Tyrone 3-15 Clare 0-10
Tyrone are still searching for the consistency that has been the most obvious of their imperfections throughout a troubled season, but it’s a campaign that remains very much alive following their first win of the All-Ireland series.
The Red Hands struggled to break down a stubborn Clare resistance, and it was only in the final 15 minutes that they broke loose, hitting 1-4 after the Munster men had been reduced to 14 men.
This defeat almost certainly means the end of Clare’s challenge for a place in the preliminary quarter-final stage, their second loss, with a neutral venue meeting with Donegal still to come.
For Tyrone it’s a crunch final group tie against a Cork side on a high following their victory over the Ulster champions, and several troubling issues remain to be addressed.
“We came here today and we needed two points, and thankfully we got them to make sure we’re still alive going in to the Cork game,” said Tyrone joint manager Brian Dooher.
“If we were honest it was probably a very nervous performance. There wasn’t that cohesion, but we chipped enough scores. Niall Devlin kept us in it in the first half, took enough scores to keep us at that distance that we could push on in the second half. In the second half we gradually settled in to the game, took it step by step, and chipped over the scores that we needed.”
Dooher was pleased with the manner in which his side stepped up the tempo in the second half.
“You’re at the business end of the season, it’s either do or die. It was one of those games that if we hadn’t come out of here today we were gone. The boys’ backs were to the wall and thankfully they responded in the right way, particularly in the second half.
“The first half was probably ropey enough, we were hesitant and a bit nervous. It was maybe understandable too, but once they got that wee bit of a push and a bit of belief in themselves they pushed on.”
Corner back Devlin kept the home side on top with two first-half goals, compensating for a misfiring attack that managed just one point during the opening half.
This was a first ever championship meeting of the counties, who had previously met just twice in league action back in the 1995 and 1996 seasons, with Tyrone coming out on top on both occasions.
Tyrone failed to capitalise on a black card for Clare defender Ikem Ugweri after three minutes, scoring just a point during the wing back’s absence, and Clare moved ahead at the end of the opening quarter through Emmet McMahon.
But in the 19th minute Devlin surged forward to get on the end of Aidan Clarke’s assist and fired his shot past ‘keeper Stephen Ryan.
Cillian Roiune’s second score brought Clare level, but Devlin struck again in the 29th minute. It was goalkeeper Niall Morgan, pushing up as far as the opposition 20 metre line, who provided the final pass for the flying defender to apply another clinical finish and send his side in with a 2-3 to 0-5 interval lead.
Donnelly and Brian Kennedy pushed the Ulster side into a six-point lead after the break, but Clare displayed their battling qualities to disrupt and counter, with Ronan Lanigan and Alan Sweeney always looking to press forward from the back.
McMahon and Aaron Griffin pulled back points, but Darragh Canavan finally got going with a couple of placed ball scores as Tyrone, with a light wind now in their backs, pushed for home.
The Canavan brothers displayed their class with brilliantly executed scores, and Donnelly curled over his second. And as the game slipped away from Clare in the closing stages, the were reduced to 14 men following a straight red card for midfielder Darragh Bohannon.
The floodgates opened in the final 10 minutes as the home side tagged on 1-4, including a brilliantly executed goal from Darragh Canavan.
Tyrone: N Morgan, N Devlin (2-2), P Hampsey, A Clarke; M McKernan, M Donnelly (0-4), K McGeary; B Kennedy (0-1), J Oguz; C Daly (0-1), M O’Neill, S O’Donnell; D McCurry, D Canavan (1-4, 2f, 1m), R Canavan (0-2). Subs: C Kilpatrick (0-1) for Oguz (49), P Harte for McCurry (53), S O’Hare for McGeary, C McShane for O’Donnell (62), C Quinn for O’Neill (66)
Clare: S Ryan; M Doherty, C Brennan, R Lanigan (0-1); A Sweeney, C Rouine (0-2), I Ugweru; B McNamara, D Bohannon; D Walsh, D Coughlan, G Murray; C Downes; A Griffin (0-1), E McMahon (0-5, 3f). Subs: J Stack for Downes (42), E O’Connor for McNamara (51), C Burle for Sweeney (58), J McGann for Griffin (62), M McInerney (0-1, ‘45) for McMahon (66)
Referee: J Henry (Mayo)
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