Below-par Tyrone suffer shock setback at home to Mayo

Tyrone 1-13  Mayo 2-17

FROM the brilliance of Ballybofey to this Healy Park horror show!

Tyrone’s 2025 Championship journey is starting to mirror Saturday’s weather in Omagh. Bright blue skies and glorious sunshine one minute, foreboding dark clouds and heavy downpours the next. Who can accurately forecast what’s to come?

Ironically given the opposition at the weekend the Red Hands right now are demonstrating that infuriating inconsistency we have long associated with Mayo.

The intensity, drive, composure and ruthlessness that we saw at MacCumhaill Park a week ago was absent as Tyrone suffered an insipid home loss which throws the Group One standings wide open.

Yes pivotal leaders in Brian Kennedy and Padraig Hampsey were missing but even so the hosts still had ample talent and experience in their midst to expect better.

On the flip side credit has to go to Mayo who rose to the occasion superbly. With their backs to the wall battled hardened warriors like Aidan O’Shea and Matthew Ruane again stood up to counted and from seeming to be heading for oblivion, they have breathed fresh life into their Championship campaign.

On the back of a superb Darragh Canavan goal, Tyrone did reduce a seven point interval deficit to just the bare minimum with a quarter of an hour remaining, but it was the Connacht men who found their second wind down the home straight to ultimately pull away.

Inspite of the boost of an early Michael McKernan point, Tyrone looked a pale shadow of the side that shocked Donegal last time out in that first quarter. Laboured and listless, they played second fiddle to their visitors, with possession repeatedly turned over and passes going astray.

Scores in quick succession from defender Rory Brickenden and Conal Dawson handed Mayo a seventh minute lead which they never relinquished for the duration of the contest. A quick fire brace of frees by Ryan O’Donoghue put then three ahead, Darren McCurry’s missed two point free attempt at the other end underlining Tyrone’s lack of sharpness.

While Ben McDonnell eventually struck over a second Tyrone score in the 19th minute, their goal was leading a charmed life and Brickenden probably should have found the net instead of drilling over the black spot after marauding up the middle. Then Aidan O’Shea was put in the clear by Paul Durcan but rashly fired into the side netting, while it required a last gasp block from Seanie O’Donnell to divert O’Donoghue’s rasper behind for a ”45′.

By the half-hour mark the away side led 0-9 to 0-2, Durcan and Dawson slotting over some sweet points, and keeper Reape (’45’) and O’Donoghue (free) also converting.

The likes of Darragh Canavan was feeding off scraps at the other end but two scores in quick succession from him (one free) at least kept the Red Hands in the frame.

However just after the hooter sounded a high ball from Bob Tuohy in around the Tyrone square was spilled by Niall Morgan (who also had real trouble with his kickouts across the half) and Darren McHale pounced to drill home a goal at the back post (Half-time Tyrone 0-4 Mayo 1-9)

Tyrone made four substitutions in the first dozen minutes of the second period, a sign of their malfunctioning display across all sectors of the field, and initially it appeared to have the desired effort as they found their mojo.

Canavan (free) and Mattie Donnelly both registered to cut the gap, though O’Donoghue cracked a low shot off the base of the Tyrone post during this spell, as Mayo continued to carry a threat.

Instead it was the home side raising the green flag courtesy of a glimpse of magic by Canavan around the 47 minute mark and it looked like game on.

Though O’Donoghue (free) and Durcan hit the target to keep Mayo ticking over, all the momentum appeared with Tyrone. The previously subdued McCurry was twice on target and when Morgan belted a two point free between the sticks in the 54 minute the scoreline read 1-11 to 1-10 in the visitors favour.

Another Mayo meltdown appeared to be looming but instead they found another gear again and Tyrone lapsed back into their poor habits from the first period.

They were outscored 1-6 to 0-3 down the closing stretch, with Mayo sub Davitt Neary in particular helping to galvanise his troops. He won a couple of frees which O’Donoghue converted, and in the 63rd minute was sent sprawling inside the square by Cormac Quinn. O’Donoghue dispatched the resultant spot kick to the net, and other inspirational points from O’Shea ans corner back Jack Coyne saw Mayo home and hosed.

Shellshocked Tyrone at least now have two weeks to regroup for that crunch challenge with Cavan.

Scorers

Tyrone – Darragh Canavan (1-3,2f), Niall Morgan (0-4,2tpf), Darren McCurry (0-2,1f), Mattie Donnelly, Ben McDonnell, Kieran McGeary, Michael McKernan (0-1 each)

Mayo – Ryan O’Donoghue (1-6,5f), Darren McHale (1-0), Paul Durcan (0-2), Rory Brickenden (0-2), Conor Dawson (0-2), Aidan O’Shea, Bob Tuohy, Jack Carney, Jack Coyne (0-1 each), Colm Reape (0-1, ’45’)

Teams

Tyrone – Niall Morgan, Cormac Quinn, Peter Teague, Niall Devlin, Michael McKernan, Rory Brennan, Kieran McGeary, Ben McDonnell, Conn Kilpatrick, Seanie O’Donnell, Mattie Donnelly, Ciaran Daly, Darren McCurry, Mark Bradley, Darragh Canavan. Subs used: Liam Gray for S O’Donnell (h-time), Shea O’Hare for R Brennan (h-time), Ruairi Canavan for M Bradley (47), Peter Harte for M Bradley (47mins), Aodhan Donaghy for B McDonnell (62)

Mayo – Colm Reape, Jack Coyne, Sean Morahan, Rory Brickenden, Stephen Coen, David McBrien, Enda Hession, Paddy Durcan, Matthew Ruane, Jack Carney, Darren McHale, Bob Tuohy, Aidan O’Shea, Conall Dawson, Ryan O’Donoghue. Subs used: Jordan Flynn for B Tuohy (51mins), Davitt Neary for D McHale (51), Fenton Kelly for C Dawson (54), Fergal Boland for M Ruane (63), Sam Callinan for P Durcan (67)

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)