All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final: Tyrone 0-12 Mayo 0-13
A BUSKER on Jones’ Road sang Don’t Look Back in Anger as Tyrone’s fans trudged home after a resurgent Mayo had dashed their dreams on Saturday.
But there was anger.
“50 cents lads,” said one fan, offering his colours to some Dublin supporters making their way to Croke Park.
There was crushing disappointment too because even though Tyrone looked sluggish in the first half, they went in level at the break, and even though they stuck too rigidly to their painstaking system in the second, the Ulster champions wasted chance after chance to win this game or at least escape with a draw.
The loss of skipper Sean Cavanagh to an unfortunate red card left them a man down for the crucial last 15 minutes and without his inspiration they managed just a single point in the final quarter.
After Mayo had edged ahead through the combative Lee Keegan, Tyrone’s Cathal McCarron, Tiarnan McCann, Niall Morgan and Darren McCurry all had chances to equalise. They didn’t take them and that was that.
On the day Mayo got their tactics right. Pushing up on the kick-outs slowed Tyrone’s build-up to a crawl, their double sweeper system negated Tyrone’s running game and, in attack, the Westerners were able to punch holes in Tyrone’s defence and keep the scoreboard kicking over.
The Red Hands didn’t help themselves by playing most of the game with one inside forward and they were reluctant to kick the ball in, even though there was evidence that the tactic would pay dividends.
In their first attack, Ronan O’Neill took McCann’s pass, turned his marker and drilled the ball across the square – Mattie Donnelly charged in, but Mayo cleared their lines.
At the other end, Mayo played with more variety and employed the long, diagonal ball tactics that assistant-manager Tony McEntee used to such good effect with Armagh during his playing days.
The early skirmishes were cagey and O’Neill shot wide – Tyrone had 31 shots for 12 points – before Peter Harte closed down Aidan O’Shea at a kick-out and won a free but Morgan curled the first of three shots wide.
O’Shea did better moments later when he opened the scoring with a swerving effort from the 45 and though Sean Cavanagh dropped another shot short, the impressive Niall Sludden raced through to equalise.
Aidan O’Shea had a sniff of goal but Colm Cavanagh got a hand in to dispossess him and roared in his ear as Tyrone cleared but when he and Ronan McNamee went for the same ball moments later, Andy Moran picked up the break to put Mayo two points to one up.
Cathal McShane and Sludden worked hard around the middle third and drove forward with the ball in their hands but the scores wouldn’t come for Tyrone and a Cillian O’Connor free put them two points ahead.
Sludden and Connor McAliskey combined to play in Donnelly who pulled one back and the Trillick midfielder equalised after Sean Cavanagh – who was well shackled by Keegan – won a hop ball.
Cillian O’Connor’s first from play edged Mayo back in front. O’Neill’s free cancelled it out but O’Connor restored his side’s advantage after a clever sideline ball routine.
Tyrone were struggling to make inroads against Mayo’s sweepers but Donnelly was dragged down by Colm Boyle and Harte tapped over the free to level it again at 0-5 apiece.
Another Harte free gave Tyrone the lead for the first time and Donnelly doubled it with a magnificent finish off his left foot – his third score of the game - after the Red Hands had snapped up a short kick-out.
But back came Mayo through Cillian O’Connor and Boyle and it was fair enough that a first half in which the sides had cancelled each other out ended in stalemate at 0-7 each.
As the players made their way to the tunnel, Jason Doherty was booked for a charge on McShane and the 15-minute break did nothing to calm the players down.
Before the restart, Keegan and Sean Cavanagh – who fought out running battle in the first half – tangled again and David Gough booked them both.
When the action began Mayo – inspired by Aidan O’Shea – seized the initiative. O’Shea rose highest to claim the throw-in and Cillian O’Connor raced through to put them ahead.
Meanwhile, Tyrone continued to search for a spark. McShane shot wide and O’Neill came up short with a free before Harte took matters into his own hands and equalised.
Mayo attacked the Hill 16 end, substitute Tom Parsons joining the attack to edge his side ahead again and, though Moran then shot wide, McShane was outnumbered when Morgan tried to find him from the restart and Seamus O’Shea rampaged through and was felled near the Tyrone 21-yard line.
O’Connor tapped over the free.
Clonoe clubman McAliskey soon did likewise and then had a chance that might have won the game.
Donnelly’s pass left him through on goal, but he went for power instead of placement and blasted a shot straight at David Clarke.
Despite the miss, Tyrone continued to scrap as Harte won the ball in his own half and ran 50 yards before he was brought down, earning McAliskey another free.
This time he scored and when Donnelly did the spadework for Harte’s third point after 52 minutes, Tyrone led 0-11 to 0-10 and had a platform to go on and win the game.
