TYRONE DOWN

FOR THOSE supporters at a packed Páirc Esler, this was the centre of the sporting universe, not the Champions League final, the Heineken Cup final or Niall Horan’s homecoming at Croke Park, even if One Direction were being blared out on a loop over the PA before the throw-in at the Newry venue.

James McCartan promised that Down’s home ground would be ‘rocking’ for this intriguing Ulster Championship first-round replay and he wasn’t wrong – at least until Tyrone burned Down off in a gritty, no-holds-barred encounter with a scoring burst after half-time.

Ciarán McGinley’s two goals were key to the result and it was his second straight after the restart that put Tyrone on their way. This time, they weren’t going to cough up a seven-point lead.

Down’s defensive set-up merely played into Tyrone’s hands in the first half of the drawn game at Omagh, inviting an attack-minded team to pummel them from the off, like a boxer content to lay back on the ropes and take the body shots.

And this replay followed much the same pattern early on, Tyrone hitting four early points and looking comfortable when McGinley goaled only for Down to stage a gutsy comeback.

The second half belonged to Tyrone, however, Peter Harte’s penalty on the three-quarter mark making the game safe.

Losing goalkeeper Niall Morgan to a black card in the drawn game was a key factor in their second-half col- lapse last week and his performance yesterday evening was central to Tyrone’s victory.

Two 45s and a 50-metre free were testament to Morgan’s dead-ball skills, while Mattie Donnelly was also superb in a much-improved defence with Justin McMahon another steadying presence.

Down almost had the perfect start, earning a penalty with less than 30 seconds on the clock.

Conor Maginn was fouled by Harte as he cut in along the endline and got too close to goal for the Tyrone defender’s comfort.

Up stepped centre-back Aidan Carr and went for power over precision. Goalkeeper Morgan waited to commit himself and stood up to block the shot that was thumped straight at him.

There was no lack of bite to the proceedings.

Colm Cavanagh and Maginn tus- sled off the ball early on, right in front of the respective benches, which nearly caused a flashpoint between the managements.

Ronan McNabb later blocked Donal O’Hare’s run off the ball but Cormac Reilly’s cards stayed in his pocket.

With Ronan O’Neill and Darren McCurry moving sweetly up front, Tyrone were 0-4 to 0-1 up after just 14 minutes, Morgan and wing-back Harte chipping in with scores.

And Tyrone looked well in control when they found the net 22 minutes in. Seán Cavanagh’s hopeful punt broke very kindly for McGinley, who made the most of it, showing good instincts to toe the ball past the advancing Down keeper Brendan McVeigh.

O’Hare then brought back memories of his costly miss from a closerange free near the end of the drawn game by missing again from inside 20m, this time from the right, at a time when Down so badly needed a score in response.

Two quick-fire points on the halfhour mark though gave the home side a badly-needed foothold again, just when Tyrone seemed poised to power away into the distance.

First Conor Laverty turned to fire his second point of the night before the industrious Maginn sliced through the middle to split the posts.

With their tails up, Dan Gordon then added a super looping point under pressure and O’Hare made it four in succession to leave his side trailing by just two, 1-6 to 0-7 at the break.

And then all that good work from Down was undone straight after the restart.

Mickey Harte threw on the cavalry in the shape of All-Ireland winners Stephen O’Neill and Conor Gormley and O’Neill played a part in the move that saw McGinley find the net for the second time on the night, rattling the ball past McVeigh after drifting in behind the Down cover.

Almost everything the Errigal Ciarán played touched to gold, the same player hitting a ridiculous point over his shoulder from a tight angle straight almost afterwards.

Morgan floated over a 45 as Tyrone looked to kill the game and, just like last Sunday, the Red Hands were seven points to the good and looking good.

Seán Cavanagh could and should have put the game out of reach, first bursting through the middle and going for goal only to see his shot bounce back off the crossbar. The same player missed a very scoreable free soon after as another collapse looked vaguely possible.

On came Benny Coulter in another attempt to inspire Down and once again he showed his class, spinning and hitting a point with his first touch. O’Hare added another before Tyrone’s third goal made the result safe.

It came from the penalty spot and the boot of Harte after Kevin McKernan was deemed to have pushed Ronan McNabb in the back as he looked to punch to an open net following good work by Niall McKenna.

Jerome Johnston had Down’s best chance but it summed up Down’s night when his shot hit the post and bounced out. Tyrone: N Morgan; R McNabb, Justin McMahon, R McNamee (C Gormley ht); A McCrory, Matt Donnelly (D McBride 68), P Harte; C Cavanagh, C Clarke; E McKenna (S O’Neill ht), C McGinley, S Cavanagh; D McCurry (M Penrose 64), K Coney (N McKenna 51), R O’Neill (C McAliskey 67). yellow cards: Matthew Donnelly 54 scorers: C McGinley 2-1, P Harte 1-1 (1-0 pen), N Morgan 0-3 (2 45, 1f), D McCurry 0-2f, M Donnelly, N McKenna, R O’Neill, C McAliskey 0-1 each down: B McVeigh; R Boyle; B McArdle, D McCartan (D Turley 64); C Garvey, A Carr (B Coulter 44), D Rooney; D Gordon, K McKernan; N Madine (R Johnston 47), M Poland, C Maginn; D O’Hare, J Johnston (A Rogers 60), C Laverty. yellow cards: B Coulter 56 scorers: D O’Hare 0-6 (4f), C Laverty 0-2, C Maginn, D Gordon, B Coulter, C Garvey 0-1 each. referee: C Reilly (Meath).