NFL Division Two: Tyrone 2-23 Cavan 1-14
Tyrone hit form at Healy Park to pick up their first win of the Division Two campaign and condemn Ulster rivals Cavan to a third straight loss.
Darragh Canavan’s class was written all over this 12-point victory as the Red Hands ran riot in the second half.
Canavan finished with 0-9, but there were 11 other Tyrone players on the scoresheet, including first-half goal scorers Brian Kennedy and Mattie Donnelly.
The opening stages gave a false indication of what lay ahead. Tyrone had been stunned by Cavan’s bright opening, which saw them hit 1-2 inside the opening four minutes. Oisín Brady converted a two-point free for the visitors before Peter Corrigan intercepted a Niall Morgan kick-out to send Tiarnan Madden in on goal. Madden made no mistake, shooting to the net from close range.
READ MORE
It proved the spark that got the Red Hands going. A couple of Canavan specials and a Frank Burns point got their challenge up and running.
Cavan, though, were bossing the battle for ball off both kick-outs through Ciarán Brady, Conor Brady and Ryan Donohue. They pressed again, with Corrigan and Gerard Smith keeping them in front.
Tyrone struck for their first goal on 17 minutes, skipper Brian Kennedy rifling his shot to the bottom corner of the net off Seánie O’Donnell’s assist.
The home team scored their second goal three minutes before the break, a sweeping move ending with Kennedy turning provider as he crossed for Donnelly to punch home.
Canavan’s third point sent the home side in with a 2-7 to 1-6 interval lead and he added a two-pointer soon after the restart.
Paddy Lynch, who came off the bench at the interval to add a spark to the Breffni attack, flashed over a couple of scores from play and added a free to lead their fightback.
However, Canavan was also showing his class and making the Tyrone forward line tick. Cavan needed two blinding saves from Liam Brady to deny Eoin McElholm and O’Donnell.
In Lynch, Cavan had a man with an eye for scores – his fifth point kept his side in the game. But they could do little to prevent Tyrone’s attacking flow as the Red Hands moved the ball quickly and accurately to reel off a succession of scores.
Canavan, Conn Kilpatrick, Joe Oguz, Donnelly, Rory Brennan and Michael McKernan were all on target as the home team added a sheen to the scoreline.
TYRONE: N Morgan; C Quinn, M Rafferty, J Clarke; R Cassidy (0-0-1), M McKernan (0-0-1), B Cullen (0-0-1); B Kennedy (1-0-0), C Daly; E McElholm (0-0-4), C Kilpatrick (0-0-1), F Burns (0-0-2); D Canavan (0-1-7, 1f), M Donnelly (1-0-1), S O’Donnell (0-0-1).
Subs: J Oguz (0-0-1) for Cassidy (50 mins); R Brennan (0-0-1) for Burns (53); C O’Neill for Rafferty, P Teague for Daly (both 63); E Jordan for McElholm (67).
CAVAN: L Brady; J McLoughlin, J Meade, Cormac Brady; O Brady (0-1-1), N Carolan, G Smith (0-0-1); Ciaran Brady, Conor Brady; Ciarán Brady (Arva), T Madden (1-0-0), Peter Corrigan (0-0-1); R Donohoe, G McKiernan (0-0-3), D McVeety (0-0-1).
Subs: P Lynch (0-0-5, 2f) for Donohue, B O’Connell for Cormac Brady (both h-t); F Shehu for Madden, R Brady for Corrigan (both 56 mins); C McGovern for Lynch (70).
Referee: B Tiernan (Dublin).
