All-Ireland Senior Football Championship round three, group one: Tyrone 0-31 Cavan 0-18
Tyrone returned to winning ways with a comprehensive 13-point defeat of Cavan in Brewster Park to top Group One and progress to the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals.
The Breffnimen have the consolation of a place in the preliminary quarter-finals after Donegal’s last-gasp win over Mayo in Dr Hyde Park.
The group was finely poised ahead of Sunday’s final round of games with all four teams locked on two points after two games.
Tyrone were handed a boost before throw-in with their skipper Brian Kennedy passed fit to start in place of Ben McDonnell while All-Ireland winning captain Padraig Hampsey was drafted in for Mark Bradley.
However, Tyrone lost another of their most influential players just four minutes into the contest with Michael McKernan forced off with a shoulder injury.
His replacement, Peter Harte, had a fine game while several other members of their 2021 All-Ireland team playing starring roles including Mattie Donnelly and Kieran McGeary while Conor Meyer made his first appearance since 2023’s quarter-final defeat to Kerry.
Cavan’s last win over Tyrone in Championship football was back in 1983 and they rarely looked like changing that stat as the Red Hands dominated proceedings.
Cormac O’Reilly’s early brace matched points from Darragh Canavan and Donnelly and a two-point free moved Tyrone two ahead before Donnelly added another after a fairly tense opening 15 minutes.
However, Tyrone upped the ante in the second quarter and outscored Cavan 0-12 to 0-6 before half-time with Canavan, McCurry, Harte and Donnelly all on target with Paddy Lynch’s free keeping Cavan alive.
Kieran McGeary’s point after the hooter was the third such score Cavan have conceded in their last two outings as Tyrone led 0-17 to 0-8 at the break.
When these sides met in the Ulster quarter-final, Cavan mounted a fightback in the second half thanks to a rally of two-pointers from Dara McVeety.
Yet, they almost fell further behind when Seanie O’Donnell put Canavan in on goal in the opening moments of the second half, but the Errigal Ciaran clubman’s shot was superbly blocked by Brian O’Connell before Lynch converted a two-point free at the other end.
O’Reilly brought his tally to 0-4 from play, but Tyrone kept the scoreboard ticking over with McCurry starting to cause the Cavan rearguard headaches. Having barely featured in the first 20 minutes, the Edendork clubman finished the day as his side’s leading scorer once more with 0-9 to his credit.
That tally was matched by Lynch, although Cavan only ever managed to cut the gap to eight points when Lynch’s only point from play followed a two-pointer from substitute Ryan O’Neill.
Tyrone simply had more scoring options with 11 different players contributing to their 0-31 haul with the injury to McKernan the only blemish on an impressive afternoon’s work for O’Rourke’s men.
TYRONE: N Morgan 7 0-2 (1tpf), C Quinn 7, P Teague 7, N Devlin 6 0-1; M McKernan, R Brennan 7 0-3 (1tp), P Hampsey 7; B Kennedy 6, C Kilpatrick 7; S O’Donnell 7 0-1, K McGeary 9 0-1, C Daly 7 0-1; D McCurry 8 0-9 (0-3fs, 1tpf), M Donnelly 8 0-4, D Canavan 8 0-5 (0-1f).
Subs: P Harte 8 0-2 (1tp) for McKernan (4), A Clarke 6 for Devlin (29), E McElholm 7 0-1 for Donnelly (47), C Meyler 6 for McGeary (54), B McDonnell 6 for Kilpatrick (66).
CAVAN: L Brady 7; N Carolan 7, K Brady 6, C Reilly 6; B O’Connell 7, C Brady 6, P Faulkner 5; O Kernan 6, E Crowe 7; G Smith 5, D McVeety 5, O Brady 6 0-1; C O’Reilly 8 0-4, P Lynch 8 0-9 (0-3fs, 2tpf, 0-1 45), C Madden 5.
Subs: S McEvoy 6 0-1 for K Brady (31), R O’Neill 7 0-2 (1tp) for Smith (49), R Curran 6 0-1 for Kiernan (53), K Clarke 5 for C Brady (60), L Fortune 5 for Reilly (65).
REFEREE: P Neilan (Roscommon).
Key Events
Feeling the Blues
Cavan are well beaten here in Enniskillen but must lift themselves for a preliminary quarter-final next weekend. That win over Mayo earlier in the group means their season is very much alive. It will be Dublin, Kerry or Down next for Ray Galligan's side, away from home.
