Full Time
First time I’ve ever seen a 45 taken backwards by Brian Mcguigan, but the ball eventually makes it’s way to the Martin Penrose who taps over his fifth point of the game.
Brian Dooher goes off for Tyrone with only a minute to go. Excellent stuff from the 35 year old who landed two trademark beauts from play.
Down should really have had a goal there. Benny Coulter passed it to Daniel Hughes when he really should have taken it on himself. Hughes’ shot is saved and the rebound comes to Paul McComiskey, who somehow blazes it wide from close range. Let off for Tyrone.
Finally a bit of inspiration from Down as Marty Clarke nails a score from long range. Only five minutes for Down to claw their way back into it.
Martin Penrose fires over the first score for a long time to put Tyrone 4 in front. Tyrone look comfortable at this stage.
Tommy McGuigan on for Peter Harte for Tyrone.
After a super first half where the score was 0-10 – 0-8, with ten minutes left in the second half, it’s 0-2 – 0-1. Big transformation.
Since missing an easy one at the end of the first half, Marty Clarke’s free-taking has deserted him completely. He’s not got any and missed three since.
Peter Fitzpatrick comes on for Kalum King for Down. Inevitable really, Down struggling around the centre and King was on a yellow card.
Benny Coulter attempts to rise Down by going on a bit of a solo run, but he is easily disposessed by the deep-lying Martin Penrose.
Tyrone missing numerous chances to rub in their supremacy and may live to regret them.
Darren O’Hagan on for Conor Garvey for Down, who badly need a score.
Stupid yellow card for Colm Cavanagh who threw his toys out of the pram after being fouled by Kalum King. He had won the free, yet fired the ball away and shoved King to the ground afterwards, earning a yellow card and losing his free in the process.
The referee has been a lot more lenient this half than he was in the first, no soft frees being given whatsoever.
Martin Penrose, Brian Dooher and Joe McMahon all playing well behind the halfway line making it very difficult for Down to break through. The second half not nearly as open as the first 35 minutes.
Owen Mulligan gets his first score of the game after being set up by Sean Cavanagh. Trademark dummy from Mulligan, who started his shot off well wide of the target but the wind drew it back in beautifully. Tyrone 3 points to the good and looking strong.
Colm Cavanagh with his first point of the game for Tyrone, fisting it over the bar from close range. He could have gone for a goal but took the sensible option, the angle was very narrow.
Sean O’Neill in for Tyrone instead of Martin Swift.
Benny Coulter has been surprisingly quiet for Down so far. He’s in at full foward now and Down would be wise to start using him more.
Paul McComiskey, on at half time for Down, knocks over a free for the first point of the second half.
Back underway in Casement Park.
Anthony Tohill and Tommy Lyons very impressed by the game in the studio but paid a lot of attention to some cynical fouling by both sides. There could well be a red card yet because there’s been quite a few yellows so far.
That half absolutely flew by. No sign of the blanket defence or the ‘puke football’ so often associated with Ulster. Great start by Down but Tyrone took over for the last fifteen minutes. Down have the breeze for the second half though so it’s all to play for. Excellent game so far at Casement Park.
Half Time
Second free missed in quick succession for Down. Mark Poland the guilty party on this occasion, doing the unforgiveable in Gaelic Football, dropping it into the keeper’s hands.
Corner back Dermot Carlin gets a score after receving a pass from wing back Peter Harte. Most Tyrone players are extremely versatile and these two are no different.
After a slow start, Tyrone have dominated the last ten minutes or so. Sean Cavanagh with another free to put the Red Handers in front for the first time.
Martin Penrose with another free to level the scores five minutes before the break.
Marty Clarke misses an easy free for Down close in to put Down 2 in front. Not like Clarke who is usually unerring from frees.
Owen Mulligan and Martin Penrose haven’t had a sniff for Tyrone so far. Most of their scores coming from distance and they haven’t really used the inside forward line yet.
Immediately followed up for Tyrone with an equally brilliant score from Sean Cavanagh, who uses the breeze to fire over a monster from outside the 50. Tyrone trail by one.
Joe McMahon with a beautiful score for Tyrone down the right. He evaded about three challenges right on the sideline and floated a beauty over from way out. Super score.
Another free for Martin Penrose, Tyrone reduce the gap back to three.
Very un-Ulster like, both defences are wide open through the middle, particularly Tyrone’s. Ambrose Rogers and Mark Poland have had great joy ploughing through the middle on more than one occasion.
Benny Coulter has a couple of attempts at a goal after Mark Poland set him up. Pascal McConnell was equal to his efforts but Coulter managed to scoop it back to Daniel Hughes who fired it over the bar.
Sean Cavanagh uses the breeze well to draw the ball back in from his free kick. Sean’s first point of the day and Tyrone’s fourth. 0-7 – 0-4 to Down.
Instant response from Down. Ambrose Rogers bursts through from midfield for his second score of the game after good build up play from Darren Rooney and Benny Coulter.
Tyrone haven’t functioned so far but Brian Dooher has started extremely well. He adds his second point of the day from distance to reduce the lead to 3.
Bad blow for Tyrone early on as Stephen O’Neill has to go off with what looks like an ankle injury. Brian McGuigan comes on to replace him. Not a bad replacement to have at all.
And straight away he has another one. Excellent start from the Mourne men.
Marty Clarke with his first point of the day from a free after a foul on Dan Gordon. Down 3 points to the good.
Benny Coulter already showing signs of promise, selling a lovely solo dummy to fool Justin McMahon and seeing his effort for a point coming back off the upright. Unlucky.
Mark poland with another pointed free for Down. The free was only from 30 yards but Poland had to give everything he got to force it over the bar which gives you an idea of how strong the breeze is.
Within a minute, Brian Dooher responds with a lovely floated score from out the right. Fine open start to the game.
Dan Gordon knocks over a third point for Down, a huge one from distance against the breeze. Fine score and a great start from Down.
Down playing into a strong breeze in the first half and they won the toss, so they obviously have a strategy in mind…
Sean Cavanagh brought down in front of the posts and Martin Penrose taps over an easy free for Tyrone. 0-2 – 0-1.
The returning Ambrose Rogers doesn’t take long to make his mark and slots over a second point for Down.
Down off the mark after only a minute, a fine point by centre half forward Mark Poland from a difficult angle on the right.
Amhrán na Bhfiann completed. We’re ready to go in Casement Park.
Tyrone seen as an ageing team in decline but there’s not a lot wrong with the line-up they have out today. The spine of the team, Joe McMahon, Conor Gormley, Sean Cavanagh and Stephen O’Neill looks particularly strong.
Ambrose Rogers back in for Down at midfield which means that big Dan Gordon will shift to the edge of the square. Another headache for the Tyrone defence who already have Benny Coulter, Martin Clarke and Daniel Hughes to deal with.
Teams:
Down: B McVeigh; D Rooney, B McArdle, D Rafferty; K McKernan, J Colgan, C Garvey; A Rogers, K King; D Hughes, M Poland, B Coulter; C Maginn, D Gordon, M Clarke.
Tyrone: P McConnell; M Swift, Justin McMahon, D Carlin; P Harte, C Gormley, P Jordan; C Cavanagh, K Hughes; B Dooher, S Cavanagh, Joe McMahon; M Penrose, S O’Neill, O Mulligan.
Evening all and welcome to JOE’s live coverage of the Ulster semi-final clash between Tyrone and Down. Tyrone seen by many as a team in decline while, excuse the oft-used contradiciton, Down are seen as a team on the up. Should be a fine battle at Casement Park and throw in is just over ten minutes away.
