Tyrone Advance With Minimum Of Fuss

Sunday 13.04.2025

County

Tyrone 1-24 Cavan 0-20

Tyrone are safely through to an Ulster semi final meeting with All Ireland champions Armagh after justifying their favourites tag against Cavan at Healy Park on Sunday afternoon.

The visitors haven’t beaten Tyrone in the Senior Championship since 1983 and in truth they never looked like putting that right. The Red Hands were on top fom the off and after leading by four points at the end of the opening quarter by half time they had extended that advantage to ten. To their credit Cavan hit back with a series of two pointers in the second half to close the gap to six at one stage but a goal from Conn Kilpatrick in the 63^rd minute ended any faint hope that they had of mounting a serious comeback. It was a case of mission accomplished for Malachy O’Rourke and his men on a day when thirteen players got their name on the scoresheet with 1-8 of that tally coming from non forwards.

Tyrone were dealt a double blow before the game with Darragh Canavan ruled out completely and Mattie Donnelly unable to start though he did come on in the final quarter. Niall Devlin, Darren McCurry, Kieran McGeary, Ruairi Canavan and Aodhan Donaghy got Tyrone’s opening five scores with Cavan’s sole response coming from Sean McEvoy. Dara McVeety and McCurry traded points with Niall Morgan, Cathal McShane, Peter Harte and McGeary all registering to leave Tyrone well in control by the short whistle leading 0-14 to 0-4.

Tyrone picked up were they had left off on the restart getting five of the opening six scores through Canavan, Michael McKernan, Ciaran Daly and the impressive McGeary although Cavan’s score was a two pointer from the influential Dara McVeety. McCurry kept the scoreboard ticking over on a day when he finished with 0-7, all but two of which were from play, but Cavan closed the gap as McVeety scored another brace of two pointers with Oisin Kiernan getting one as well.

Brian Kennedy landed a brilliant score and then midfield partner Kilpatrick took a pass from Edendork clubmate McCurry to finish in style low to the bottom left hand corner of the net. That proved to be Tyrone’s last score but the damage had been done and even though Cavan finished with three frees on the trot from McEvoy (2) and McVeety it was only academic at that stage.

Tyrone: Niall Morgan (0-1, 45), Aidan Clarke, Peter Teague (0-1), Niall Devlin (0-1), Michael McKernan (0-1), Rory Brennan, Kieran McGeary (0-3), Brian Kennedy (0-1), Conn Kilpatrick (1-0), Aodhan Donaghy (0-1), Peter Harte (0-1), Ciaran Daly (0-1), Darren McCurry (0-7, 2F), Cathal McShane (0-2), Ruairi Canavan (0-4, 4F). Subs: Sean O’Donnell for Harte, Joe Oguz for Donaghy, Mattie Donnelly for McShane, Eoin McElholm for Kennedy

Cavan: Gary O’Rourke, Cian Reilly, Brian O’Connell, Jason McLoughlin, Padraig Faulkner, Ciaran Brady, Niall Carolan, Killian Clarke, Gerard Smith, Gearoid McKiernan, Oisin Kiernan (0-3, 1 x 2pt), Dara McVeety (0-8, 2 x 2pt ,1 x 2ptf, 1F), Barry Donnelly, Cian Madden (0-3, 1 x 2ptf), Sean McEvoy (0-4, 3F). Subs: Ryan Donohue (0-1) for McKiernan, Ryan O’Neill (0-1) for Donnelly, Thomas Edward Donohue for Madden, Killian Brady for Clarke, Peter Devine for Faulkner

Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).