Strong finish carries Tyrone through to another All-Ireland MFC final

Tyrone's Brian Óg McGuckin with Ryan Crawford of Kildare. Pic: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho

All-Ireland MFC semi-final: Tyrone 1-15 Kildare 1-12 

Champions Tyrone are through to another All-Ireland MFC final, holding on to edge out Kildare at Kingspan Breffni.

The Leinster title-holders’ brave effort fell short as the Ulster lads came strong in the final quarter to pick off the vital scores.

Conan Canavan’s first-half goal provided the cushion for the Markham Cup holders as they denied their opponents what would have been only a second appearance in the decider.

Matthew F Daly’s early two-pointer, followed by a Logan O’Connor point, had the holders moving well in the opening stages, but Kildare struck for a Jack Reilly goal in the eighth minute.

Centre back Jack Doran made a driving run through the middle to pick out the corner forward, who finished past Ronan O’Neill at the second attempt after his initial effort had been saved by the ‘keeper.

Aidan Tobin shot the Leinster champions two ahead, but Tyrone carried a goal threat, Logan O’Connor finding space to dart through and rifled a shot just wide.

And they did get the three-pointer they were pressing for through Conan Canavan in the 14th minute.

Charlie Meenan’s turnover was the key to prising open the Kildare defence, and it was Matthew F Daly who supplied the pass for Canavan to shoot low past Joe Crotty.

Kildare, with the Doran twins, Jack and Charlie, making forceful runs, got themselves back on the attack, but a rash of wides saw them go 12 minutes without a score before they hit a golden spell with four in the space of two minutes, two each from Reilly and Greg Kelly.

And they came close to grabbing a second goal, but O’Neill was quick to dash off his line to deny substitute Logan Tennyson.

They held a two-point lead as half-time approached, but 0-3 from Brian Og McGuckin, including a two-pointer, sent the Red Hands in with a 1-8 to 1-7 interval lead.

Tyrone turned it back in their favour with a Brian Og McGuckin two-pointer, before Matthew J Daly shot them ahead in stoppage time, 1-8 to 1-7 at the break.

A strong start to the second half saw them add scores through Matthew F Daly and McGuckin, but sharpshooter Jack Reilly fired over a brilliant two-pointer to equalise, before firing his side back in front, bringing his tally to 1-6.

As torrential rain battered Kingspan Breffni, Tyrone went level again through Aodhan Corry, and with Charlie Meenan and Tomas Gallen getting a foothold around the middle, went ahead with scores from Matthew F Daly and Matthew J Daly.

As the Kildare lads tired in the closing stages, Tyrone tightened their grip on the middle third, with Matthew F Daly still full of running and a constant threat, punching over his sixth point of the evening The Lilywhites did have a late goal chance, but Ruairi O’Neill blocked Eoghan Lyons’ effort, and the Red Hands survived.

Tyrone scorers: C Canavan 1-0, MF Daly 0-6 (1tp), B Og McGuckin 0-4 (1tp), M J Daly 0-2, A Corry, F Quinn, L O’Connor 0-1 each.

Kildare scorers: J Reilly 1-7 (1tp), G Kelly 0-2, A Tobin, E Lyons, L Tennyson 0-1 each.

Tyrone: Ronan O’Neill; T McCarron, J Maguire, A Farley; M J Daly, A Corry, C Fyffe; T Gallen, C Meenan; L O’Connor, B Og McGuckin, Ruairi O’Neill; C Canavan, MF Daly, V Gormley.

Subs: C Shevlin for Fyffe (h-t), C McKeown for Canavan (50), F Quinn for O’Connor (53), C McKee for McGuckin (58) Kildare: J Crotty; E Markey, R Crawford, L Mescal; F Lawlor, J Doran, L Shanahan; C Doran, P Ryan; A Bergin, A Tobin, E Lyons; J Reilly, G Kelly, C Keogh.

Subs: L Tennyson for Bergin (21), O McAfee for Crawford (36), R Cooke for J Doran (51), F Martin for Keogh (58).

Referee: C Ryan (Galway).