TYRONE MANAGER Mickey Harte is hoping further tests on Seán Cavanagh's neck injury will clear him to play in next weekend's third-round qualifier against Mayo. The Moy man's injury is not as serious as first feared when he was stretchered off, stabilised by a neck brace, during Saturday's clash with Westmeath at Healy Park.

Cavanagh was taken to hospital, but later released in time to rejoin the squad for the post-match meal. "He was back with the team on Saturday evening. He appeared to be suffering from a bit of whiplash, but we'll not find out until later what the extent of the injury is," said Harte.

But Cavanagh's younger brother Colm is definitely ruled out against the beaten Connacht finalists. He dislocated a shoulder after coming in as a substitute for his sibling.

Meanwhile, Enda McGinley admitted Tyrone struggled to find a way to exploit the extra space afforded to them when Westmeath had two men sent off midway through the second half.

"We had never dealt with that situation before and it was very difficult to know what way to do it. We had a lot of extra men, and the whole thing about Westmeath and the way they crowd the defence, you don't want to carry the ball into it," he said.

"But yet with two extra men that was the very thing we sort of needed to be doing. So it was very much a case of changing the game plan out there, and yet still we knew we were in pole position, so we just wanted to finish out the game and not risk too much. It made it very strange."

But McGinley feels successive games against Louth and Westmeath, allied to an improving injury situation, have helped Tyrone to build up some momentum and cohesion.

"The start of the year wasn't good for Tyrone, and I think every game we get, and win, more and more boys are coming back from injury. It was unfortunate with the loss of Colm Cavanagh, but we're hoping that Seán will be all right. But for the other boys that maybe didn't play that much National League, getting a couple of championship games under their belt means an awful lot to them.

"It is a fairly daunting task to try and take on four games in a row and try and come out the other end of it. But having been there in 2005 we know it is possible, and you actually come out a much stronger team."