Red Hand looms large to deliver the Holy Grail

Tyrone 1-21, Fermanagh 0-5

But never before have a Tyrone team looked as well-equipped to deliver it.

While yesterday's occasion frightened the football from Fermanagh, not once did Tyrone players take their eyes from the target. Clinical and ruthless are the main adjectives to describe the Ulster champions, along with any superlative you like.

Afterwards, Mickey Harte tried to douse the flames of expectancy ringed around his team. Still not the finished product was his careful assessment. However, they are not far from it.

Sean Cavanagh dominated this game, from the moment he clutched John Devine's first minute kick-out until Harte called him ashore with 15 minutes remaining. Fermanagh's midfield was hindered by an early knock that Marty McGrath shipped. McGrath, so influential on his team's journey so far, had left the fray by half-time.

In all likelihood, it wouldn't have mattered. Cavanagh is a colossus who has the right blend of athleticism and power built into his frame. And, as he led a previous existence as a forward, he can score as well.

He got the goal in the 16th minute that effectively ended this match. The Tyrone midfielders swapped roles for the move with Kevin Hughes rising high to catch the kick-out. Upon seeing this, Cavanagh burst down the field, and was in the full-forward position to receive Eoin Mulligan's pass and slot the ball into the net.

Cavanagh's finish made it 1-5 to 0-1, but signs were looking ominous for Fermanagh before that. Within the first six minutes, the entire Tyrone full-forward line had scored. By the 12th minute, all but the industrious Brian McGuigan had scored. Of Tyrone's starting 15, 10 outfield scorers made it onto the score-sheet. This was a complete team performance.

Yet, Cavanagh emerged as the star of the show. Moments before he was taken off, Fermanagh had knitted together their best move of the game, possibly their only move that involved a string of passes. Colm Bradley concluded it by watching his shot come off the upright. In the ensuing scramble, Cavanagh tunnelled from his own full-back line with the ball.

This was a terrible end to an emotional summer for Dom Corrigan and his players, but like the league semi-final, they simply froze. They scored only two points in the first 35 minutes. Nobody doubts that Fermanagh are a better team than they showed yesterday. It is just a pity they played all their bum notes on the biggest stage.

Barry Owens and Tom Brewster were the most valiant, Owens made the best of a bad situation in being detailed to hold Mulligan. And he did managed to keep the score down, if hardly respectable, denying Cavanagh a second goal with a desperate goal-line lunge. But, the only hope for Fermanagh is this drubbing doesn't undo any of Corrigan's hard work.

If Tyrone go on to win the All-Ireland, it might make things a little easier. They certainly have the ability. For years, Peter Canavan had to piggy-back them through championships. Yesterday, the genius only scored four points, two of those from frees.

Canavan's frees were the only Tyrone scores that didn't come from play and the approach play to some of their points was just awesome. Mulligan's movement dragged Owens across the field and flummoxed a lot of Fermanagh's other defenders.

Although he has better shooting days, his support play remains first rate. In the 30th minute, he took two defenders out of the game with a cushioned pass to Enda McGinley who pointed. That made it 1-10 to 0-2, two minutes later, McGuigan became the final Tyrone forward to score after a wonderful long ball by Hughes. Fermanagh retreated for the cover of half-time soon afterwards.

But, the onslaught was simply delayed not stopped. Harte has cultivated a predatory instinct in this team that means they never stop even when their prey is lifeless. Canavan, McGinley, Mulligan, Ger Cavlan all scored within six minutes of the re-start. The words fish and barrel sprung to mind.

All there was left to do was admire Tyrone. McGinley's 38th minute point was a splendid piece of football. Cormac McAnallen, whose move to full-back looks like being a master-stroke, won the ball in his half-back line, lobbing the ball to Hughes, who played another of those pinpoint long balls that are his trademark. It landed in McGinley's arms, laid it off to Mulligan who found McGuigan on the over-lap, who had McGinley in support.

It illustrated all that is good about this Tyrone team yesterday. There was always someone in support when the ball was being recycled, they mixed the most simple football with the most clever passing. McGuigan's vision, at times, was a sight to behold. He has a wide range of passing, and the fact that Stephen O'Neill appeared for him in the 59th minute shows the depth of their bench this year.

In fact, alongside O'Neill, Micheal McGee and Brian Robinson were two other Tyrone substitutes many other counties would be hard pushed to leave off the team.

They have every tool needed to go all the way. When Conor Gormley rampaged forward to tap the ball over the bar in the 52nd minute, making the score 1-18 to 0-4 incidentally, we wondered would all of Tyrone's outfield players score. Certainly, Dermot Carlin, their corner-back, played far enough up the field to be considered as a forward in the first half.

That didn't happen. Everything else about Tyrone's display was memorable, even though they kicked 13 wides. Harte has polyfillad the cracks that appeared in their psyche in the drawn Ulster final. They are now justifiable favourites for the All-Ireland.

The ease of this victory might damage those prospects, though. Most challenge games are more competitive than this second half, and with Kerry or Roscommon looming, that is not ideal preparation. Still, they finally have that look and may finally deliver.

Scorers for Tyrone: S Cavanagh 1-2, E Mulligan 0-4, P Canavan 0-4 (2 frees), G Cavlan 0-3, E McGinley, K Hughes 0-2 each, B Dooher, B McGuigan, C Gormley, C Gourley 0-1 each.

Fermanagh: T Brewster 0-2, C Donnelly 0-1 (free), C O'Reilly, S Doherty 0-1 each

TYRONE: J Devine; D Carlin, C McAnallen, R McMenamin, C Gormley, C Gourley, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh; B Dooher, B McGuigan, G Cavlan, E McGinley, P Canavan, E Mulligan.

Subs: B Robinson for Carlin, M McGee for McMenamin (both 52 mins), P Loughran for Cavanagh (55 mins), S O'Neill for McGuigan (59 mins), D McCrossan for Jordan (65 mins)

FERMANAGH: Ronan Gallagher, B Owens, R McCloskey, M Lilley, S McDermott, K Gallagher, N Cox; P Brewster, M McGrath; T Brewster, R Gallagher, C O'Reilly, C Donnelly, S Maguire, R Keenan

Subs: J Sherry for McGrath (33 mins), S Doherty for Keenan (h-t), C Bradley for O'Reilly (h-t), R McCabe for Donnelly (49 mins), N Keenan for McDermott (60 mins)

Referee: P McEnaney, Monaghan