Mayo ends Tyrone’s dream run

Tyrone 1-11 Mayo 0-16

A confident display by John Maughan’s side brought a fourth successive victory, and now the Connacht men have emerged as genuine contenders for the NFL title.

And they won it without inspirational skipper Kieran McDonald. The Mortimer brothers stepped up a gear to punish Tyrone, hitting a combined total of eight points as Mayo hit a golden spell either side of half-time, during which they hit eight points without reply.

A much-changed Red Hand side showed seven changes from the team that won in Cork a week earlier. And there were notable positional adjustments, with Sean Cavanagh returning to midfield from the half forward slot he had occupied all season, and Enda McGinley reverting to his more familiar role after a spell at full-back.

Tyrone made a flying start, going five points ahead inside the opening 11 minutes, and once again, it was the in-form Stephen O’Neill who carried the attacking threat.

He opened the scoring in the third minute, before Cavanagh converted a 20 metre free. Defender Brian Robinson combined with Brian Dooher to drive forward from the back for an excellent score, and Cavanagh was on target again, having played a one-two with O’Neill.

O’Neill delighted the big Healy Park crowd when he darted past four defenders before floating over a gem off the outside of his boot from the left wing, and Mayo were reeling, 0-5 to 0-0 down.

Conor Mortimer got their first score in the 13th minute, but O’Neill responded immediately with another majestic score.

But the Connacht men were growing in confidence, and with James Nallen and Billy Joe Padden giving them presence in the central area, they started to test the home defence.

Conor Mortimer and Alan Dillon narrowed the gap, and Nallen lifted his colleagues with a fine long range point.

O’Neill brought his tally to five, but his 28th minute effort proved to be his side’s last of the half, and Mayo finished strongly, with a fisted effort from Trevor Mortimer, a Padden score created by the combined efforts of Peadear Gardiner and Andy Moran, before Dillon edged them in front for the first time from a free, leaving them ahead 0-8 to 0-7 at the break.

And they kept the momentum going on the restart, reeling off four points, from Conor Moran, Gardiner, Trevor Mortimer and Aidan Kilcoyne.

Tyrone once again relied heavily on O’Neil for scores, and he pulled back two points, before the men from the west pushed forward again to nail on quality scores from the Mortimer brothers and Gardiner.

There were some anxious moments at the back for Mayo, and when Cavanagh sent O’Neill through, his shot was blocked, and when Mellon connected with the rebound, Liam O’Malley hacked the ball off the line.

Conor Mortimer stretched Mayo’s lead to seven points, but in the 61st minute, Tyrone gave themselves fresh hope when Ryan McMenamin joined the attack, crossing for Martin Penrose to palm to the net.

The Red Hands almost had another goal five minutes later, but David Clarke reacted superbly to push Penrose’s fisted effort away for a ‘45’, which O’Neill converted.

He added a free to narrow the gap to two, but time ran out for Mickey Harte’s side, and Mayo emerged triumphant once again.

TYRONE: J Devine, R McMenamin, C Lawn, M McGee, B Robinson (0-1), G Devlin, D Harte, C Holmes, S Cavanagh (0-1), B Dooher, S O’Neill (0-8, 1 free, 1 ‘45’), E McGinley, M Harte, M Penrose (1-0), R Mellon (0-1, 1 free). Subs: M Coleman for M Harte, J McMahon for Robinson, S Sweeney for D Harte, B Meenan for Mellon.

MAYO: D Clarke, L O’Malley, D Heaney, K Higgins, G Mullins, J Nallen (0-1), P Gardiner (0-2), J Gill, BJ Padden, A Moran, T Mortimer (0-3), A Kilcoyne (0-1), C Mortimer (0-5, 3 frees), A Dillon (0-2, 1 free), J Prenty. Subs: P Kelly for Gill, M Conroy for Prenty, A Costello for Kilcoyne.