Tyrone’s Damien Casey sends over one of the 12 points he scored in his team’s draw with Antrim in the Bank of Ireland Conor McGurk Cup at QUB. Pic by John McIlwaine
Antrim 0-14-0-14 Tyrone
By Kevin Herron from the Dub
A fringe Antrim side managed to salvage a draw with Tyrone and in the process qualify for the McGurk Cup final next Saturday after a 0-14-0-14 draw with Tyrone at the Dub this afternoon.
The game was largely a free-taking contest between Damien Casey of Tyrone and Deaglan Murphy of Antrim and despite trailing for almost the entire seventy minute encounter – Murphy would grab his side an arguably undeserved share of the spoils.
From the throw-in Tyrone earned themselves a free from the 65’ and Casey duly stroked the ball over the black spot.
The next score didn’t arrive until the 14th minute and between Casey’s score and Deaglan Murphy’s leveller, both sides shooting was slightly askew.
Casey was amongst the guilty party as he sent numerous frees wide and watched on as his 11th minute goal shot was repelled by Chris O’Connell in the Antrim goal.
Just before the midway point in the first-half Nicky McKeague combined with Deaglan Murphy whose shot snuck inside the large posts for the leveller.
Casey restored Tyrone’s lead with a 16th minute free and the red hands stretched to lead to four with a further three unanswered points.
A third point of the afternoon on the turn from Casey made 0-03-0-01 before Aidan Kelly linked-up with Tiarnan Morgan for a third successive score.
By the 23rd minute Tyrone lead 0-05-0-01 thanks to another free from Casey, a minute before Deaglan Murphy picked out Darragh McGuinness for a goal chance that was well-blocked by Tyrone goalkeeper John Devlin.
Antrim’s second score of the half arrived after 26 minutes courtesy of a Deaglan Murphy free, but Casey converted his fourth free of the afternoon within sixty seconds.
Antrim upped the ante before the break and cut the deficit to a bare minimum, on the half hour mark Deaglan Murphy converted a free and within a minute McKeague picked out Murphy for a second in quick succession. Murphy conjured up a third point on the spin after a sublime pass found McKeague – the Dunloy native returned the favour and Murphy fired over to make it 0-05-0-06.
Casey looked to have given Tyrone a two-point lead at the break after evading traffic and firing over the bar, however Nicky McKeague responded to leave the Saffrons trailing 0-06-0-07 at the interval.
Antrim were quickest out the traps after the restart and McKeague hit his second point of the afternoon to drag his side level for the first time since the 16th minute.
Tyrone regained the lead on 42 minutes though and it was ace marksman Casey who converted his fifth free of the afternoon to bring his overall tally to 0-07 and his sides to 0-08.
Casey doubled his sides lead twice within a four minute spell – converting a 65’ and a free in between a third consecutive point from Nicky McKeague as the red hands were 0-08-0-10 ahead with twenty minutes remaining.
Aidan Kelly stretched Tyrone’s lead to three points a minute later and became his sides’ third scorer of the contest.
Antrim narrowed the deficit to two-points with a Eoin O’Neill shot that dipped over the crossbar but back to back Casey points; one from a free and another from play gave Tyrone a 0-09-0-13 lead with ten minutes to play.
The Saffrons were in grave danger of falling to defeat until Deaglan Murphy rose to the occasion, Antrim’s go to man converted back to back frees to half the deficit, a third successive score followed through Daniel McCloskey before Murphy converted a third free within six-minutes to level the contest at 0-13-0-13.
Damien Casey edged Tyrone ahead with two minutes to go through his ninth free of the afternoon but on the stroke of full-time Murphy levelled the game and saved Antrim’s blushes with his ninth point of the afternoon as the game finished 0-14 apiece. The Saffrons will play Down in next Saturday’s final at the Dub at 7pm.
Antrim: C O’Connell, R McNulty, N McAuley, C Carson, C Johnston, M Donnelly, E Smyth, E McQuillan, D McGuinness, S Duffin, N McKeague (0-03), C Sheerin, D Murphy (0-09, 0-06f), E O’Neill (0-01), D McCloskey (0-01).
Tyrone: J Devlin, D Begley, B Begley, T Morgan (0-01), L Devlin, S Donnelly, C Cairns, C Cross, R McKernan, D Casey (0-12, 0-09f), P O’Kelly, D McCrudden, B McGurk, A Kelly (0-01), L Armstrong.
Referee: Tarlach Conway (Derry)
Left – The Antrim management team of Dominic McKinley, Gary O’Kane, Terence McNaughton and Neill Peden. Right – Tyrone manager Mattie Lennon
Deaghlan Murphy whose accuracy from frees helped Antrim to earn a draw against Tyrone