For ten minutes or so this Ulster football final fizzed with life and uncertainty and the realisation that something unexpected might be happening. Unfortunately for Down and the neutrals in the attendance of 31,912 in Clones, it was only for ten minutes or so.
The period in question was the ten minutes immediately before half-time. Outclassed to a disquieting degree in the opening quarter, Down, the rank outsiders, had kicked three points in succession to reduce the leeway to the minimum, 0-6 to 0-5.
They were making a game of it, the place had come alive and in the last minute of the first half they had a glorious chance of taking an improbable lead after a shot by Darren O’Hagan came back off the upright and was latched onto by Jerome Johnston. The latter transferred the ball to Darragh O’Hanlon, who stormed through and bore down on goal. With only Niall Morgan to beat he simply had to slip the ball into the far corner of the Tyrone net. Instead he tried to lift the rigging out of it and in the process contrived to blaze his shot beyond the far post.
In stoppage time, Mattie Donnelly fisted a point for the winners to leave them two ahead at the interval when they might conceivably have gone in trailing.
Down had needed a goal from O’Hanlon. The game had needed one, even if a green flag would have served merely to deny the inevitable. As it happened, Tyrone, who came out a more focused and determined team, had the opening score of the new half within 16 seconds and were nine points ahead before Down finally found the target in the 52nd minute.
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The challengers’ problems were not over. Obliged to push forward in the closing quarter they inevitably left themselves open in defence. Ronan O’Neill punished them twice, first after 54 minutes when Donnelly tore straight through and laid off the ball for the substitute to drive in left-footed at the near post, and again in the 64th minute with a nicely judged lob that floated over the head of Michael Cunningham before dropping under the crossbar.
Having reached bonus territory by getting so far, Down will regret their slow build-up in the early stages. They were ponderous, their attacks frequently resulting in turnovers, and Tyrone were quick to hit them on the counter. Even if they didn’t sparkle, Tyrone had this won a long way out. They will advance to the All Ireland feeling optimistic — and they are entitled to.
Tyrone: N Morgan; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; T McCann, P Hampsey, P Harte; C Cavanagh, C McCann; D Mulgrew, N Sludden, K McGeary; M Bradley, S Cavanagh, M Donnelly. Substitutions: D McClure for McGeary, 38 mins; D McCurry for S Cavanagh, 49 mins; R O’Neill for Bradley, 53; C Meyler for Mulgrew, 55; C McShine for C McCann, 59; L Brennan for Sludden, 65.
Down: M Cunningham; N McParland, G McGovern, D O’Hagan; D O’Hanlon, C McGovern, C Mooney; K McKernan, N Donnelly; P Turley, C Maginn, S Millar; J Johnston, C Harrison, R Johnston. Substitutions: J Murphy for McKernan, 42 mins; D McKibbin for Turley, 46; D O’Hare for J Johnston, 49; M Poland for Millar, 55; A Carr for Donnelly, 59; S Dornan for Maginn, 60.
Referee: J McQuillan.