TYRED THEM OUT Hands come on strong after the break as Down’s challenge wilts in the heat
Sun really Sean on Hands come on strong after the break as winners at Clones Down’s challenge wilts in the heat
LEAVING Clones on a sunny day with a big shiny Cup under his arm is exactly how Sean Cavanagh wanted his last Ulster championship to end. The 34-year-old is in his 16th and final season wearing the Red Hands jersey and picked up a sixth Ulster winners medal yesterday – after lifting back-to-back titles as captain. “I could nearly count you through every minute of every game,” he smiled. “I’ve had an amazing career and to walk away on a sunny day like this in Clones is a memory I will take into retirement. “To stand here with my wife, my children and my brother (Colm) is really, really special. “This is what the GAA is all about, knowing that we are going to have these memories in the years to come.” As Cavanagh (above with daughter Eva) prepares to hand the baton on, he reckons the Tyrone squad has never been in better shape. He claimed: “I have seen the competition that is there and it is ridiculous. “I see guys who’d grace most county teams not making the 26. “When you have guys like Ronan O’neill coming on and scoring goals like that it is a nice place to be.”
TEAMS & SCORERS
TYRONE: N Morgan; A Mccrory, R Mcnamee, C Mccarron; T Mccann (0-1), P Hampsey (0-3), Peter Harte (0-2, 1f); C Cavanagh, C Mccann (0-1); D Mulgrew (0-1), N Sludden (0-1), K Mcgeary; M Bradley (0-2), S Cavanagh (0-2, 1f), M Donnelly (0-3). Subs: D Mcclure for Mcgeary (BC, 35+1), D Mccurry for S Cavanagh (50), R O’neill (2-0) for Bradley (54), C Meyler for Mulgrew (55), C Mcshane for C Mccann (59), L Brennan (0-1) for Sludden (66) DOWN: M Cunningham (0-1, f); N Mcparland, G Mcgovern, D O’hagan; D O’hanlon (0-4, 3f), C Mcgovern, C Mooney (0-3); K Mckernan, N Donnelly (0-1); P Turley, C Maginn (0-1), Shay Millar (0-1); J Johnston, C Harrison, R Johnston (0-2). Subs: J Murphy (0-1) for Mckernan (BC, 42), D Mckibbin (0-1) for Turley (47), D O’hare for J Johnston (50), M Poland for Millar (58), A Carr for Donnelly (59), S Dornan for Maginn (61) REFEREE: Joe Mcquillan (Cavan)
CHAMPION Sean Cavanagh holds aloft the Anglo Celt Cup