corry, James McCann; Aidan Hegarty, Tommy Taggart, Kelvin Nelson. Subs.Owen O’Neill for Rafferty (38), Kevin Cuddy for Taggart (43), Callum Welsh for Nelson (50), Tegan Burns for Logue.

Donegal: Daniel McDaid; Donal Gallagher, Conan Brannigan, Aidan Friel; Luke Clerkin, Shane Ellison, Callum McCrea; Darragh Hennigan, Johnnie McBride; Martin Coyle, Shane Callaghan, Dylan Mulholland; Tiarnan Ward,Thomas Roache, Danny Browne. Subs; Oisin Scanlon for Hennigan (40), Philip Doherty for Coyle (44), Oisin Doherty for Roache (55).

Referee: Mickey Quinn (Tyrone)