Tyrone break clear with early second-half flurry as Antrim challenge fades

ULSTER MFC FIRST ROUND: Tyrone 1-13 Antrim1- 8: AFTER AN explosive start at sun-baked Casement Park yesterday, Tyrone fought off the brave challenge of Antrim. Just seven minutes into the action referee Gavin Corrigan flashed a red card at Antrim full back Martin Johnston and Tyrone winger Conan Grogan for an off-the-ball incident. Despite that setback both teams played flowing football.

Tyrone’s Ronan O’Neill opened the scoring with a pointed freebut it was level at two points each after five minutes and level again at four apiece when Gerard Slane screwed over a great Antrim point in the 18th minute.

As the action went into injury- time Antrim got a major boost with a cute goal by Anton Taylor as he nipped in at the post to steer a dropping ball from substitute Declan Lynch into the net to leave the Saffrons 1-5 to 0-7 ahead at half-time.

That was as good as it got for Antrim as Tyrone rifled over five unanswered points in 10 minutes after the restart and when midfielder Hugh Óg Conlon fisted a dropping ball from John McCullagh into the home net it was really game over.

ANTRIM:K Alsop; D Straney, M Johnston, D McCann; C Boyd (0-1), C McGuinness, F O'Neill; S Tully (0-2, two frees), J Carron; G McSlane (0-1), F Johnston, C Gallagher; S O'Connor (0-1), S Hasson, A Taylor (1-1). Subs:D Lynch (0-1) for O'Connor (27 mins), A McKeown (0-1) for Hasson (47 mins), P McBride for McCann (54 mins), P Bradley for Taylor (56 mins).

TYRONE:M McReynolds; S McGarrity, C Clarke, HP McGeary; N Sludden, M Donaghy, E Deeney; H Óg Conlon (1-1), P McNulty (0-1); D Donnelly (0-1), T Canavan (0-2, one free), R Devlin (0-3); C Grugan, J McCullagh (0-3), R O'Neill (0-2, one free). Subs:A McGahan for Donnelly (32 mins), C McCullugh for McGeary (58 mins), D McCurry for J McCullugh (60 mins).

Referee:G Corrigan (Down).