Mickey Harte gives youth its fling as Tyrone off to a flyer
Queen’s, after a promising start, had no answer to the cohesion and individual class of the Red Hands, who pushed a handful of experienced campaigners, including Sean Cavanagh, into action in the second half.
The students led by four points early on, Ryan Murray hitting three, but with newcomer Lee Brennan striking unerringly from frees, Tyrone were soon in control.
The Red Hands hit 1-5 in a blistering 10-minute spell, with Brennan landing a succession of frees, before Ronan O’Neill netted from close range in the 25th minute.
Clarke landed a long-range free, but another flourish saw Harte’s men hit four more before the break, two each from Brennan and O’Neill, to lead 1-10 to 0-6 at the interval.
The game was effectively ended by Tyrone’s second goal, fired in through a cluster of bodies by substitute Johnny Munroe on 48 minutes.
Peter Harte provided the pass for Connor McAliskey to rifle home a stoppage-time goal, after Hugh Pat McGeary and goalkeeper Niall Morgan, from a ’45, put the contest further beyond the students.
R O’Neill 1-5 (0-3f), J Munroe, C McAliskey 1-0 each, L Brennan 0-7 (6f), P Harte 0-2, HP McGeary, J McMahon, N Morgan (’45) 0-1 each.
R Murray 0-4 (3f), M Clarke (2f), M Monan 0-2 each, G McCabe, B Rogers, C Martin 0-1 each.
N Morgan, A McCrory, P Hampsey, HP McGeary, B Tierney, C Clarke, K McGeary, H Og Conlan, R Donnelly, C McShane, P Harte, N Sludden, M Bradley, R O’Neill, L Brennan.
J Munroe for Tierney, P McNulty for Sludden, S Cavanagh for Brennan, C McAliskey for McShane, J McMahon for Clarke
J Maguire, G McCabe, G McGovern, B Burns, N Delargey, B Rogers, S Heffron, C Cullen, A Doherty, R Corrigan, M Clarke, D McAleese, M Monan, D McKeever, R Murray.
C Lavelle for Doherty, C Martin for McKeever, C Hamill for Corrigan, N Brady for McAleese, S Mullan for Burns, P McKenna for Cullen.
S Laverty (Antrim).
