Allianz Football League Division 1

MAYO 2-13 TYRONE 0-10

By Michael Devlin at Healy Park

Mayo’s second tenure under James Horan continued on a positive note with a thoroughly impressive nine-point win over Tyrone at Healy Park this afternoon.

Following last week’s gritty win over Roscommon, Mayo collected another two league points with an energetic display across the field, and indeed their margin of victory could’ve have been more only for a few spurned goal chances.

For the westerners it was a mix of the old and the new. Wing forwards Fionn McDonagh and Cian Tracey marked their first starts with 1-5 collectively from play, while experienced campaigners Andy Moran, Keith Higgins, Aidan O’Shea and Donal Vaughan all delivered fine performances.

Tyrone on the other hand failed to impress for a second successive week, only managing to register a ten-point tally following last week’s meagre 0-7 offering in Killarney. They now sit bottom of Division One, with extra importance now heaped on next weekend’s visit to Roscommon to get their league campaign off the ground.

The cold biting wind didn’t deter some 6,448 spectators from turning out in Omagh, and the Mayo faithful will certainly be pleased with proceedings on the long trip out west this evening.

Tyrone began the game the livelier of the teams and the opened the scoring from a Darren McCurry free after Matthew Donnelly was upended after a minute. Lee Brennan collected an offensive mark moments later and converted the kick.

Mayo got back on terms with McDonagh and Tracey both landing impressive scores before Peter Harte rounded two defenders to nudge Tyrone back in front again after 21st minute.

That was to be Tyrone’s last score of the half as Mayo seized control of the game with Tracey again pointing before former Footballer Of The Year Moran added two scores in quick succession. Tyrone keeper Niall Morgan had to be alert to deny Brian Reape a goal from point blank range, and his opposite number Robbie Hennelly duly converted the resulting ’45.

Mayo did hit the net though in the 31st minute when the venturing Higgins ghosted past three defenders to fire past Morgan before McDonagh pierced a hole in the Tyrone defense to put them seven up at the end of an impressive first half display from the Connacht men.

Tyrone continued to struggle with Mayo’s energy in the second half, with McDonagh adding his third point of the game after collecting Moran’s quick free. The Ballaghaderreen veteran was continuing to pull the strings and he laid on Jason Doherty for a fine score.

Tyrone did respond with points from Darren McCurry and halftime sub Conan Grugan, but some quick hands from the Mayo attack allowed Doherty to race through and take a simple score in 41st minute.

Lee Brennan replied for Tyrone but a Hennelly free kept Mayo out in front by eight points with Doherty tagging on his third score of the half from a simple free soon after. Tyrone were continuing to have a hard time of getting through the Mayo rearguard but Peter Harte managed to find room to split the posts a few minutes later.

The visitors though struck another killer blow when McDonagh collected a free kick in acres of space on the right wing to race through and smash the ball to the net past Morgan to stretch Mayo’s lead to 11 points.

The Tyrone keeper took matters into his own hands shortly after, advancing up the field to fire over a point from play as the game entered its final ten minutes, but Paddy Durcan heaped more misery on the hosts with a huge effort from the left wing that found the target.

Peter Harte and Mattie Donnelly did convert frees for Tyrone in the 68th minute but the result was well beyond doubt by that stage as Joe McQuillan sounded the full-time whistle.

Scorers for Mayo: Fionn McDonagh 1-3, Jason Doherty 0-3 (1f), Keith Higgins 1-0, Ciaran Tracey 0-2, Andy Moran 0-2 (1m), Robert Hennelly 0-2 (1 ’45 1f), Paddy Durcan 0-1

Scorers for Tyrone: Peter Harte 0-3 (1f), Darren McCurry 0-2 (1f 1m), Lee Brennan 0-2 (1m), Conan Grugan 0-1, Niall Morgan 0-1, Matthew Donnelly 0-1

MAYO: Robert Hennelly; Stephen Coen, Brendan Harrison, Keith Higgins; Michael Plunkett, Lee Keegan, Paddy Durcan; Diarmuid O’Connor, Donal Vaughan; Fionn McDonagh, Aidan O’Shea, Ciaran Tracey; Andy Moran, Brian Reape, Jason Doherty. Subs: Conor Diskin for B. Reape (44), Kevin McLoughlin for A. Moran (65), David Drake for S. Coen (67), Matthew Ruane for C. Tracey (69)

TYRONE: Niall Morgan; Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee, Hugh Pat McGeary; Tiernan McCann, Rory Brennan, Peter Harte; Brian Kennedy, Declan McClure; Matthew Donnelly, Niall Sludden, Kieran McGeary; Darren McqCurry, Frank Burns, Lee Brennan. Subs: Conan Grugan for D. McClure (HT), Padraig Hampsey for HP McGeary (HT), Kyle Coney for F. Burns (40), Conal McCann for D. McCurry (42), Conor Meyler for K. McGeary (60)

Ref: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)