Sloppy Tyrone showing sees Mayo take the spoils

Mayo 0-12 Tyrone 0-10

OUTSCORED 0-5 to 0-1 across the final quarter, Tyrone slumped to a second successive league loss at Castlebar on Sunday afternoon after a dour struggle which went against the grain of much of the excitement dished up in the opening weeks of the season.

Given the all-singing, all-dancing flow of many games during the bedding in process for the new rules, this encounter was more akin to the dour tactical arm wrestles which had prompted the need to give the old game a facelift in the first place.

Build up play was ponderous and laborious in the main, with both sides pushing and probing for scoring openings, but lacking the inclination or ambition to really go for the jugular.

While the Tyrone full-back line deserve kudos for their diligent showing (Peter Teague, Aidan Clarke and Niall Devlin each putting in admirable shifts) from a creative point of view there was slim pickings from the visitors who struggled for any fluency or cohesion.

The fact there was only one score in the first quarter of an hour underlined the cagey nature of the initial exchanges, and while Tyrone had the wind at their backs, it was nowhere near as big a factor as we have witnessed at some other matches of late.

The Red Hands made four switches to their named starting fifteen ahead of throw-in, with Rory Brennan, Conn Kilpatrick, Mark Bradley and Eoin McElholm all drafted in. The quartet to make way were Frank Burns, Shea O’Hare, Mattie Donnelly and Ronan Cassidy.

The rejigged Tyrone attack fed off scraps during the initial stages, with Mayo monopolising possession, though their only score was a third minute effort drilled over by full-forward Frank Irwin.

Clearly the visitors had heeded a few lessons from the attacking onslaught they were on the wrong end of against Armagh, with their defence looking diligent and supremely organised, though it did require a fine block from keeper Niall Morgan to deny half-back Eoghan McLaughlin a goal after he stormed through.

It was Morgan who eventually belted over the equaliser for Tyrone in the 17th minute, with McElholm picking him out in a pocket of space, but Davitt Neary quickly restored Mayo’s lead after he cut inside to curl over, while Cian McHale landed a free in front of the posts, after Tyrone dropped too many men inside their own half (a new regulation which caused some confusion for ref Barry Cassidy and his officials on several occasions).

On a bleak afternoon out west, there wasn’t much to cheer about on the pitch during a turgid first half an hour, but Brian Kennedy did take the bull by horns to thump over a fine Tyrone score, while defender Michael McKernan raided up the pitch to split the posts from an acute angle.

Even after losing forward Conor Reid to a black card, Mayo leapfrogged ahead as midfielder Matthew Ruane hoisted over a beauty with the outside of the foot. A trademark conversion off the trusty left peg by Mark Bradley, having been fed in space by Ciaran Daly, restored parity again, and right on the half time hooter McElholm capped a swift exchange with Bradley by blasting over the go-ahead score. (Half-time Mayo 0-4 Tyrone 0-5)

The hosts were handed a timely boost on the resumption when Jordan Flynn banged over a ‘Two Pointer’ from outside the 40m arch, however Tyrone’s response was immediate as Darren McCurry stuck over a close range free.

Goal scoring opportunities were thin enough on the ground, but Ciaran Daly was presented with a glimmer of an opening, after being teed up by Bradley, but he screwed his effort off the mark.

Despite another quality Irwin point, Tyrone had eased ahead courtesy of converted frees from McCurry and Morgan, and when the Tyrone keeper ventured up the pitch to send another one sailing over, with Bradley picking him out from a sideline ball, the visitors were two to the good, 0-9 to 0-7.

A free from sub Ryan O’Donoghue and point from another replacement Fergal Boland, following a costly Tyrone turnover, drew Mayo level. The sides were still deadlocked as Irwin and Tyrone sub Cathal McShane (free) traded white flags heading into the final five minutes.

Another Ryan O’Donoghue free put Mayo in the driving seat again, and with Michael McKernan sent off after picking up his second booking, the hosts pounced to put the issue beyond doubt, Boland with the final point.

Scorers

Mayo: Frank Irwin (0-3), Jordan Flynn (0-2,TP), Ryan O’Donoghue (0-2,2f), Fergal Boland (0-2), Davitt Neary, Matthew Ruane (0-1 each), Cian McHale (0-1,f)

Tyrone: Niall Morgan (0-3,1f), Darren McCurry (0-2,2f), Michael McKernan, Eoin McElholm, Mark Bradley, Brian Kennedy (0-1 each), Cathal McShane (0-1,f)

Teams

Mayo: Colm Reape, Eoin O’Donoghue, Jordan Flynn, Enda Hession, Stephen Coen, David McBrien, Eoghan McLaughlin, Donnacha McHugh, Matthew Ruane, Conor Reid, Darren McHale, Davitt Neary, Paul Towey, Frank Irwin, Cian McHale. Subs used: Ryan O’Donoghue for C McHale (h-time), Fergal Boland for P Towey (46mins), Aidan O’Shea for D Neary (54), Jack Coyne for S Coen (60), Sam Callinan for E McLaughlin (68)

Tyrone: Niall Morgan, Aidan Clarke, Peter Teague, Niall Devlin, Rory Brennan, Michael McKernan, Conn Kilpatrick, Brian Kennedy, Liam Gray, Seanie O’Donnell, Kieran McGeary, Ciaran Daly, Darren McCurry, Mark Bradley, Eoin McElholm. Subs used: Shea O’Hare for L Gray (h-time), Ronan Cassidy for S O’Donnell (46mins), Mattie Donnelly for K McGeary (46), Aodhan Donaghy for C Daly (60), Cathal McShane for R Cassidy (61)

Referee: Barry Cassidy (Derry)