76 not out for Tyrone colossus Sean Cavanagh
Cavanagh’s involvement inside the Thurles whitewash brought to 76 the number of championship appearances he has made for the Red Hand County, a new Tyrone record.
Thirteen summers on, he can still vividly recallhis championship debut.
“It was May 19, 2002. I ended up getting a lucky goal towards the end to draw it. I can remember almost every one of those 76 games. They have disappeared like a lightning bolt in the past 13 years.”
Cavanagh and his side enjoyed a slender 0-7 to 0-6 advantage at the end of a hugely competitive first period .
The favourites had been patient in both defence and attack, and while their opponents lacked real penetration to cut through the 13-man wall they were confronted with each time they moved inside the Tyrone 45m line, they didn’t shy from the challenge.
What materialised at the change of ends, however, was an established county delivering a footballing lesson to their ill-disciplined and one-dimensional hosts. 0-12 to 0-1, the winners outscored Tipperary in the second 35 minutes.
The problems with Steven O’Brien’s hamstring were highlighted by the long black stripe running up his left leg, while a subdued Colin O’Riordan was also substituted before the finish.
Having played the full hour in Tipperary’s Munster U21 hurling semi-final defeat on Thursday evening, O’Riordan was a shadow of the colossus who almost dragged the Premier County across the line in the All-Ireland U21 decider against Tyrone in early May.
That contest, littered with cynical play, had soured relations between the counties and that animosity boiled to the surface in first-half stoppages when Michael Quinlivan delivered a crunching, yet fair shoulder that floored Conor Meyler, and a melee spilled onto the sideline.
T he Tipperary management avoided a tunnel brawl by keeping their players on the field as Tyrone returned to the dressing room.
Four turnovers in the opening four minutes of the game had suggested Tipp would struggle. Runners from deep — mainly Sean Cavanagh and Peter Harte — pierced holes in the home defence. Conor McAliskey (0-1 free), Cavanagh and two Darren McCurry frees moved Mickey Harte’s side in front; Tipp relied on the dead-ball accuracy of Kevin O’Halloran.
The corner-forward struck their opener on nine minutes and his second, along with well-engineered scores from Robbie Kiely and Michael Quinlivan, tied proceedings after 20 minutes.
Then went Tyrone through the gears. Peter Harte was on the mark after a superb block on Quinlivan at the other end, with Cavanagh and a second Harte minor reestablishing Tyrone’s three-point cushion.
Tipp, through O’Halloran (two frees), would narrow the gap, but such was the energy expanded in creating the opening, there was very little left in the tank on the restart. After three attacks broke down, a flurry scores at the other end from McAliskey (0-2), McCurry (0-3) and Mattie Donnelly, the game was up for Creedon’s charges. As their card count soared, David Gough was given reason to reach for red as Liam Casey, on the field two minutes, stamped on Colm Cavanagh.
Four unanswered points between the 46th and 54th minutes moved Tyrone 0-13 to 0-6 ahead. The ease at which the gap had been established deflated Tipperary and the final quarter was one-way traffic.
Peter Creedon’s decision to step down as Tipperary manager. The hunt for his successor is set to begin immediately.
Tipp scoring just one point in the entire second period, a 66th minute Kevin O’Halloran free.
Peter Harte covered many roles for Tyrone, and, indeed, almost every blade of grass on the Semple Stadium turf. Linked defence with attack on numerous occasions.
Tyrone’s defensive set-up frustrated Tipperary, while for the home outfit, the decision to start Steven O’Brien would have to be questioned as the Ballina youngster, having missed the Louth game with a hamstring injury, was clearly nowhere near full fitness.
Busy afternoon for David Gough. The Meath official handed out one red, 10 yellow and one black. Was far too inconsistent in his decision-making, though.
Tyrone await their opponents from this morning’s fourth round qualifier draw.
D McCurry (0-5, 0-3 frees); C McAliskey (0-5, 0-3 frees); S Cavanagh, M Donnelly (0-3 each); P Harte (0-2); C McCann (0-1).
K O’Halloran (0-5, 0-4 frees, 0-1 ‘45); M Quinlivan, R Kiely (0-1 each).
N Morgan; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; R McMahon, J McMahon, T McCann; C Cavanagh, M Donnelly; C Meyler, P Harte, M Bradley; D McCurry, S Cavanagh, C McAliskey.
C McCann for McCurry (52 mins), B Tierney for Meyler (57), R O’Neill for Bradley (61), C Clarke for C Cavanagh (61), P McNulty for Harte (64), C McShane for McAliskey (67).
E Comerford; A Campbell, P Codd, C McDonald; S Kennedy, R Kiely, B Fox; C O’Riordan, P Acheson; G Mulhair, S O’Brien, P Austin, C Sweeney, M Quinlivan, K O’Halloran.
J Lonergan for Sweeney (40 mins), L Casey for O’Brien (54), J Feehan for McDonald (58, bc), B Grogan for Austin (60), B Mulvihill for O’Riordan (65), C O’Shaughnessy for Mulhair (66).
D Gough (Meath).
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