Tyrone claw Down back to earn draw

VITAL IMPACT: Callum Daly of Omagh CBS and Tyrone U20s. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach, Sportsfile

Tyrone 0-11 Down 1-8 

Defending champions Down are still without a win in the current Ulster U20 Championship campaign after Tyrone came from six points behind to earn a draw on Wednesday night.

Hogan Cup-winning captain Callum Daly came off the bench to grab a stoppage-time leveller for the Red Hands as they finally found a way to break down a packed defence.

Down dropped 15 men into their own half, repeatedly thwarting their opponents throughout the first half, and picking off scores on the breakaway.

Dara Mussen and Jamie Doran registered the only points of a low-scoring opening quarter, as the Mourne men led by 0-2 to 0-1, before Oisin Gormley finally got Tyrone off the mark in the 17th minute.

Doran was on target with his second long-range free, and with Ronan Kelly and Tom McCarroll leading the Down charge with their strong running, they continued to raid from deep.

With composure in possession, they crafted another score through Senan Carr, and despite losing full-back David Ruddy to a black card, grabbed a goal with another swift breakaway, finished on 26 minutes by Donal Scullion, to lead by 1-4 to 1-2 at the break.

The Red Hands closed the gap through Ronan Cassidy and Conor Owens (2), but remained vulnerable on the break, with Luke Quinn racing clear for another Down score.

But their six point lead had been trimmed back to two by the end of the third quarter, and Cormac Devlin made it a one-point game.

Doran kept the Mourne side in front, but late points from Conor Owens and Daly tied it up, but Tyrone will reflect on their wide count of 17, against Down’s sole miss.

At Castleblayney, Monaghan scored a 2-8 to 1-6 win over Antrim to get their challenge up and running.

Bobby McCaul drilled home a 16th minute goal to give the Farney lads the edge, with Tom Shivers keeping the Saffrons in touch, and it was the home side who led by 1-3 to 0-4 at the interval.

Johnny Hannon grabbed an Antrim goal to leave just two between the sides, but Kian Duffy’s stoppage time goal sealed the win for Monaghan.