But instead they waited for Mayo to lose it and the Westerners had no intention of doing that – their fans roared as Keegan equalised from the left and, with Donnelly down getting treatment for cramp, Sean Cavanagh was shown a second yellow for a high challenge on O’Shea.
In the process he conceded a free which O’Connor scored to edge Mayo ahead once again.
Darren McCurry’s free briefly tied the scores again with six minutes to go, but Mayo fans were roaring again when Keegan put their side back into the lead
As the seconds ticked away, McCann and McCarron both missed chances to equalise. Mayo ran down the clock and kept the ball. Handpass, handpass, handpass… there were 45 passes in-a-row as Tyrone desperately tried to win the ball back.
The sequence finally came to an end and when Seamus O’Shea kicked the ball away it was moved upfield into Morgan’s range.
He was right in front of the posts but sent his shot wide and then McCurry won the ball and snatched at his effort – shooting from the wing when he should have tried to work a better option.
McCann fouled Parsons with 30 seconds left and that was it. Referee Gough blew it up and Mayo players whooped it up as though the Sam Maguire they crave had finally been delivered. They proved they haven’t passed their sell-by date, while Tyrone still need time to ripen.
Turning Point
ALTHOUGH Sean Cavanagh was having a quiet game, his sending-off seemed to inspire Mayo to another level in the closing stages.
Top Score
LEE Keegan’s equalising point in the 55th minute was magnificent. Seamus O’Shea won the turnover deep in his own half. Eight passes later, the ball was ushered to the Mayo defender and, with his weaker left foot, he struck the ball perfectly
Key Battle
Brendan Harrison (Mayo) v Ronan O’Neill (Tyrone)
IT was a day that demanded big performances and scores from Tyrone’s inside line. Brendan Harrison, Mayo’s teak-tough corner-back, ensured O’Neill was kept on the fringes. He was always touch-tight to the Omagh man and he never fell for his dummies. Of course, it’s not easy to play in Tyrone’s full-forward line as the ball is rarely kicked into them, but Harrison did everything that was asked of him.
MATCH STATS
Tyrone: N Morgan; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; T McCann, J McMahon, R McNabb; C Cavanagh, M Donnelly (0-3); C McShane, N Sludden (0-1), P Harte (0-4, 0-2 frees); C McAliskey (0-2 frees), S Cavanagh, R O’Neill (0-1 frees) Subs: R Brennan for McMahon (22), D McCurry (0-1 free) for O’Neill (42), M Bradley for McShane (46), K McGeary for McAliskey (61), J Munroe for McNabb (65), P McNulty for Sludden (68) Yellow cards: S Cavanagh 35 & 58 Red card: S Cavanagh 58
Mayo: D Clarke; B Harrison, K Higgins, L Keegan (0-2); C Boyle (0-1), P Durcan, K McLaughlin; S O’Shea, D Vaughan; A Dillon, A O’Shea (0-1), D O’Connor; J Doherty, A Moran (0-1), C O’Connor (0-7, 0-4 frees). Subs: T Parsons (0-1) for Dillon (h-t), C O’Shea for Vaughan (54), C Barrett for Boyle (57), E Regan for Moran (61), C Loftus for Doherty (65), S Coen for D O’Connor (68). Yellow cards: C Boyle (26), L Keegan (35)
Referee: D Gough (Meath)
Tyrone ratings
Niall Morgan: Forced into short kick-outs for the majority of the game and showed safe hands. Took three scoreable frees and missed them all, including a chance in injury-time that would have salvaged a draw. 5
Aidan McCrory: Marked Alan Dillon in the first half and tried to keep tabs on the excellent Cillian O’Connor in the second. Stuck to his task. 6
Ronan McNamee: Picked up Andy Moran in the first half and had a physical encounter with Aidan O’Shea in the second. Tried hard, but struggled to cope with the Breaffy man’s power. 6
Cathal McCarron: A well-timed block to prevent O’Connor from opening the scoring early on was the start of a committed display. Missed a late chance as Tyrone pushed for an equaliser. 6
Tiernan McCann: Mayo had done their homework on him and we didn’t see his trademark breaks turning defence into attack. Missed a late chance to earn Tyrone a replay. 6
Justin McMahon: Looked off the pace and was called ashore by Mickey Harte after just 22 minutes. 5
Peter Harte: Four points including two from play for the Errigal Ciaran clubman who dragged Tyrone to the brink but couldn’t get them over the line. Opted to pass to McCarron late on when he might shot. 7
Colm Cavanagh: Played at midfield, sweeper and as an emergency full-forward late on. Well-timed tackle denied Aidan O’Shea a goal chance in the first half. 6
Mattie Donnelly: Scored three first half points – all excellent efforts – and created a goal chance for Connor McAliskey with a superb pass but fluffed an easier ball to Niall Sludden soon after. Troubled by cramp and faded in the second half. 7
Cathal McShane: Worked hard around the middle third and covered a lot of ground in the Red Hands’ cause but hit two wides. Won a free for his side in the second half before being replaced. 6
