Tyrone Jekyll And Hyde Act Continues

Sunday 01.06.2025

All Ireland Series

Tyrone took to the field in Healy Park on Saturday evening for their clash with Mayo in buoyant form following one of their best weeks ever for the county in GAA terms.

The county’s senior side appeared set to seal their place in the All Ireland play-offs to add to the fantastic successes of the previous seven days during which our seniors had beaten All Ireland favourites Donegal, our minors had won their 26th Ulster title and our under 20s had lifted the All Ireland in swashbuckling style. As we sat in the shade of the stand at Healy Park it hardly seemed like a week since we had put Donegal to the sword and life appeared to be sweet.

Such was the feel good factor in the county that the biggest crowd for a number of years to attend Healy Park for a knockout game assembled and waited expectantly. As the anthem was sung we wondered how much we would miss the influence of the injured Paidi Hampsey and Brian Kennedy. Judging by Saturday’s performance the injured duo were not the only ones who were posted missing.

What unfolded on the pitch at Healy Park was up there in terms of poor performances from the home side. It was an even harder watch than the Roscommon defeat last year. Tyrone just never got to the pace of the game and were second best in too many contests. Mayo were up for the battle and carried it to Tyrone with pace, grit and determination. The westerners asked serious questions of Tyrone all over the field and in most cases answered them themselves. Mayo were playing like they had a cause and dominated from the off.

They say a week is a long time in politics but anyone watching Tyrone on Saturday evening would have been shocked by the contrast in last night’s game and last Saturday night in Ballybofey. Tyrone supporters were looking forward to seeing if the team could deliver back to back championship performances. Judging by Saturday’s display the answer to that question appears to be no.

Mayo made a number of changes to their starting fifteen and Tyrone opened the scoring when Mattie Donnelly set up Michael Mc Kernan for a trademark score. From then until half time however Mayo dominated. Four unanswered points courtesy of Rory Brickenden, Conal Dawson and Ryan O’Donoghue (2) put them into a good position after fourteen minutes. Even at that early stage alarm bells must have been ringing on the sideline as Tyrone just could not get their hands on the ball and if they did they handed it back almost immediately to their opponents who made them pay.

Ben Mc Donnell eventually stopped the run of Mayo scores with a point twenty minutes into the game and the hope was that score would ignite the fight back. Unfortunately for Tyrone that did not materialise as Mayo fired over five further points to move seven clear with five minutes of the half remaining. During those closing minutes Darragh Canavan added two Tyrone points and with the gap at five there was hope that we could change things around at half time and go after the game in the second half.

Just as we were waiting for the half time whistle a forty five from the Mayo keeper was spilled by Niall Morgan and ended up in the Tyrone net. What looked like quite a hill to climb a minute or two before now looked more like a mountain.

Mayo left the field to resounding cheers from their loyal band of supporters who must have been wondering where had this team been all year. As was mentioned earlier in the piece, a lot can happen in football management in the space of a week and it was on full view in Healy Park on Saturday night.

Tyrone came out for the second half showing a couple of changes and with a bit of intent on view. Points from Canavan and Mattie Donnelly gave the home spectators hope and when Darragh Canavan hit the net in the forty second minute the gap was down to three. O’Donoghue converted a free to make it a four point game before Darren Mc Curry and Paddy Duncan swapped points and the gap was back to four.

Tyrone then added another Mc Curry point followed by a Niall Morgan two pointer and suddenly that gap was a single point. We needed to get the next score and build momentum but sadly that did not happen. Instead Mayo grabbed the game by the scruff of the net and points from Durcan and O’Donoghue steadied the ship. O’Donoghue then converted a penalty and added a further two points as Mayo sprinted for the finishing post. Morgan and Ciaran Mc Geary added late points for Tyrone but there was to be no hiding place as Mayo once more capitalised on Tyrone’s Jekyll and Hyde performances in Healy Park.

Final score: Tyrone 1-13, Mayo 2-17