Donnelly salutes character of his side after semi-final win

Yahoo

22-05-2025

Tyrone are back in an Ulster Minor championship final after they got the better of Monaghan in an enthralling battle at Healy Park in Omagh on Saturday evening.
It was a thrill a minute spectacle between two well drilled teams with the Ulster Minor league winners making up for defeats at the same stage of the competition in the last two seasons.
It was the one stage of the competition that there was jeopardy as there was no second chance for the losers and Red Hands manager Gerard Donnelly admitted that it was a crucial victory for that point alone.
'That's important– Damian McErlain (Derry manager) said last year up in Owenbeg after they'd beaten us that this is the game you target– there's no doubt that we want to win the Ulster final but it's good to have that safety net,' admitted Gerard.
'That was a really good Monaghan team, they'd a brilliant win over Armagh in the quarter final and we knew it was going to be tough.
"It was a rollercoaster of emotions, we'd a great start, then next thing we knew, it was a draw at half-time.
"Halftime probably came at the right time for us as they were on top and it gave us an opportunity to press the reset button.'
Tyrone raced into a nine point lead by the end of the opening quarter but they were pegged back by the visitors who scored two goals to leave it level at halftime.
A third Monaghan goal had them in front for the first time in the 42nd minute but it was at that stage that Tyrone really demonstrated the character within this group of players.
They took the game by the scruff of the neck and this time around there was no way back for Monaghan.
'Monaghan got a grip on things again, and our lads dug deep and I've told them that I'm so proud of the last fifteen minutes, it was just awesome,' said Gerard.
'You have to remember these lads are 15-17 years of age, you can plan all you want but they are children and they had to find a way of winning that game thee today.
"We got nothing easy, and we fell short at this hurdle the last two years, so thank God we came through it.
"The effort was brilliant, we lost more ball than we'd have liked but you definitely can't fault the effort.
"At the end of the day our boys didn't want to lose against Monaghan, they showed how much they wanted this chance of an Ulster title.
"Yes there were mistakes and things we need to be doing better, but we're delighted to have won.'
Next up is the decider against Cavan at Brewster Park in Enniskillen this Sunday afternoon (5.15pm).
Tyrone may have already beaten them in the league semi final as well as the championship quarter final but Gerard knows that will count for little this time around.
'Cavan are a damn good team,' he said.
'They beat a fancied Donegal side so that shows what they are made of and there is no doubt that they will be a tough test for us but it's really important for our boys to have made an Ulster final so we're really looking forward to it.'