Sport

Draw leaves both sides safe

NFL DIVISION ONE: Mayo 1-11 Tyrone 0-14

Mon Apr 13 2009 - 01:00

NFL DIVISION ONE:Mayo 1-11 Tyrone 0-14

IT WAS smiles all round at sun-kissed McHale Park, Castlebar, for Mayo and Tyrone yesterday, a draw securing the Division One status of both teams for another season at least.

Conspiracy theorists might be inclined to wonder was this a convenient result for both sides, but such suggestions can be dismissed out of hand given the determination of both teams to win – and possibly to lose, with 18 wides by Tyrone to Mayo’s 12 and two clear cut chances in the closing minutes to win spurned by Ryan Mellon.

The likelihood is that John O’Mahony reminded his charges at half-time, when they were trailing 0-7 to 0-2.

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Mayo toiled in the first-half, their opening score coming from an Andy Moran 45 after four minutes, while their only other offering came from their teenage star, Aiden O’Shea, on 10 minutes.

It was enough to keep Tyrone in check until the defensive dam burst in the last 10 minutes, Tyrone looking more like the All-Ireland champions and firing over five unanswered points.

A goal from the youngest man on the pitch, Aiden O’Shea, brought Mayo into the game six minutes into the second-half.

Tyrone were still very much in charge, but three long-range points and a free had Tyrone chasing a two-point gap with seven minutes remaining.

Nail Gormley and Martin Penrose had matters level with five minutes left, as Tyrone came rampaging through the middle. Mellon had two chances to win this game but Mickey Harte’s ticker might have stopped had substitute Tom Parsons not forced a brilliant save from Jonathan Curran in the Tyrone goals.

Relief all round with the spoils shared.

MAYO:D Clarke, L0'Malley, G Cafferkey, K McLoughlin, P Gardiner, T Cunniffee. A Moran (0-1, '45) R McGarrity (0-3), P Harte (0-1), M Ronaldson, T Mortimer (0-1), B J Padden, C Mortimer, A O'Shea (1-1), A O'Malley (0-3). Subs: C Barrett for A Moran (y/c 28), T Parsons for M Ronaldson (50), B Moran for BJ Padden (67), A Dillon for A O'Malley (69).

TYRONE:J Curran, PJ Quinn, C Gormley (0-1), D Carlin, D Harte (0-1), R McMenamin, P Jordan, K Hughes, E McGinley (0-1), J McMahon, B McGuigan, R Mellon (0-1), N Gormley (0-1), S Cavanaugh (0-2), M Penrose (0-6, 1f). Subs: C McCullagh for B McGuigan (50), S O'Neill (0-1) for PJ Quinn (52), C Cavanaugh for E McGinley (67).

Referee:P McEneaney (Monaghan).