Tyrone win 3-1 on penalties
A penalty shootout decided a gripping Eirgrid Ulster U20 Football Championship final as Tyrone goalkeeper Conor McAneney emerged as the hero by saving Derry's first three spot kicks.
The sides had been all square on 1-11 to 2-08 at the end of normal time, but a Ryan McNicholl goal helped the Oak Leafers to a four-point lead in extra-time.
However, the Red Hand displayed immense self-belief to get themselves back in contention as substitutes Ruairi McHugh, with a green flag, and Conor Owens, with the game’s tenth equaliser, dragged them level before they triumphed in the shootout.
In the first half, Niall O’Donnell broke the deadlock after a cagey opening, trading passes with Patrick McGurk to split the posts, and it was Derry who displayed all the flair and invention in the openings stages, Shea McCann’s weaving run capped by a tidy score.
Ronan Cassidy and Conor O’Neill kept the Red Hands close until their defence was sliced open for an 11th minute goal. Ruairi Forbes and Danny McDermott combined, and it was Johnny McGuckian who cut in from the right to send a low shot past Conor McAneney.
But Tyrone hit back with a goal inside a minute, Shea O’Hare finishing from close range after Joey Clarke’s shot was blocked.
Clarke denied the Oaks a second goal with a brilliant block on McGuckian, but they continued to press strongly with the wind in their backs, going back in front through O’Donnell.
But Tyrone knocked them back with another goal, midfielder Conor O’Neill driving at the opposition defence before slipping the ball inside for Ruairi McCullagh to smash home his shot off the underside of the crossbar.
However, they went in level at the break, Ronan Walls bringing Derry level at 1-06 to 2-03.
Danny McDermott had Dery back in front, but it swung back in Tyrone's favour as wing back Odhran Brolly pressed forward to pick off the lead score.
And a couple of Eoin McElholm gems had the Red Hands ahead by a point going into the final quarter.
But the probing runs of Johnny McGuckian and the energy of corner back Fionn McEldowney propelled Derry forward again, and substitute Rory McGill fired over the leveller.
After Oisin Doherty had converted his third free of the evening, McCullagh had the sides level for the ninth time.
Both sides had chances to win it, but the closing ten minutes failed to produce a score, and it ended deadlocked at 1-11 to 2-08.
Defensive heroics from Rory Small and Conleth McGrogan helped restrict Tyrone to a single point, and Derry gave themselves a massive boost at the end of the first spell of added time with a Ryan McNicholl goal to lead by 2-13 to 2-09 at the turnaround.
But substitute Ruairi McHugh punched home a third Tyrone goal two minutes after the restart to plunge a gripping contest right back into the balance, and a superb equaliser from Conor Owens set up the penalty finale.
Tyrone: C McAneney; J Clarke, B Hughes, Conor Devlin; S O’Hare (1-00), M Rafferty, O Brolly (0-01); R Fox, C O’Neill (0-01); Cormac Devlin, E McElholm (0-03), G Potter; R McCullagh (1-02, 0-1f), R Cassidy (0-03, 1f), C Daly.
Subs: F Nelis for Conor Devlin (21), R McHugh (1-00) for Brolly (42), P McCann for Fox (50), N Grimes for Cassidy (55), C Owens (0-01) for O’Neill (70)
Derry: C Armstrong; F McEldowney, D McDermott (0-1), R Small; C McGrogan (0-1), P McGurk, R Walls (0-01); R Forbes, C Heron; C Spiers, S McCann (0-02), J McGuckian (1-00); N O’Donnell (0-02), C Chambers, O Doherty (0-04, 3f).
Subs: R McNicholl for McCann (h-t), E Higgins for Spiers (36), R McGill for Chambers (44), D McPeake for Walls (55), T Rogers for Heron (73), F Donnelly for Rafferty (73)
Referee: D Boylan (Monaghan).
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