Red Hand come back to beat Antrim
Tyrone 1-16 Antrim 1-11
Tyrone dragged themselves out of the relegation zone with a plucky second-half display at Healy Park.
In a game that was re-scheduled from yesterday evening due to a snow-bound Healy Park pitch, the Red Hands had to come from behind at half-time to impose theior authority on the game.
The outcome leaves Antrim in deep trouble, with just one win from four games, and facing a real struggle to remain in Division Two.
Paddy Cunningham and Tony Scullion had early points to instil some belief in the visiting side, but Tyrone recovered from a sluggish start for Martin Penrose to bring the sides level with two converted frees.
They hit the front in the 24th minute when the Cavanagh brothers combined for Colm to send Sean in for his third goal in three games.
But Liam Bradley’s side finished the half strongly, with a 1-3 salvo, including a stoppage time goal from substitute Tomas McCann to take a 1-8 to 1-6 lead into the interval.
Tyrone were a transformed side once they got the wind in their backs in the second period.
They hit the first seven points of the half, with Kevin Hughes putting in a momentous midfield display and banging over four superb points from play.
The Cavanaghs and Stephen O’Neill also hit the target, while Martin Penrose brought his free tally to three.
Antrim waited 20 minutes for their first score of the half, and although they did add further scores through Mark Sweeney and Cunningham, they were outscore by 10 to three by the home side.
Tyrone: J Curran, Sean O’Neill, D McCaul, D Carlin, D Harte (0-1), C Gormley (0-1), R McMenamin, K Hughes (0-4), A Cassidy, C Cavanagh (0-1), B McGuigan, S Cavanagh (1-3, 0-1f), M Penrose (0-3, 3f), Stephen O’Neill (0-2), O Mulligan.
Subs: Joe McMahon (0-1) for McGuigan, Justin McMahon for Carlin, M Donnelly (Hughes)
Antrim: C Kerr, A Healy, A McClean, K O’Boyle, T Scullion (0-1), J Crozier, T O’Neill, K McGourty (0-2), S Burke, A Gallagher, K Brady, C Murray, P Cunningham (0-5, 3f), K Niblock (0-1, f), B Herron.
Subs: C Brady for McClean, T McCann (1-1, 0-1f) for Dougan, M Sweeney (0-1) for Brady, R Johnston for Murray, A Douglas for O’Boyle
Referee: C Branagan (Down).
