Cork continue revival

Tyrone 0-8 Cork 0-14

Cork’s revival continued at Healy Park, where they took a second Ulster scalp in a row with a convincing win over Tyrone.

The ease with which the Rebels brought the Red Hands’ eight-match winning run to an end will have given manager Conor Counihan untold cheer, and brought unease in equal measure to his counterpart Mickey Harte.

Aidan Walsh was an immense figure in midfield for the Munster men, capping a powerhouse display with three wonderful points from play.

But Cork were on top in every department, snuffing out all the Tyrone threats in front of their own fans in the crowd of 5,245.

Cork raced into a three points lead, with Colm O’Neill converting two free and barry O’Driscoll landing a long range effort from play.

Tyrone were sluggish and disorganised in those opening stages, struggling to come to terms with the Rebels’ strong support game.

They didn’t register their opening score until the 18th minute, when Ronan O’Neill steered over a point from a narrow angle.

And they went level soon afterwards Stephen O’Neill and Kyle Coney both hitting the target to raise the spirits of the home fans among the 5,245-strong crowd.

However, Cork, getting the edge in midfield through Graham Canty and Aidan Walsh, restored their two points advantage with points from O’Neill and substitute Donncha O’Connor.

They scored five of the last six points of the half, hitting superb long range scores through Walsh, O’Connor and Paul Kerrigan, to go in at the break with a 0-8 to 0-4 lead.

And the Munster men stretched their lead with two more in the opening two minutes of the second half.

Mark Collins clipped over a free, and the excellent Walsh powered through for another eye-catching strike from distance

Tyrone made a raft of positional switches, pushing Joe McMahon and Colm Cavanagh into attack, but they couldn’t live with the energy and drive of Walsh, and failed definitively in their efforts to turn the game around.

They could only manage four points in the second half, while their opponents teased and tested a defence that was pulled and stretched by the clever running lines of P{aul Kerrigan and Fintan Goold.

Walsh powered over two more splendid scores, and there was another wonderful effort from O’Neill, who curled his shot over the bar from wide on the right.

Joe McMahon took over the long range free kicking duties from goalkeeper Niall Morgan and sent a 55 metre effort between the posts, and the home side also registered scores from Ronan O’Neill and martin Penrose frees.

Mickey Harte’s side did create the game’s only genuine goal chance when Sean Cavanagh crafted the opening for substitute Penrose, but he drilled his shot into the side netting.

Tyrone scorers: R O’Neill 0-2 (1f), S Cavanagh (f), J McMahon (f), C Gormley (f), K Coney, S O’Neill, M Penrose (f) 0-1 each.

Cork scorers: C O’Neill 0-5 (3f), A Walsh 0-3, P Kerrigan, D O’Connor 0-2 each, M Collins (f), B O’Driscoll 0-1 each.

Tyrone: N Morgan, A McCrory, C Gormley, C McCarron, R McKenna, Joe McMahon, R McNamee, C Cavanagh, S Cavanagh, P McNeice, P Harte, Mattie Donnelly, K Coney, S O’Neill, R O’Neill.

Subs: A Cassidy for McNeice (h-t), Mark Donnelly for R O’Neill (53), C McGinley for McKenna (55), M Penrose for Coney (58)

Cork: K O’Halloran, M Shields, P Kissane, E Cadogan, T Clancy, N O’Leary, J O’Sullivan, G Canty, A Walsh, F Goold, M Collins, P Kerrigan, B O’Driscoll, C Sheehan, C O’Neill.

Subs: D O’Connor for Sheehan (20), J McLoughlin for O’Sullivan (h-t), C O’Driscoll for B O’Driscoll (53)

Referee: C Reilly (Meath).

Referee: C Reilly (Meath).