Tyrone and Donegal is becoming something more than a rivalry in Ulster GAA.
There is an ocean of bad blood between the two sides, who thanks to wonderful underage work, are clashing more and more often in minor and Under-21 competitions, not to mind senior action.
But the thin line between respect and something darker appears to have been almost totally erased after last night’s U21 semi-final threatened to kick off in a major way.
LIVE on #Periscope: Eir Grid Ulster U21 Football Championship (2nd half,32 min) Tyrone 1-14 Donegal 2-8 #EirGrid… https://t.co/pOMOvc22Uw
— DOCSPORT (@DOCSPORT3) March 30, 2016
Tyrone staged a remarkable second half comeback against the Tir Chonaill men to secure a place in yet another Ulster final, despite trailing 0-6 to 0-4 at the break.
Donegal ended the game with 13 men, but the skirmish at the final whistles indicated that tensions were running high between both camps.
Donegal lost to Tyrone in last year’s Ulster U21 final by a point, and their seniors also enjoyed a testy encounter in Ballybofey, but it is comments made at minor level last summer that seem to have added extra spice to last night’s encounter.
Last summer the Donegal minor management, headed by Declan Bonner, alleged that one of their players had been verbally abused by a Tyrone footballer in their Ulster provincial clash following the death of his father from cancer.
Ulster GAA investigated, and the issue was understood to have been settled between both parties, but the matter has clearly left many in Tyrone GAA still unhappy.
Last night an angry and emotional Tyrone U21 boss Feargal Logan, who spoke to teamtalkmag explained why the win over Donegal was so significant for his side, and more than just a semi-final success to celebrate.
“It was a great game of football again with these guys again, pity about the messing at the end.
“It was probably more than a game of football that match to me for a significant reason, dating back to the way that some Donegal officials dealt with some stuff last summer.
“It was more than game of football to me and I’m just delighted to win it.
Of course several of the Donegal and Tyrone players from last year’s Ulster Minor Championship have now graduated to U21 level, with Bonner, last year’s minor boss, now the Donegal U21 coach.
Logan told reporters that he was delighted how his side held their heads, and their discipline during the 60 minutes.
“We work hard at discipline, we coach it no talking or anything and it held tonight. I don’t know if excuses will come forward but we weren’t planning on making any excuses, we were going to empty everything on the field tonight.”
