All-Ireland SFC qualifiers round 1B: Tyrone 1-14 Limerick 0-9
ALTHOUGH victory was always assured, this was far from an assured performance by Tyrone.
The Red Hands began brightly, but failed to grab the goal that might have ignited their display, only finding the net legitimately through the lively Peter Harte in injury time at the end. There was some controversy attached to that wait for a major score, though, with a Cathal McCarron effort ruled out midway through the first half, apparently for a ‘square ball’.
Connor McAliskey also performed positively, but the real spark was provided by Mark Bradley, who replaced the out-of-sorts Darren McCurry before the break and brought some invention to a sluggish home side. The Killyclogher lad only scored one point – indeed only McAliskey and skipper Seán Cavanagh managed more than that for the hosts – but his movement and trickery opened up gaps in the Limerick defence, creating scores and earning frees.
Just a point separated the sides when Bradley came on but that had increased to nine by the final whistle, helped by the visitors adding just four scores in the second half.
However, the home defence cannot be wholly satisfied with their part in this performance, given that Limerick registered 10 wides to Tyrone’s five. Indeed, had Limerick’s free-taking not let them down, with key forward Ian Ryan and goalkeeper Brian Scanlon missing three and two respectively, Tyrone might have sweated a little bit more before achieving victory.
Admittedly the wind was a factor, Limerick captain Seánie Buckley winning the toss and choosing to play with the strong breeze towards the Gortin Road end behind them in the first half. Despite that, and after a 10-minute delay due to traffic congestion caused by the National Cycling Championship taking place in Omagh, Tyrone still started strongly. Mattie Donnelly scored with just over a minute played, then Harte picked out McAliskey after a piercing run through the middle, only for the Clonoe man to drag his shot wide of the near post.
When McAliskey swung over a fine score after 10 minutes, Tyrone were 0-3 to no score ahead and Limerick had lost centre half-back Cillian Fahy to a black card for a deliberate pull-down. However, the men in green came more into the game, pushing the lanky Gearóid Hegarty forward, and his height provided a focal point for their attack - indeed he got their first score, from play.
Harte again sliced through the middle, aided by a decoy run by Cathal McCarron, but when the ball came to the Dromore defender, via the hands of Darren McCurry, his ‘goal’ was ruled out by the referee, stating afterwards it had been a ‘square ball’ offence.
Captain Cavanagh earned a free after rising to catch a Harte kick-pass, McAliskey converting, but the Red Hands went almost 24 minutes without a point from play.
Limerick were growing in confidence and might even have gone in front in the 32nd minute only for McAliskey tracking back to get a hand in and deflect a pass intended to send Ryan in on goal, although Scanlon did come up and put the subsequent ‘45’ over the bar.
Another significant event also occurred in that same minute, with Bradley coming on, and Tyrone finished the half well with a superb score by McAliskey, off his right foot from the right sideline.
Donnelly started the second half at full-forward and immediately had an effect, fouled after receiving a pass from Harte, McAliskey converting the free.
Limerick swiftly responded through Cian Sheehan, but Tyrone then took over. Ronan O’Neill scored smartly from distance, then Bradley’s jinking run created a score for Tiernan McCann, before the substitute pointed himself.
Both sides almost conceded goals after the ball came back off an upright, Limerick defenders blocking shots from Seán Cavanagh and McAliskey, while at the other end Hegarty’s effort hit the post and was scrambled away.
Another foul on the livewire Bradley led to another McAliskey free conversion before three Tyrone defenders combined on a counter-attack to set up Rory Brennan from a narrow angle.
Limerick, at last, ended a 24-minute scoring drought from any source when Ryan put a free just over the bar, but Tyrone continued to pull away, including a big point from Seán Cavanagh.
The goal the hosts merited finally came when sub Joe McMahon cleverly kick-passed to McCann, who sent the ball across for Harte to palm in, meaning the final point from visiting skipper Seánie Buckley was little consolation for Limerick.
Tyrone: M O’Neill; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; R McNabb, Justin McMahon, T McCann (0-1); P Harte (1-0), C Cavanagh; R Brennan (0-1), R O’Neill (0-1), M Donnelly (0-1); D McCurry (0-1 free), S Cavanagh (0-2, 0-1 free), C McAliskey (0-6, 0-5 frees); Substitutes: M Bradley (0-1) for McCurry (32); Joe McMahon for McNabb (63); D McBride for C Cavanagh (65); R Donnelly for Justin McMahon (70); C Clarke for Harte (73); Yellow card: Donnelly (24).
Limerick: B Scanlon (0-1 ‘45’); J McCarthy, S O’Dea, R Browne (0-1 free); I Corbett, C Fahy, S Cahill; T Lee, G Hegarty (0-1); D Treacy, C Sheehan (0-1), S Buckley (0-1); D Neville, P Nash, I Ryan (0-2, 0-1 free). Substitutes: P Rannahan for Lee (54); K Moore (0-1 free) for Nash (56); C Phair for Neville (68); G Noonan for Cahill (70); Black cards: C Fahy (6) replaced by B Fanning; Treacy (36, first half) replaced by M Brosnan; Yellow card: Buckley (29).
Referee: P Neilan (Roscommon).
Attendance: 5,225