What next?
All-Ireland Quarter-Finalists: Meath, Monaghan, Tyrone and Armagh
1st Seeds (Home Preliminary Quarter-Final next weekend): Dublin, Kerry, Donegal and Down
2nd Seeds: (Away preliminary quarter-final next weekend): Galway, Cork, Louth and Cavan.
The draw will take place tomorrow morning at 8.30am or so on RTE radio for the preliminary quarter-finals and will feature two pots. The first seeds will be in one and have home advantage with the second seeds in the other.
Repeats of group final games which won't be allowed are Donegal v Cavan, Down v Louth, Kerry v Cork and Dublin v Galway
Full-time: Tyrone 0-31 Cavan 0-18
Eoin McElholm adds his name to the scoresheet on the full-time whistle. The Red Hands top Group One, Donegal finish second and will have home advantage in the preliminary quarter-finals. Cavan, despite losing today, finish third and are on the road next weekend while Mayo are out of the Championship
Tyrone 0-30 Cavan 0-18
Tyrone move to 0-30 as Darragh Canavan splits the posts. Donegal have beaten Mayo so Tyrone will top Group One. Cavan will also progress thanks to their head-to-head win over Mayo
Tyrone 0-29 Cavan 0-17
Peter Harte is fouled by Killian Clarke and Darren McCurry converts the free
Tyrone 0-28 Cavan 0-17
Seanie O'Donnell is fouled and Darren McCurry converts from outside the arc for a two-pointer
Tyrone 0-25 Cavan 0-17
Cavan are threatening a comeback here. . . the gap is eight as Ruairi Curran scores from play
Tyrone 0-25 Cavan 0-15
Ryan O'Neill lands a two-pointer for Cavan to cut the gap to 10 with 12 minutes remaining
Conor Meyler returns
The Tyrone star makes his first appearance in two years as he replaces Kieran McGeary
Goal chance! Tyrone 0-25 Cavan 0-12
Cormac Quinn sets up Rory Brennan for a goal chance, but the Tyrone centre-back palms the ball over, rather than under the crossbar
Tyrone 0-24 Cavan 0-12
Sean McEvoy lands a stunning point for Cavan, but they will need goals even with 20 minutes remaining
Tyrone 0-24 Cavan 0-11
Kieran McGeary fires over his second point. Donegal remain in front of Mayo, 0-13 to 0-12
Tyrone 0-23 Cavan 0-11
Darragh Canavan scores another point, this one goes over off the post as Eoin McElholm replaces Mattie Donnelly, who has been excellent for Tyrone
Tyrone 0-22 Cavan 0-11
Kieran McGeary is tackled after a mark and the ball is advanced 50 metres with Darragh Canavan converting and this game is getting away from Cavan
Tyrone 0-21 Cavan 0-11
Darren McCurry is growing into the game and he gets past Niall Carolan to kick his fifth point, his fourth from play. Ciaran Daly adds another for his first of the game
Tyrone 0-18 Cavan 0-11
Padraig Faulkner does well to rob Brian Kennedy from the restart and the move results in Cormac O'Reilly scoring his fourth point
Tyrone 0-18 Cavan 0-10
Peter Teague is through on goal but he is shoved in the back by Oisin Kiernan, who is booked. Darren McCurry converts the free
Tyrone 0-17 Cavan 0-10
Paddy Lynch converts his second two-point free of the game and that's the start Cavan needed
Goal chance!
Seanie O'Donnell puts Darragh Canavan through on goal, but is shot is blocked by Brian O'Connell
We're back under way
Cavan will have the wind advantage in the second half as the sun comes out in Enniskillen
Tyrone 0-16 Cavan 0-8
Oisin Brady does well to fire over a good point under pressure on the cusp of half-time
Tyrone 0-16 Cavan 0-7
And Tyrone stretch their lead as Conn Kilpatrick sets up Darren McCurry for his second point
Tyrone 0-14 Cavan 0-7
Paddy Lynch converts a two-point free and that's a much-needed score for Cavan
Tyrone 0-14 Cavan 0-5
Conn Kilpatrick and Ciaran Daly link up to put Darragh Canavan in for a well-taken point. Tyrone follow it up with another from Rory Brennan
