Tyrone 1-15
Mayo 1-11
Francis Mooney reports from O’Neills Healy Park
DARREN McCURRY AND Darragh Canavan combined in a deadly attacking double act as Tyrone turned on the power to shoot down Mayo at O’Neills Healy Park.
McCurry didn’t join the action until after the interval, but the Red Hand super-sub hit top form straight away, hitting eight points as the home side came from behind, after Canavan’s superb goal has sparked the spectacular revival.
Mayo, thanks to a Cillian O’Connor penalty, had led by three at the turnaround, but they couldn’t live with an energised home side after the restart.
O’Connor came in as one of four pre-match changes, and made a massive impact with his class and finishing power up front, hitting 1-2 in the first half to help his side establish control of the contest.
Despite the loss of top scorer Ryan O’Donoghue, and the departure of injured Diarmuid O’Connor after just five minutes, the westerners got on top following a slow-paced opening quarter.
O’Connor edged his side ahead with a couple of frees and Stephen Coen bombing forward to add an inspirational score.
With Stephen Coen, Enda Hession and Rory Brickenden powering ahead at every opportunity, Mayo slowly found their running game, and the contribution of Jordan Flynn was immense as he tracked back to make a couple of important turnovers.
Two Peter Harte placed balls brought the Red Hands level, but the Connacht men struck a major blow with a 23rd minute goal.
Mattie Ruane threaded a pass to Hession in front of goal, and Cormac Quinn’s rash tackle on the Garrymore man earned him a black card.
A double blow for the home side saw Brendan Cawley award a penalty, which O’Connor crashed to the top right corner of Niall Morgan’s net.
Tyrone struggled to break down the visitors’ defence, and after falling four points behind, they did craft a goal chance, but Seanie O’Donnell’s shot zipped wide, before a Darragh Canavan free clawed back a point.
Mayo led by 1-4 to 0-4 at the interval, but Tyrone wasted no time in clawing it back, with Darren McCurry and Canavan both hitting the target within two minutes of the restart.
Pressing the Mayo kick-out, Tyrone were a transformed side, going level through substitute McCurry, and they sliced through the visiting defence for Peter Harte to drill a low shot just wide.
Now the Mayo rearguard looked much less assured, very much on the back foot, and when they did get forward, Diarmuid Duffy thought he had regained the lead with a point, but Morgan plucked the ball from a foot above the crossbar.
They did go back in front with a sweetly struck free from goalkeeper Rob Hennelly, but Canavan’s superb 47th minute goal had the Ulster side three clear, as he finished a move heavily involving McCurry, a huge influence on the game since his half-time introduction.
Tyrone were able to find pockets of space off their fast breaks from deep, and another couple of McCurry gems had them six clear.
Boss McStay sent for O’Donoghue, who pulled back a point following his 48th minute introduction, but Mayo were struggling to swing the game back in their favour as Tyrone maintained the intensity going forward.
Fergal Boland also found the target, but the renewed energy of a fired-up Tyrone side saw them close down the threat and counter again for McCurry to twist the knife.
Scorers for Tyrone: Darragh Canavan 1-4 (0-1f), Darren McCurry 0-8 (6f), Peter Harte 0-2 (2f), Seanie O’Donnell 0-1
Scorers for Mayo: Cillian O’Connor 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-2f), Ryan O’Donoghue, Fergal Boland 0-2 each, Conor McStay, Rory Brickennden, Rob Hennelly (f), Stephen Coen, Bob Tuohy 0-1 each
Tyrone
1. Niall Morgan (Edendork)
2. Conall Devlin Dungannon, 3. Padraig Hampsey (Coalisland), 4. Aidan Clarke (Omagh)
5. Michael McKernan (Coalisland), 6. Cormac Quinn (Errigal Ciaran), 7. Niall Devlin (Coalisland)
8. Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan), 21. Cormaic Donnelly (Galbally)
10. Ciaran Daly (Trillick), 9. Conn Kilpatrick (Edendork) 11. Peter Harte (Errigal Ciaran)1
12. Joe Oguz (Errigal Ciaran) 14. Darragh Canavan (Errigal Ciaran), 15. Seanie O’Donnell (Trillick)
Subs: D McCurry (0-08, 0-6f) Donnelly (h/t), B Cullen for McKernan (h/t), K McGeary for O’Donnell (67), R Canavan for D Canavan (76).
Mayo
1. Rob Hennelly (Raheny)
2. Jack Coyne (Ballyhaunis), 3. Rory Brickenden (Westport), 4. Sam Callinan (Ballina Stephenites)
23. Michael Plunkett (Ballintubber) 6. Stephen Coen (Hollymount Carramore), 7. Enda Hession (Garrymore)
8. Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber), 24. Mattie Ruane (Breaffy)
10. Diarmuid Duffy (Ballinrobe), 11. Fergal Boland (Aghamore), 12. Jordan Flynn (Crossmolina Deel Rovers)
22. Cillian O’Connor (Ballintubber), 14. Tommy Conroy (The Neale), 21. Conor McStay (Ballina Stephenites)
Subs: J Carney for D O’Connor (5), R O’Donoghue (0-02) for McStay (48), E McLoughlin for Plunkett (48), B Tuohy (0-01) for Ruane (57) D McHale for Duffy (62).
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare).
Results:
Division 3
- Down 4-12 – 2-14
- Wexford 0-21 – 1-7 Waterford