Red Hands beaten badly by Breffnis in McKenna Cup opener

CAVAN 1-17 TYRONE 0-5

ALL-IRELAND Champions Tyrone suffered a rude awakening on their return to competitive action when a vastly understrength Red Hand side were beaten out of the gate by Cavan on Tuesday night in the Dr McKenna Cup at Kingspan Breffni Park.

The visitors lined out with just four members of the starting fifteen from the Sam Maguire success last September, (Peter Harte, Kieran McGeary, Darren McCurry and captain Padraig Hampsey), while six rookies were also drafted in.

Having just returned from their team holiday in Orlando, Tyrone were understandably rusty in the first half, though credit also has to go to Cavan for the gusto and verve with which they went about their business.

Despite an early point from newcomer Michael Conroy, Tyrone struggled for any fluency and cohesion and by the twenty minute mark they had fallen 0-8 to 0-2 in arrears, Darren McCurry registering a free.

Their cause was looking a forlorn one and in the 33^rd minute the Breffnis struck for the only goal of the contest when man of the match Gearoird McKiernan slotted to the net.

It was 1-9 to 0-2 at the break and despite a raft of substitutions in the second half there was no way back into the contest for Tyrone.

With Richard Donnelly sent off after picking up a second booking, it was really a case of damage limitation for the away side, though Lee Brennan and Sean Loughran did tag on late consolation scores.

Qualification for the semi-finals is all but gone now for Tyrone, on the back of this heavy defeat, though joint managers Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher will be demanding an improved display against Armagh in Omagh this Saturday lunchtime.