Ulster SFC semi-final: ruthless Red Hands brush Breffni aside

July 03, 2016

Tyrone's Ronan O'Neill and Fergal Flanagan of Cavan.
©INPHO/Presseye/Andrew Paton.

Tyrone showed Cavan no mercy in today's replay at Clones, storming to a thumping ten-point victory, 5-18 to 2-17.

The O'Neill County will now lock horns with Donegal in this year's Ulster final in a fortnight, while Terry Hyland's men go into the Qualifiers against Carlow next Saturday on the back of a chastening defeat, witnessed by 20,225.

Peter Harte (2), Connor McAliskey, Rory Brennan and Mark Bradley all netted for the Division Two winners and this game was over long before Cian Mackey and Jack Brady raised green flags for the losers.

Tyrone conceded three costly goals in the drawn game a fortnight ago but today a pair of Harte majors fired them into a commanding 2-8 to 0-7 half-time lead.

After an evenly-contested opening quarter (the sides traded ten points inside the first 18 minutes), a quickfire brace of Harte three-pointers in the 23rd and 25th minutes propelled the Red Hands into an unassailable seven-point lead, 2-6 to 0-5.

Tyrone's Peter Harte scores one of his two goals. ©INPHO/Presseye/Andrew Paton.

Sean Cavanagh had given Mickey Harte's charges a slender 0-6 to 0-5 advantage after 21 minute but goalscorer Harte was on hand to follow up his double-whammey by stroking over a free eight minutes from the break as the gap went out to eight.

Niall Morgan's free stretched the lead further a minute from the break, although the Breffni County plundered the last two scores before the interval courtesy of Gearoid McKiernan.

Earlier in the half, David Givney, Niall Sludden, Cathal McShane and McKiernan traded the first four points and Killian Clarke cancelled out a Mattie Clarke effort before McShane and Cian Mackey swapped points. Martin Reilly had the sides level for the fifth time in response to a McAliskey score,

The first score of the second half settled the match as a contest - an easy McAliskey goal in the 44th minute. When goalkeeper Raymond Galligan pulled back a pointed '45', it only seemed to irritate the Red Hands who duly pounced for their fourth major through Brennan - 4-8 to 0-8 after 50 minutes.

Justin McMahon and McKiernan (free) traded points as did Conor Moynagh and Jonathan Munroe. A McAliskey free had the gap at 13 with twelve minutes left.

Mackey pulled back a consolation goal on the hour, either side of points from Cavanagh and Donnelly, and the winners piled on the pain with further points from Harte (3) to a McKiernan reply. Moynagh, Mackey and McKiernan pointed for the Breffni County with the game over before Mark Bradley added the fifth Red Hands major in stoppage time. Mackey and Donnelly traded further points and Brady netted right at the death, with Cavan's goose long since cooked.

Tyrone - N Morgan (0-1'45); A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; T McCann, J McMahon (0-1), R McNabb; C Cavanagh, M Donnelly (0-3); C McShane (0-2), N Sludden (0-1), P Harte (2-4, 0-1f); C McAliskey (1-2, 0-1f), S Cavanagh (0-2), R O'Neill. Subs: R Brennan (1-0) for R McNabb, D McCurry for C Cavanagh, J Munroe (0-1) for C McShane, M Bradley (1-1) for R O'Neill, P Hampsey for R McNamee, B Tierney for N Sludden.

Cavan - R Galligan (0-1'45); K Brady, R Dunne, J McEnroe; F Flanagan (0-1), C Moynagh (0-2), N Murray; T Corr, K Clarke (0-1); D McVeety, G McKiernan (0-7, 4f), M Reilly (0-1); D Givney (0-1), C Mackey (1-3), E Keating. Subs: J Brady (1-0) for D Givney, J McLoughlin for J McEnroe, C Brady for K Brady, P Faulkner for N Murray, M Argue for M Reilly, G Smith for D McVeety.

Referee - D Coldrick.


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