Mickey Harte hails Tiernan McCann effort as Tyrone break free

Tyrone 1-10 Meath 0-11: Two teams virtually crippled by the fear of losing finally threw off the chains at Healy Park, and it was Tyrone who found a way to handle the pressure.

Peter Harte’s second half goal was the difference, giving the Red Hands a deserved two points win and a place in this morning’s All-Ireland Round 3B Qualifier draw.

Meath had their noses in front in the 54th minute when Tyrone’s Tiernan McCann, a powerhouse performer off the bench, was felled as he went for goal.

Referee Ciaran Branagan awarded a penalty, and Harte blasted home from the spot.

That was the signal for a negative, sterile contest to blossom in front of 6,895 erstwhile frustrated spectators.

The Royals reached out for the redemption they so badly needed following their embarrassing collapse in the Leinster semi-final, and made a game of it with Graham Reilly and sub Kevin Reilly firing over points to set up a tight finish.

McCann’s influence was hailed by manager Mickey Harte, who had made a tough call prior to the throw-in. Having named the Killyclogher man in his half forward line, he left him off the team in favour of debutant Richie Donnelly.

“Well that is Tiernan’s style of play. He was unlucky not to start the game but that’s what he revels in, he loves direct running and carrying the ball and he was a big, big threat for us.”

Harte was worried at the interval, having watched his team score just three points while playing with the wind.

“At half time it didn’t look pretty for us only scoring three points, but at the same time we knew we were still in the game.”

He threw in McCann and Darren McCurry, and his team developed an edge which started to cut through a stubborn Royal defence.

“Sometimes that happens, you make changes and there’s evidence that it’s working pretty quickly.

“You do the same things on other days and they wouldn’t work at all. That’s the challenge of management. When it works, you’re brilliant and when it doesn’t, you’re a fool.

“We were carrying the ball quite a lot and had set ourselves up to defend in the first half because we saw how prolific Meath were in the first half against Westmeath.

“We couldn’t afford to give them 2-10 in one half anyway so that was our priority.”

Meath boss Mick O’Dowd vented his frustration at the unavailability of a raft of key players, including the influential Conor Gillespie, who has had to endure an injury nightmare over the past couple of seasons.

“This Meath team is doing all it can, in the context of having its most influential players sitting on the bench for the last two seasons,” he said.

“I don’t think people who are so quick to criticise the team, actually understand that. If they looked at any other county and took their most influential player out of their team (imagine the impact). But that’s what Conor Gillespie is for us.

O’Dowd sensed that a shock could be on the cards when Meath led at half-time after playing against the breeze, but the penalty was the decisive score.

“We were happy to be ahead at half time. Then in the second half, Tyrone probably ran at us a little bit. We kicked a few scores but, with 15, 16 minutes to go we conceded a goal. It’s a killer time to concede a goal and that was the difference.”

A negative, defensive first half did little to excite the 6,895 spectators who turned up hoping to see a feisty renewal of an old rivalry.

Sean Cavanagh’s two points separated the sides when Meath scored their first point after almost half an hour’s labour.

There had been warning signs that they had found a way to break down Tyrone’s packed defence, when Michael Newman had a shot kept out by goalkeeper Niall Morgan’s trailing foot.

Then they reeled off four points in the space of five minutes through Newman (2 frees), Graham Reilly and Donncha Tobin to lead by 0-4 to 0-3 at the break.

Harte introduced McCann and McCurry for the second half, and they added a new dimension to what had to be a more attack-minded strategy.

McCurry and Mark Bradley provided the trickery, and McCann pushed Meath onto the back foot with his driving runs, while the experienced Joe McMahon rallied a tight defence.

Harte levelled, but Donal Keogan nudged the Leinster outfit back in front, and they still held the lead until McCann won the 54th minute penalty which Harte smashed home.

The Royals rallied again for Graham Reilly and substitute Kevin Reilly to fire over points, but Tyrone held on, with Bradley and McCann hitting the scores that kept their noses in front to the end.

Scorers for Tyrone:

P Harte 1-1 (1-0 pen), M Bradley (0-3, one free), S Cavanagh (0-2), C McAliskey (0-1, free), R McNabb (0-1), D McCurry (0-1)

Scorers for Meath:

G Reilly (0-3), M Newman (0-2, two frees), K Reilly (0-2), D Keogan (0-1), D Tobin (0-1), B Menton (0-1), B McMahon (0-1)

Tyrone:

N Morgan, A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron, R McNabb, Joe McMahon, R Brennan, P Harte, C Cavanagh, R Donnelly, M Donnelly, B Tierney, M Bradley, S Cavanagh, C McAliskey.

Subs:

T McCann for Donnelly, D McCurry for Tierney (both half-time), C McCann for Brennan (43 mins), R O’Neill for McAliskey (62 mins), C McShane for Bradley (71 mins).

Meath:

C McHugh, J McEntee, C McGill, D Tobin, D Keogan, D Dalton, P Harnan, B Menton, H Rooney, G Reilly, M Newman, A Tormey, E Wallace, S Bray, B McMahon.

Subs:

D Lenihan for Wallace (inj, 13 mins), K Reilly for Newman (56 mins), S Tobin for Bray (63 mins), J Wallace for McMahon (64 mins), M Burke for McEntee (66 mins), B Power for Dalton (70 mins).

Referee:

C Branagan (Down).