Storm Aidan blew hard across the country today and up at Healy Park in Omagh this afternoon the county’s hurlers were in storming form as well. They blew away Tyrone by 1-24 to 0-9 in Round 2A of the Rackard Cup, securing a home semi-final as a reward for their labours.

The match was streamed live from Healy Park by Tyrone GAA but I have to confess I had other priorities this afternoon while it was being contested so I was only able to follow the action on Twitter. From first to last, the score updates told a story of one-way traffic in favour of Derek Walsh’s side.

At half-time our lads were comfortably ahead, having built up a lead of 0-14 to 0-3 over the course of the opening 35 minutes. Would that lead be enough, I wondered as, in my ignorance, I assumed that we were playing with the gale at our backs in that half. Turns out we had the wind against us in the first half.

That, then, left the Red Hands with a veritable mountain to climb after the break but their hopes were quickly extinguished when Jason Coyne bagged the game’s only goal soon after play restarted. There was no way back for Tyrone now and we won by eighteen clear points at the finish.

With qualification for the penultimate round of the Rackard Cup now in the bag, the hurlers have next weekend off. Their semi-final will take place today fortnight and, as noted at the top, that’ll be a home game. Donegal, by the way, also qualified for the semi-final today and they’ll enjoy home advantage then as well.

Well done to the lads on their big win today.

Our respective opponents in those two semi-finals have yet to be decided as this involves two qualifier-type matches that will be contested next weekend. Should we make it through our semi-final on the 14th, the Rackard Cup final is down for the decision the Saturday after that.