A late Conor Cush goal with minutes to go in extra time saw Gary Duffy’s Donegal Under-20s lose in the under-20 Ulster semi-final in Celtic Park in Derry.
Tyrone 3-16 Donegal 2-16
Tyrone raced into an early lead with Ruairi Canavan at the forefront of the scoring while Donegal were wasteful with chances in the first half as Tyrone led 0-8 to 0-4.
Tyrone continued to command until Bobby McGettigan robbed ‘keeper McMenamin after he caught a short point and McGettigan scored into the empty net.
Tyrone then got a goal through Gavin Porter but Donegal clawed it back to force extra-time at 2-10 to 1-13.
McGettigan scored another goal when a Tyrone defensive error allowed Johnny McGroddy to play him in and he smashed over McMenamin and into the net to tie the game for the first time since the start of the game.
Two Tyrone goals in extra time from Niall Devlin and Conor Cush gave Tyrone a 3-16 to 2-16 win in extra-time.
Michael McGleenon, Canavan and Lorcan McGarrity all took marks for Tyrone and Cavavan scored a brilliant point from play.
Johnny McGroddy got Donegal’s first point with a great strike from play and a well worked free found its way to Bobby McGettigan.
Ciaran Bogue got two scores in a couple minutes after both sides kicked wides while Keelan Dunleavy got a score in between.
Tyrone raced through and as Kieran Tobin tried to tackle Conor Cush, he was deemed to have fouled the Tyrone man and referee Anthony Marron gave the Donegal captain a black card and Canavan converted the free.
Eric Carr got a well needed Donegal score but they had a couple of wides from frees and Cush gave Tyrone an 0-8 to 0-4 lead at half-time.
Eoin Dowling converted the first score of the second half as Donegal tried to claw back the Tyrone advantage but James Donaghy got a score from play.
Tyrone were making it look easy and Ruairi McHugh got a score from out left and Canavan got another while Dunleavy had another great score for Donegal.
Donegal got a big lift when a point attempt dropped short into goalkeeper Stephen McMenamins hands but McGettigan was ready to pounced and dispossessed the Tyrone keeper and kicked into the empty net and despite Tyrone protests, Anthony Marron gave the goal.
Canavan scored another free to bring it back to a three point lead, 0-12 to 1-6.
Donegal would get level after a short goal kick by Tyrone was dropped and McGroddy found McGettigan who smashed the ball into the roof of the net with a quality goal.
Donegal were level for the first time in the game and had a chance to go ahead from a free but it was missed and Tyrone delivered what looked a sucker punch of a goal from the kick out as Bogue raced forward and found Gavin Potter and the substitute scored Tyrone’s goal.
Both sides had a goal chance straight away after at either end but McMenamin and Daithi Roberts both made important saves.
Captain Tobin and substitute Potter exchanged scores before a brilliant Dunleavy score made it a two point game with a minute of normal time remaining.
But Johnny McGroddy scored a great score to make it a one point game in one minute added of two and Carlos O’Reilly had a fantastic score to level.
With the game looking like going to extra time first Luke McGlynn had a shot drop short and Canavan had one last free to win the game but thankfully for Donegal he kicked wide as it finished 2-10 to 1-13 in normal time.
Donegal started strong in extra time and raced into a two point lead through McGroddy and Dunleavy but Tyrone again found themselves in the lead.
Tyrone found space where there wasn’t much space and Niall Devlin creeped through on the left and cut in and somehow got the ball into the net after a great move.
Canavan again pointed from two frees as Tyrone went into a three point lead in an explosive start to extra-time.
O’Reilly scored another great point from play as Donegal found themselves chasing the game again.
McGettigan was the man in front of the goal again to punch over from a point attempt to make it 2-15 to 2-14 at half-time.
After a good spell of Donegal possession was turned over Porter went straight up and pointed for Tyrone.
Tyrone defended well with Donegal needing a score and Eoin Dowlings free made it a one point game but with both teams needing to win the kick out, Tyrone won it and Conor Cush sealed the game with a late goal.
McGroddy scored a free to make it a goal between the sides but Donegal couldn’t unlock the Tyrone defence in the final minutes.
Tyrone won 3-16 to 2-16 and will face Cavan in the Ulster Final.
Donegal: Daithí Roberts; Kieran Tobin (0-1), Jack Gallagher, Ryan McShane, Caolan McColgan, Richard O’Rourke, Keelan Dunleavy (0-4); Eoin Dowling (0-2f), Donal McBride; Paul O’Hare, Johnny McGroddy (0-4,2f), Eric Carr (0-1), Bobby McGettigan (2-2), Jamie Grant, Luke McGlynn.
Subs: Carlos O’Reilly (0-2) for Carr (37 mins), Christopher Mulligan for McBride (52 mins) David Boyle for O’Hare (59 mins) Drew McKinney for McGlynn, Fionan Coyle for McColgan
Tyrone: Stephen McMenamin; Michael Rafferty, Brian Conway, Eoin Corry, James Donaghy (0-1), Steve Donaghy, Niall Devlin (1-0); Ruairi McHugh (0-1), Ciaran Daly; Conor Cush (1-1), Ciaran Bogue (0-2), Ruairi Canavan (0-7,4f), Seanie O’Donnell, Michael McGleenan (0-1), Lorcan McGarrity (0-1).
Subs: Gavin Porter (1-2) for McGarrity (47 mins)
