Cavan ratings
Raymond Galligan: Just a beautifully clean kicker of the ball, the Cavan ‘keeper also grabbed a nice point. 7
Killian Clarke: Cavan’s trusted trouble-shooter. Kept pace with Mattie Donnelly before being moved onto McCurry late on. ‘Dazzler’ had already done the damage by then. 7
Padraig Faulkner: Just when the legs were starting to go he was visited by Cathal McShane. 6
Cian Reilly: Taken to school by the brilliant Darren McCurry. Didn’t have a lot of protection in front of him though. 4
Brian O’Connell: Paul Donaghy escaped his attentions early on but steadied after that. 6
Killian Brady: A couple of untidy moments and found Tyrone’s big runners through the centre hard to handle. 5.5
Jason McLoughlin: A defender named in the forward line whose job it was to stop Tyrone’s runs out of defence. A horrible task. 5
Thomas Galligan: It’s a compliment when Padraig Hampsey saddles up to you, but also desperately tough. Had a couple of good moments. 6
Conor Moynagh: Tidy in possession until he was turned over for a 28th minute Tyrone score. Lack of minutes in his legs didn't help. 5
Gerard Smith: The one player given oceans of space by Tyrone. Made use of it too by hitting a lovely first half score. 6.5
Gearoid McKiernan: Gave Michael O’Neill the run around in the first half but a change of marker curtailed him in the second half. Top-scored with 0-6. 7.5
Oisin Kiernan: Couldn’t be faulted for effort. Hit a few wides and launched a couple of decent balls in as Cavan chased goals. 6
Oisin Pierson: Found his range with a lovely left-footed score in the opening exchanges but didn’t see a lot of ball. 5
Oisin Brady: Foraged for possession but was crowded out a few times, shanked one wide before his withdrawal. 5
Martin Reilly: Unlike the Wicklow game, he was stationed higher up the pitch but didn’t get any supply. 5
Subs:
Luke Fortune: Tried to play on the front foot upon his arrival. 5
Conor Madden: He must despise the super sub tag by now. 5
Conor Smith: Had more shots than any of his team-mates. Scored a couple, missed a couple. 6
Conor Brady: Forced to chase the wrong way too often. 5
Chris Conroy: Didn’t see much ball. 5
Niall Murray: Game was up by the time of his arrival. 4
Tactical take…
Tyrone
TYRONE’S short kick-out sometimes ran into some trouble. They had four players strung across the middle of the field for kick-outs but at times none of them moved a muscle. Given Niall Morgan’s ability to go long, Tyrone may need to utilise it more given their imposing size around the middle.
They could have moved Michael O’Neill off Gearoid McKiernan before the break and they might be slightly concerned that they didn’t get a better spread of scores, but the ball into Darren McCurry was first class. Brian Kennedy offered penetration down the centre and gave the team the impetus they needed just before the break.
Tactical take…
Cavan
IT wasn't a change of marker Cavan needed to handle Darren McCurry, it was a change of strategy. Cian Reilly was left exposed as Tyrone kicked handy ball into ‘Dazzler’ who didn’t need to be asked twice. They needed two Thomas Galligans – one at midfield and one at full-forward – to stand a chance. He played in both positions but he kind of fell between two stools in the end. Their high press on Tyrone’s kick-out reaped some dividends but they couldn’t sustain it across the two halves.
Key battle
Darren McCurry (Tyrone) v Cian Reilly (Cavan)
‘DAZZLER’ hit six points in the first half – including one mark and one free. The Cavan management team should have reacted quicker as it was clear McCurry was the danger man from the outset.
By the time the change came, McCurry had assumed domination and probably the man-of-the-match award before half-time. Cian Reilly, a rookie, briefly switched off McCurry before being replaced, but there was no sweeper system to speak about, which made him look more hapless.
