SF Qualifier: Red Hands rout Carlow

June 23, 2018

Carlow's Conor Lawlor tackles Tyrone's Conor Meyler.
©INPHO/Ken Sutton.

Tyrone eased past Carlow in the summer sunshine at Dr Cullen Park, 3-14 to 1-10.

Niall Sludden, Peter Harte and Richie Donnelly all netted in the second half for the victors, the Red Hands' 26th Qualifier victory seeing them safely into Monday morning's eagerly-anticipated Round Three draw.

Scores proved hard to come by in the opening period as both sides set up defensively but Mickey Harte's men lofted over five unanswered points in the ten-minute spell before the interval to lead by three at the short whistle, 0-8 to 1-2.

The game exploded to life in the 15th minute when full forward Danny O'Brien drilled a lot shot to the Tyrone net to give the hosts a 1-2 to 0-3 lead. Connor McAliskey (free) and Mattie Donnelly had the visitors back on terms by the 28th minute and the former turned to kick his team ahead on the half hour, 0-6 to 1-2.

McAliskey fisted his side's fourth straight point and Donnelly was on hand to stretch their lead to three a minute from the break.

McAliskey (free) extended the lead two minutes after the restart and Paul Broderick (free) replied with the Barrowsiders' first score in well over 20 minutes. McAliskey and Peter Harte extended the visitors' lead to five.

After Declan McClure hammered over a disputed score from midfield, Harte's super run left Sludden with an easy palmed finish to the Carlow net which effectively ended the match as a meaningful contest on 48 minutes, 1-12 to 1-3.

Sludden cancelled out the next Broderick free and there were consolation points from Broderick and Darragh Foley before Harte found the net from a 66th-minute penalty following a foul on Mattie Donnelly. Broderick and Richie Donnelly swapped injury-time points with the Red Hands long since assured of their place in the third round.

Four minutes into added time, full forward Donnelly blasted the ball to the roof of the Carlow net to lather some icing onto the cake.

Tyrone - N Morgan; P Hamspey, R McNamee, C McCarron; M McKernan, F Burns (0-1), P Harte (1-1, 1-0pen); C Cavanagh, D McClure; M Donnelly (0-3), N Sludden (1-1), C Meyler (0-1); C McShane, R Donnelly (1-2), C McAliskey (0-5, 3f). Subs: R O'Neill for N Sludden, K McGeary for C McAliskey, P McNulty for C McShane, R Brennan for M McKernan, C McCann for M Donnelly, A McCrory for C McCarron.

Carlow - R Molloy; C Crowley, S Redmond, Conor Lawlor; J Morrissey, D St Ledger, C Moran; S Murphy, E Ruth; S Gannon, D Foley (0-5, 2f), D Walshe; P Broderick (0-5, 4f), D O'Brien (1-0), J Murphy. Subs: M Rennick for D Walshe, B Kavanagh for C Moran, B J Molloy for C Crowley, Cian Lawlor for J Murphy, K Nolan for J Morrissey, L Walker for D O'Brien.

Referee - C Lane.


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