Tyrone claimed a 21st Ulster minor title at St.Tiernachs Park Clones yesterday afternoon thanks to a three point success over a battling Monaghan side.

The Red Hands always looked the better side throughout.

Tyrone manager Raymond Munroe was delighted with the victory: “We knew that Monaghan were going to put it up to us and that proved to be the case but the lads knuckled down and got the scores that mattered while at the back we closed their attack down well.

“I thought we played some good football at times during the game although we still have a bit of work to do before we face Roscommon in the All Ireland quarter final.”

Tyrone led 0-6 to 0-4 at the break but they will feel that they should have been further ahead as they missed a couple of goal chances.

On the restart Monaghan narrowed the deficit to the minimum with a score from substitute John Farrell but they were never able to draw level and by the three quarter mark Tyrone had opened up a five point cushion with Paddy McNeice, O’Neill, Coney and half back Ronan Tierney all on target.

Kieran Duffy and Kieran Hughes both had Monaghan points to reduce the deficit to two before Tyrone saw a last minute penalty saved only for Martin Rodgers to kick a late insurance point for the Red Hands.

tyrone: Tim Harney, Finbar McQuaid, Gavin Teague, Mickey Slane, Stephen McRory, Peter Harte, Ronan Tierney [0-1], Kyle Coney [0-3], Niall McKenna [0-1], Ciaran Gervin, Diarmuid McNulty, Matthew Donnelly, Sean Warnock [0-1], Paddy McNeice [0-2], Conor O’Neill [0-4]. Subs - Kevin Mossey for McRory, Ryan Pickering for Slane, Martin Rodgers [0-1] for Warnock

monaghan:Emmett McArdle, Mattie Reilly, Christopher Farrell, Sam Dooney, Declan Farrell [0-1], Pauric Boyle, Colin Walsh, Peter Dooney, Kieran Duffy [0-2], Dermott Malone [0-1], Kieran Hughes [0-3], Mark Connolly [0-2], Christopher McGuinness, Aaron McCarey, Christopher Deery. Subs - John Farrell [0-1] for Deery, Peter O’Hara for McGuinness.

Referee: John Joe Cleary (Derry)