Tyrone roll on after energetic show in the sun

ULSTER SFC Tyrone 2-14  Antrim 1-13: A VIVID championship Sunday in Casement Park. The sky was the colour it is supposed to be, the stands and terraces creaked, Tyrone gave a performance. Antrim drew some hope. All well with the world.

In truth it was a little more like a reprise of last year’s Ulster final than the locals will have wished for. Tyrone permitted Antrim to get close on the scoreboard especially during a narcoleptic second half but they always had enough self assurance and class to be able to dig themselves out. Antrim won’t look on yesterday as representing an upward incline on their learning curve.

Tyrone whom Mickey Harte reckoned deserved a mark of seven and a half out of 10 in the first half and six “ for effort” in the second looked like a side with plenty in the tank. When they wanted to score, which was regularly before the break they tore through and did just that. One of the sights of the first half was full back Justin McMahon rampaging the length of the pitch and taking a point from a chance which should have yielded a goal. They led by seven points at half time and were good value for that having taken all but a point of their 2-6 from play.

It was the Tyrone we have come to know and fear breaking quickly with players joining the attack at pace regardless of what position they were picked in. If the opportunity beckoned Tyrone latched onto it. Casement had barely settled down after the anthem when Tyrone announced that they would be playing their greatest hits. From the throw in a period of possession denied Antrim a touch for some 10 to 15 seconds before Stephen O’Neill drove a superb point over the bar. O’Neill was in superb form and one point in particular in the second half when he latched onto to a fine low driven pass from Owen Mulligan and slotted a point from the narrowest of angles told us all we need to know about his plans for the rest of the summer. Himself and Mulligan playing as a two-man full forward line just had too much wit and pace for Antrim and it was a slight surprise that Antrim didn’t pull a player back to sweep in front of them.

Antrim were catching a few breaks in midfield and their opponents were a little wasteful of the chances but Tyrone’s energy was as oppressive as the high sun.

The game effectively ended with Kevin Hughes’ goal after just nine minutes. Not for the last time Mulligan was the provider as Hughes came steaming through. He needed to think quickly having taken possession but his goal, though it only stretched the lead to three points, established authority.

Just on the half hour Mulligan cashed in a few chips for himself. Turning over possession from an Antrim back (which Liam Bradley later insisted was a foul) Mulligan tore toward the goal sold one of his patented dummys and buried it in the net.

It was redemption of sorts. Mulligan had just fluffed possession from a sweeping Tyrone move which had ended with a precise pass from Ryan McMenamin.

“I was trying to make up for dropping the first one,” he said mock ruefully afterwards.

The goal which Antrim needed in the second half might have come a little earlier to have been of real benefit. Bradley’s substitutions were working well and Antrim’s ratio of possession was picking up without a notable dent on the scoreboard. Twenty minutes into the half, however, the goal came. Kevin Niblock driving through from centre forward and finishing with a shot to the corner of the net which would have passed muster in the Bernabeu on Saturday.

Somewhat suprisingly Antrim were now only only four points behind Tyrone were unperturbed. Mulligan and O’Neill were still busting out the chances. Martin Penrose was enjoying a fine game and even when Paddy Cunningham managed to reduce the gap to a point from a free with nine minutes left there was never the sense of a sensation about to occur.

If Antrim had a win in them it was likely that CJ McGourty, a popular incoming sub on 25 minutes would have been instrumental. His points from play were the bright spots in a patchy performance but down the straight he found himself suffocated for space having to settle for points when Antrim needed a knock out blow.

So Tyrone roll on to a game against either Down or Donegal in the semi-final. Antrim hit the road for qualifying. Work to do in both corners but Mickey Harte wore the broader grin afterwards.

TYRONE:P McConnell; M Swift, Justin McMahon (0-1), D Carlin; D Harte, R McMenamin, P Jordan (0-1); K Hughes (1-1), C Cavanagh (0-1); B Dooher (0-1), S Cavanagh (0-3), Joe McMahon; M Penrose, S O'Neill (0-3), O Mulligan (1-0). Subs:Sean O'Neill for McMenamin (51 mins), P Harte for Dooher (51 mins), C McCarron, T McGuigan (0-1) for Hughes (68 mins), B McGuigan for Mulligan (70 mins).

ANTRIM:J Finucane; C Brady, A Douglas, K O'Boyle; T Scullion (0-1), J Crozier, S Kelly; A Gallagher, B Herron; T O'Neill, K Niblock (1-1), J Loughrey; P Cunningham (0-5), M McCann (0-1), T McCann (0-1). Subs:CJ McGourty (0-3) for Kelly (18 mins), K McGourty for Herron (41 mins), G O'Boyle for O'Neill (41 mins), K Brady for McCann (52 mins).

Referee:P McEnaney (Monaghan).