Tyrone topple Limerick at Healy Park

Tyrone 1-14 Limerick 0-8

Tyrone topple Limerick at Healy Park

By Francis Mooney

Tyrone 1-14 Limerick 0-8

Tyrone got the job done in efficient fashion at Healy Park, seeing off Limerick to book their place in Round 2B of the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers.

The Red Hands were far from dominant for long periods of this Healy Park tie, but there was never any likelihood that the Treaty men would join the ranks of the giant-killers who have illuminated the championship over the past couple of weekends.

Peter Harte’s late goal added a gloss to the final outcome, giving Mickey Harte’s men a somewhat flattering nine points winning margin.

Tyrone settled early with a couple of points from Mattie Donnelly and Sean Cavanagh, and Limerick lost centre back Cillian Fahy to a black card after just five minutes.

Connor McAliskey was sent through on goal by Peter Harte, but pulled his shot wide, before making amends with a sweet score for a 0-3 to 0-0 lead on ten minutes.

Goalkeeper Brian Scanlon was wide with a couple of long range free, but Limerick did finally open their account in the 15th minute when Gearoid Hegarty swung over a point.

Cathal McCarron was deprived of his first Tyrone goal when his fisted effort was ruled out for a square ball offence, after Harte had burst through the middle and off-loaded to Darren McCurry.

Cavanagh’s magnificent catch earned the free that McAliskey converted for a three points lead.

But the Red Hands were far from dominant, struggling to get any momentum going, and after Ian Ryan had landed an excellent point from wide on the left, corner back Robert Browne tapped over a 13 metre free to leave just a point between the sides with 26 minutes on the clock.

McAliskey got back to make a vital interception as Hegarty tried to release Ryan on goal, with Scanlon converting the resultant ’45.

McAliskey’s third sent Tyrone in with a 0-6 to 0-5 interval lead, with Darragh Treacy becoming the second Treaty player to see black in stoppage time.

McAliskey and Cian Sheehan traded points early in the second half, but with the driving rain and wind in their backs, the home side started to dominate, with Harte continuing to drive their challenge from midfield.

Ronan O’Neill sliced over a classy point, followed by scores from Tiernan McCann and U21 star Mark Bradley, who was making quite an impact, adding trickery, vision and pace to the offensive effort since his introduction late in the first half.

Substitutes Michael Brosnan and Brian Fanning , along with Iain Corbett and Tom Lee, helped get John Brudair’s men back on the offensive, but their finishing failed them.

They almost had a goal when Hegarty punched the ball against an upright, after a Ryan free had dropped off a post into his path, and the Red Hands countered immediately for McAliskey to nail another free, stretching the lead out to six points.

Ryan ended a 23 minute scoreless spell for the visitors with a free, but there was to be no miraculous comeback, and Tyrone saw out the game in professional if not spectacular fashion.

Sean Cavanagh landed an excellent score, and Harte sealed the win by palming hoem the only goal of the game in stoppage time from McCann’s cross.

Tyrone: M O’Neill, A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron, R McNabb, Justin McMahon, R Brennan (0-1), C Cavanagh, P Harte (1-0), M Donnelly (0-1), R O’Neill (0-1), T McCann (0-1), D McCurry (0-1, f), S Cavanagh (0-2, 1f), C McAliskey (0-6, 4f).

Subs: M Bradley (0-1) for McCurry (32), Joe McMahon for McNabb (62), D McBride for C Cavanagh (65), R Donnelly for Justin McMahon (69)

Limerick: B Scanlon (0-1, ’45), J McCarthy, S O’Dea, R Browne (0-1, f), I Corbett, C Fahy, S Cahill, T Lee, D Neville, D Treacy, C Sheehan (0-1), S Buckley (0-1), P Nash, G Hegarty (0-1), I Ryan (0-2, 1f).

Subs: B Fanning for Fahy (BC 5), M Brosnan for Treacy (BC 36), P Rannahan for Lee (54), K Moore (0-1, f) for Nash (56), C Phair for Neville (67), G Noonan for Cahill (69)

Referee:P Neilan (Roscommon).

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