Niall Sludden: Impressive showing from the Dromore clubman who saw a lot of the ball in the first half and scored an excellent point too. Quick and composed, he needs to add more scores to his game. 7
Ronan McNabb: Locked horns with Diarmuid O’Connor on Tyrone’s left wing during the first half and marked Andy Moran in the second. Moran repeatedly got out in front to win the ball. 6
Connor McAliskey: Registered two frees but he didn’t score from play and simply had to take the gilt-edged goal chance that came his way in the second half. 5
Sean Cavanagh: The Moy man was targeted by Lee Keegan and became embroiled in a wrestling match as the sides came out for the second half. Both were booked and Tyrone lost their captain after he was sent off near the hour mark. If this is the end for him, he deserved a better one but that’s sport for you. 6
Ronan O’Neill: Playing up front on his own he was hopelessly outnumbered and struggled to assert himself. Hit two wides but landed a free. 6
Substitutes
Rory Brennan: Replaced Justin McMahon as sweeper in the second half. Had some good moments but Mayo were still able to break through the middle. 6
Darren McCurry: Scored a free but snatched at an excellent chance to equalise at the death. 5 Mark Bradley: Replaced McShane and worked but couldn’t get on the ball enough to influence the game. 5
Kieran McGeary: Thrown into the maelstrom in the middle third for the closing stages. 5
Jonny Munroe: Not on long enough to be rated.
Padraig McNulty: Not on long enough to be rated.
Mayo ratings
David Clarke: Didn’t have to work too hard to save when Connor McAliskey was through with a goal chance in the second half and did well under a high ball from the same player. Some of his short kick-outs in the first half were misjudged but he put in a very decent performance overall. 7
Brendan Harrison: Won a great turnover off Ronan O’Neill in the 24th minute and didn’t allow the Tyrone forward space to find his stride. A very competent display on one of Tyrone’s pre-match dangermen. 7
Alan Dillon: Some smart play early on and landed a high ball on top of Mayo’s full-forward line which yielded a score. Had less room when Rory Brennan entered the fray before half-time and was less effective. 6
Keith Higgins: Used as an auxiliary forward this season, the experienced Ballyhaunis clubman was back in defence and spent most of his day minding Connor McAliskey. 6.5
Lee Keegan: Scored the equaliser and the winning point and kept Sean Cavanagh on the fringes, but not always by legal means. 7.5
Colm Boyle: Held Mayo’s centre very well and stole forward for a point in first half injury-time. Picked up a yellow card that allowed Peter Harte to covert the resultant free. A good game before his 58th minute withdrawal. 7
Patrick Durcan: Covered a lot of ground and was generally disciplined. Hit a wide either side of half-time. 6.5
Seamus O’Shea: A man-of-the-match contender. Won the turnover that led to Lee Keegan’s equalising score and had a few excellent aerial moments. One or two passes went astray in an otherwise solid afternoon. 8
Donal Vaughan: Good running power and wasn’t afraid to kick the ball in. Assisted for Aidan O’Shea’s point. 6
Kevin McLoughlin: Arguably his best defensive display of the year. Won a couple of excellent turnovers in the first half and his positional sense was much improved. Some of his forward runs were brilliantly timed. 7
Aidan O’Shea (Star Man): Mayo wouldn’t have won this game without the all-action Breaffy attacker. Hit a raking score from beyond the 45 metre line and his mere presence inside contributed to several other scores. Goaded on a couple of occasions by Tyrone men, O’Shea knew where his team needed him most, particularly when he dropped deep to accept David Clarke’s short kick-out as Mayo preserved their one-point advantage in the closing stages. 8.5
Diarmuid O’Connor: A very quiet game and didn’t find any real rhythm in his play. Cathal McShane tracked runs very well at times. 5.5
Jason Doherty: Completely anonymous first half that finished with a yellow card for a late hit. Covered a lot of ground in the second half but didn’t offer a scoring threat. 5.5
Andy Moran: A typically selfless display from the experienced full-forward. Had a few run-ins with Ronan McNamee and was generally well contained by the Tyrone back-line. 6
Cillian O’Connor: The kind of shooter Tyrone didn’t have. Converted four frees and grabbed three points from play. He also gave the offload for Lee Keegan to equalise in the 55th minute. 8
Substitutes
Tom Parsons: Introduced at half-time and gave Mayo more legs. Pointed in the 40th minute. 7
Conor O’Shea: Came on for Donal Vaughan and did well with the possessions he had. 6
Chris Barrett: Gave the Mayo defence more energy in the final 15 minutes. 6.5
Evan Regan: Got the final 10 minutes and won an important free that broke Tyrone’s rhythm. 5
Conor Loftus: Didn’t have a lot of time. 5
Stephen Coen: Not on long enough to be rated.
