Canavan inspires Tyrone to SFC win

Tyrone 1-13 Down 1-6

Peter Canavan returned to inspire Tyrone to an Ulster Football Championship triumph over Down at Omagh.

The All-Ireland winning skipper came in from the cold, and a substituted appearance 15 minutes into the second half sent Healy Park wild.

Canavan swung over two vintage scores as the Mourne challenge wilted and the Red Hands marched on to a semi-final meeting with either Cavan or Antrim.

Tyrone looked the more potent attacking force throughout the opening quarter, racing into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead with scores from defender Philip Jordan, Enda McGinley, Martin Penrose and two Owen Mulligan frees.

Colin Holmes was winning the midfield battle and full back Chris Lawn was enjoying tremendous success as Benny Coulter's shadow.

But everything changed in the 22nd minute. Coulter, who hadn't got his hands on the ball all afternoon, for once slipped his marker, collecting Dan Gordon's long punt to dart round Lawn and plant a crisp shot in the bottom corner of the net.

Suddenly the sides were level, and Tyrone struggled to rediscover their earlier fluency.

They did string together a wonderful move, started deep in defence by Ryan McMenamin and ending with Owen Mulligan punching to the net from Stephen O'Neill's cross.

But after consulting with his umpires. Laois referee Maurice Deegan ruled out the score for a square ball infringement.

Down recovered and Ambrose Rodgers shot them ahead for the first time on the half-hour.

As the rain lashed Healy Park, the first half finished in a welter of excitement, with Ryan mellon levelling, before Coulter cut in from the left for the lead point, and it was left to Mulligan to square it up from a free, the sides level at 0-7 to 1-4 at the break.

Fifteen minutes of Tyrone pressure produced just one score, but at the start of the second half, the Red Hands got through for the goal they deserved.

Colin Holmes and Enda McGinley had tightened their grip on the central area, and it ws Stephen O'Neill who sent Martin Penrose to belt the ball past Brendan McVeigh.

Ambrose Rodgers responded with a point, but Down were smothered out of the game, and that was one of just two second half scores they managed.

Canavan's introduction had an electrifying effect. It was just like old times when he jinked through for a gem, and then planted a sindeline ball between the posts.

Cavanagh and O'Neill finished the job off, and Murtah was rendered virtually redundant by a combination of Ryan McMenamin's glue-like marking and a poor supply of quality ball.

Tyrone: P McConnell, R McMenamin, C Lawn, S Sweeney, C Gormley, G Devlin, P Jordan (0-1), C Holmes, S Cavanagh (0-2), P Donnelly, M Penrose (1-1), R Mellon (0-1), O Mulligan (0-3, 3 frees), S O'Neill (0-2), E McGinley (0-1).

Subs: P Canavan (0-2, 1 free) for Mellon, J McMahon for Donnelly, L Meenan for Penrose

Down: B McVeigh, M Cole, A Scullion, G Barry, B Grant, A O'Prey, D Rafferty, A Molloy, D Gordon, L Doyle (0-2, 1 free), A Rodgers (0-3), J Clarke, C Laverty, B Coulter (1-1), R Murtagh.

Subs: R Sexton for Clarke, S Ward for Laverty, A Rice for Barry, D Hughes for Murtagh, J Doran for Molloy

Referee:M Deegan (Laois)

Wides: Tyrone 9, Down 3

Yellow cards:

Tyrone: Gavin Devlin, Ryan McMenamin, Colin Holmes, Chris Lawn

Down: Brendan Grant, Benny Coulter, Gavin Barry, Liam Doyle

Red cards: None

Attendance: 19,000