ALL IRELAND SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 4 QUALIFIER

TYRONE 1-20 CAVAN 0-7

By Michael Devlin at St Tiernach’s Park, Clones

For all the bristling vigour and energy shown by Cavan in their Ulster Championship campaign, their season ended with a whimper as Tyrone ruthlessly showcased their power in Clones this afternoon.

A scoring spree midway through the first half yielded seven points in a row for Tyrone that put them firmly in the driving seat, and they kept their foot on the pedal in the second period to run out comfortable sixteen-point winners.

They now take their place in All-Ireland SFC Quarter-final Group Two, beginning next week with a trip to Dr Hyde Park to take on Connacht champions Roscommon. For Cavan, it brings to an end a season that brought both league relegation from Division One and a first Ulster final in 18 years.

An early free from Cavan’ Niall Murray opened the game, but Tyrone responded with rookie midfielder Brian Kennedy pointing from distance before Niall Morgan got his free-taking off to a good start with a successful effort from over 55 metres.

Gearoid McKiernan made no mistake with a free of his own from range, but Tyrone were straight back down the field and Niall Sludden curled over a nice score from a tight angle from the right wing to make it 0-3 to 0-2 Tyrone after 12 minutes.

Moments later, the outstretched foot of Cavan keeper Raymond Galligan denied Tyrone a goal as Kennedy's snapshot from Cathal McShane’s offload in the penalty area was diverted behind. Morgan confidently nailed the resulting 45’ to put Tyrone two up.

Mickey Harte's men were beginning to settle in, and Colm Cavanagh found room to split the posts. The Red Hands were measured in their build up, moving the ball between carriers with confidence and patience, and Conor Meyler drew a foul in a scorable zone to which McShane opened his account. Darren McCurry then pounced for three points in a row as Tyrone moved into a seven-point lead coming up to the half hour mark.

Cavan hadn’t scored in over 17 minutes, but substitute Conor Madden ended that wait with his side’s first point from play of the afternoon. It was immediately cancelled out by another McShane free however, before Harte followed up with his own from a difficult angle.

McShane’s third point from placed balls came as Tyrone’s firm grip on proceedings continued in the approach to halftime. With Cavan still not pressurising in the tackle, Tyrone had seemingly claimed almost complete ownership of the ball and they went in at the break in a comfortable 0-12 to 0-3 position.

Gerard Smith got the second half up and running, but Tyrone were able to push out their lead through Sludden and Harte (free). McKiernan got his second of the afternoon from a placed ball soon after, but, another Harte free followed before Cavan lost the services of Killian Clarke after a black card foul.

McShane then showed why he has been Tyrone’s standout performer this season with two points quick succession, both coming by way of direct ball kicked in by from McGeary and Harte.

A long time had passed since the game was contest by the stage Ben McDonnell, only newly introduced in the 65th minute, outjumped Galligan to collect a speculative Cavanagh effort, before rolling the Cavan keeper and easily passing the ball to the net. With that, the game was well and truly  done. Fellow sub Conal McCann added a point to his name soon after to push the gap out even further, with Niall Murray tagging on a consolation free moments later for Cavan.

Two more Harte scores took his tally to 0-5 for the day, before he left the game after receiving a black card in the closing moments. Dara McVeety’s point just before the end was the last action of Cavan’s day, and season, and it was Tyrone who marched on into the quarter-final stage meeting with Connacht champions Roscommon next week.

Tyrone scorers: Cathal McShane 0-5 (3f), Peter Harte 0-5 (4f), Darren McCurry 0-3, Ben McDonnell 1-0, Niall Sludden 0-2, Niall Morgan 0-2 (1f ’45), Brian Kennedy 0-1, Colm Cavanagh 0-1, Conal McCann 0-1.

Cavan scorers: Niall Murray 0-2 (2f), Gearóid McKiernan 0-2 (2f), Conor Madden 0-1, Gerard Smith 0-1.

TYRONE: Niall Morgan; Hugh Pat McGeary, Ronan McNamee, Rory Brennan; Michael Cassidy, Kieran McGeary, Frank Burns; Colm Cavanagh, Brian Kennedy; Matthew Donnelly, Niall Sludden, Peter Harte; Darren McCurry, Cathal McShane, Conor Meyler.

SUBS: Kyle Coney for D. McCurry (45), Connor McAliskey for HP McGeary (48), Michael McKernan for M. Cassidy (49), Ben McDonnell for K. McGeary (56), Conal McCann for N. Sludden (64), Richie Donnelly for C. McShane (65).

**CAVAN:**Raymond Galligan; Jason McLoughlin; Pádraig Faulker, Conor Moynagh; Conor Rehill, Killian Clarke, Ciarán Brady; Conor Brady, Gearóid McKiernan; Niall Murray, Dara McVeety, Gerard Smith; Barry Fortune, Cian Mackey, Martin Reilly.

SUBS: Conor Madden for C. Rehill (22), Oisin Kiernan for J. McLoughlin (31), Caoimhin O'Reilly for C. Brady (HT), Stephen Murray for M. Reilly (HT), Thomas Galligan for K. Clarke (black card 45), Killian Brady for P. Faulkner (55).

Referee: Barry Cassidy (Doire)