Tyrone's strong performance not enough as they drop to Division two for first time in nine years
DIVISION TWO: Tyrone’s strongest performance of the year so far wasn’t enough to avert their relegation to Division Two of the Allianz League, a stylish seven points victory over Dublin making for a bitter-sweet afternoon at O’Neills Healy Park. Pic: ©INPHO/Lorcan Doherty
Tyrone’s strongest performance of the year so far wasn’t enough to avert their relegation to Division Two of the Allianz League, a stylish seven points victory over Dublin making for a bitter-sweet afternoon at O’Neills Healy Park.
After nine unbroken years as a top tier side, they make the drop to the second tier, despite going through their last three games unbeaten.
Results elsewhere were always likely to seal their fate, and that’s how it turned out for the Red Hands.
“I suppose we knew coming in today the only thing we could control was our own performance,” said manager Malachy O’Rourke.
“We weren't going into other permutations or anything else, that was out of our control. We got a really good performance, we're really happy with that.
“Obviously disappointed, and disappointed for all the lads, and for everyone in the county, that we'd rather be staying in Division One.
“But having said that, teams have gone down to Division Two over the last number of years, have bounced back up, it hasn't done them any long-term damage, so hopefully that'll be the same stage as ourselves.”
Darren McCurry gleefully seized his opportunity as a late pre-match replacement for the injured Mark Bradley, setting up both goals and helping himself to a nine points haul.
“Darren was really good there. He missed the last couple of games, came in and looked really sharp, he was very accurate,” said O’Rourke.
“It's great, that's what we're looking to do all the time, is get all our forwards and all our players playing to the top of their form.
“Certainly, Darren was doing that today and it was great to see him doing it.”
Now, with three weeks to prepare for an Ulster Championship first round tie against Cavan at Omagh, there’s a measure of positivity in the Tyrone camp.
They had to recover after Conn O’Callaghan plundered an early goal, out-fielding goalkeeper Niall Morgan on the 20 metre line to finish to an empty net.
But the home side responded with a goal of their own, McCurry floating a pass over the top to Darragh Canavan for a clinical finish past Gavin Sheridan, a late replacement for the unavailable Stephen Cluxton.
Level at the break, wind-assisted Tyrone bossed the second quarter, dominating the Dublin kick-outs to push on for scores from McCurry, Canavan, Kieran McGeary with a two-pointer, and Morgan with a ’45, to lead by 1-14 to 1-4 at the turnaround.
A low-scoring third quarter saw the Dubs struggle for fluency, hitting a string of wides, and conceding a second goal before they found a way to cut through a stubborn home defence.
McCurry was the creator again, sending Michael McKernan through to arrow his angled shot past Sheridan, and the Ulster men led by 13.
Late on, the Dubs hit a series of two-pointers, three of them from Cormac Costello, to narrow the gap, but they were never close to turning over a tuned in home side that finished with a couple of Ruairi Canavan scores off the bench.
Dublin manager Dessie Farrell admitted the performance fell well short of what he had been expecting.
“Disappointing, very disappointing. We were looking for a much better performance than we actually gave.
“It was a great opportunity to get another competitive game, obviously a National League final would have been a bonus.
“Overall, disappointed with the level of performance. The lads will be disappointed with the level of performance too.
“When you can reach a level of performance, you’d like to think you’d be able to sustain it for more of the time than we did. There was definitely that inconsistency from game to game and then within games themselves.
“I’m not quite sure yet quite what that’s a function of – a little bit of inexperience or…I don’t know. Is it a lack of leadership yet or lack of cohesiveness…I don’t know.”
D Canavan 1-3, M McKernan 1-0, D McCurry 0-9 (3f, 1tpf, 1tp), K McGeary (tp), R Canavan, N Morgan (2 ’45) 0-2 each, P Harte, M Donnelly 0-1 each.
: C O’Callaghan 1-0, C Cosetello 0-8 (2 tpf, 2tp), S Bugler 0-4 (1 tp), L O’Dell (tp), N Scully 0-2 each.
: N Morgan; A Clarke, P Teague, N Devlin; M McKernan, R Brennan, K McGeary; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; C Daly, M Donnelly, J Oguz; D McCurry, D Canavan, P Harte.
: S O’Donnell for Donnell (41), R Canavan for Harte (57), M O’Neill for D Canavan (61), S O’Hare for Donaghy (69)
: G Sheridan; D Byrne, T Clancy, C Tyrrell; C Murphy, S McMahon, G McEneaney; B Howard, P O Cofaigh Byrne; R McGarry, S Bugler, N Scully; K McGinnis, C O’Callaghan, C Costello.
: C Kilkenny for McGinnis (41), L O’Dell for McGarry (44), J Madden for O Cofaigh Byrne (45), D Keogh for Scully (60), E O’Donnell for McEneaney (61)
: D Coldrick (Meath).
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