Mayo pick up vital win against lacklustre 14-man Tyrone
BADLY NEEDED: After defeats to Dublin and Galway in the opening rounds, Mayo picked up their first points of the league against Tyrone. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
A win is a win. For Mayo, the vital task today was to get points on the board. They ended up two-point victors over an unimpressive Tyrone side that finished with 14 men due to Michael McKernan’s late red card.
It was a first half that threatened to become farcical. By the turnaround, Tyrone led 0-5 to 0-4. An announcement over the Hastings Insurance MacHale Park tannoy threatened patrons that if they left the ground at half-time, they would have to buy another ticket to return. They needn’t have worried.
Mayo kicked off with a spell of keep-ball for over two minutes. Eventually, Enda Hession raised his arm in a signal and Eoghan McLaughlin was isolated on the wing in front of the stand. They switched across, he broke fast and Frank Irwin finished the move with a simple point.
The next point did not come until the 17th-minute mark. Goalkeeper Niall Morgan found the target after an early wide during a particularly blunt Tyrone spell. They scored once from their first five shots.
With the home outfit one point ahead, Conor Reid received a harsh black card that ultimately instigated widespread confusion. A team can still attack or defend with 11 if they are reduced to 14 by leaving two up, or two back. A Mayo attack was stopped after enraged Tyrone protests that they only had two back. Referee Barry Cassidy then realised they did not have to keep three defenders inside their own half and restarted the tie.
An awesome Mark Bradley effort from an acute angle and a late Eoin McElholm point gave Malachy O’Rourke’s side a slim advantage at the interval.
Jordan Flynn landed a corker to register Mayo’s third-ever two-pointer. They were then punished for two three-up breaches with Darren McCurry settling for one-point frees. There were extensive discussions between both management teams the second time as everyone tried to get to grips with this new reality.
A third Morgan point provoked a real Mayo reaction for the first time all afternoon. Ryan O’Donoghue came on and kicked a free, Aidan O’Shea drew another roar from the home crowd as he emerged for his first appearance of the season. Fellow replacement Fergal Boland slotted over and Irwin added another.
By the time Cathal McShane responded with a free, it was a level match with five minutes left. Tyrone’s finish was timid. Morgan drove forward once more but failed to beat Eoin O’Donoghue on the line.
Ryan O’Donoghue kicked another free, McKernan was sent off after picking up a second yellow for a heavy hit on Davitt Neary. Boland made the final margin two before the end. A moderate pitch invasion greeted the final whistle and the first win of 2025. Mayo have settled.
F. Irwin 0-3; J. Flynn (1 tp); F. Boland, R. O’Donoghue (2 frees) 0-2 each; D. Neary, M. Ruane, C. McHale (free).
N. Morgan 0-3 (1 free); D. McCurry 0-2 frees; M. Bradley, E. McElholm, M. McKernan, B. Kennedy, C. McShane (free) 0-1 each.
C. Reape; E. O’Donoghue, E. Hession, D. McHugh; S. Coen, D. McBrien, E. McLaughlin; M. Ruane, C. Reid; J. Flynn, D. McHale, D. Neary; P. Towey, F. Irwin, C. McHale.
R. O’Donoghue for McHale (half-time), F. Boland for Towey (46), A. O’Shea for Neary (54-64), J. Coyne for Coen (60), A O’Shea for Reid (64), S. Callinan for McLaughlin (68).
N. Morgan; A. Clarke, P. Teague, N. Devlin; R. Brennan, M. McKernan, L. Gray; C. Kilpatrick, B. Kennedy; S. O’Donnell, K. McGeary, C. Daly; M. Bradley, D. McCurry, E. McElholm.
S. O’Hare for (Gray (half-time), R. Cassidy for O’Donnell, M. Donnelly for McGeary (46), A. Donaghy for Daly (60), C. McShane for Cassidy (61 – blood).
B. Cassidy (Derry).
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