Mayo unable to break Red Hands' defence

Tyrone went back to basics to kick-start their NFL campaign, stunning Mayo with a defensive shut-out at McHale Park.

Mayo unable to break Red Hands' defence

Mayo 1-7 Tyrone 1-11

By Francis Mooney

Tyrone went back to basics to kick-start their NFL campaign, stunning Mayo with a defensive shut-out at McHale Park.

The Red Hands scored a third successive league win over the westerners to pick up their first points of the season.

Cillian O’Connor’s 50th minute goal looked set to spark a Mayo revival, but Tyrone responded instantly with a Peter Harte strike, and held on to take both points.

Tyrone, with Mattie Donnelly moved into an attacking role, were quick of the mark, racing ahead with early scores from Darren McCurry and debutant Cathal McShane.

They adopted a blanket defensive strategy, but were almost caught out when Michael Conroy got a shot away, with Cathal McCarron saving off the line.

Jason Doherty got Mayo’s first score from a fifth minute free, but Tyrone, breaking at pace, tagged on a couple more through Donnelly and Sean Cavanagh.

Goalkeeper Niall Morgan was punished for his spirit of adventure in the 14th minute. Carrying the ball almost to the halfway, line, he was blocked down by Michael Conroy, and Mark Ronaldson promptly slotted the ball over the bar.

Morgan made amends with two points from long range frees, one of them from 50 metres, as the Red Hands opened out a five points lead.

Aidan O’Shea got back to halt Sean Cavanagh in his tracks as he sought out another avenue to the scoreboard, as the Connacht men struggled to find the sort of rythmn that helped them overcome Kerry a week earlier.

Mayo shot a rash of wides and went 21 minutes without a score, before Kevin McLoughlin slotted over a stoppage time free.

Tyrone led by 0-8 to 0-4 at the interval, and extended the advantage though Donnelly and McCurry.

Aidan O’Shea was emerging as a major figure at midfield for Mayo, but his game was brought to a premature end by a black card in the 48th minute after he clashed with goalkeeper Morgan.

But two minutes later the Connacht champions were right back in it. Substitute Cillian O’Connor slotted the ball to the net from a yard out after McLoughlin’s shot had come back off a post, the goal allowed to stand after referee Eddie Kinsella had consulted with his umpires.

Tyrone responded with a goal of their own five minutes later. Sean Cavanagh delivered from deep for substitute PJ Lavery to pick up, and he spotted Peter Harte’s run, slipping the ball inside for the un-tracked wing back to slide low to the net.

Mayo’s bubble had burst, and as they battled to get themselves back in the game, another flurry of misses, which amounted to 15 wides in all, negated their efforts.

All they could manage in the final quarter was a couple of O’Connor points, both from placed balls, as the Red Hands held on for two precious points.

Mayo: D Clarke, M Hall, K Keane, K Higgins, L Keegan, S Coen, C Boyle, A O’Shea, D Vaughan, D O’Connor, K McLoughlin (0-1, f), J Doherty (0-2, 2f), M Conroy (0-1), A Freeman, M Ronaldson (0-1).

Subs: Patrick Durcan for Boyle, C O’Connor (1-2, 0-2f) for Ronaldson, B Moran for O’Shea (BC), M Sweeney for Freeman, G Cafferkey for Keegan, A Dillon for D O’Connor

Tyrone: N Morgan (0-2, 2f), J McMahon, R McNamee, C McCarron, A McCrory R McNabb, J McMahon, P Harte (1-0), C Cavanagh, P McNulty, T McCann (0-1), M Donnelly (0-2), P Hughes, D McCurry (0-4, 2f), S Cavanagh (0-1, f), C McShane (0-1).

Subs: PJ Lavery for McShane, C McCann for McNulty, B Tierney for McNamee, N McKenna for McCurry.

Referee: E Kinsella (Laois).

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