Tyrone See Off Cavan To Reach Mc Kenna Cup Final

Saturday 14.01.2023

County

Tyrone travelled to Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday evening for their Dr Mc Kenna Cup semi final against a Cavan side brimming with confidence after their five point win over Armagh on Wednesday evening. The home side started confidently opening up a 0-4 to 0-1 lead and looked purposeful and composed as they dominated the opening ten minutes.

Unfortunately for the Breffni Blues that was as good as it got and Tyrone produced an impressive display to lead 0-8 to 0-5 at the break before pulling away to win 0-15 to 0-10.

Cavan started the game well with an early Gerard Smith point which was followed shortly after by a fine Oisin Brady strike to lead 0-2 to no score after six minutes. Cavan looked sharp and up for the challenge as they dominated possession during the opening exchanges.

Tyrone’s Rory Donnelly drove forward from defence and opened his side’s account with a fine strike.  Within a minute the lead was back to two when Brendan Boylan converted a mark. The lead then became three when midfielder Killian Clarke took and converted another mark.

Eventually Tyrone began to exert pressure on Cavan high up the pitch as they turned over possession and began to create chances. The Red Hand side hit seven points unanswered from Darragh Canavan, Ritchie Donnelly, Cathal Mc Shane, man of the match Michael Mc Kernan and Peter Og Mc Cartan to open up a four point lead with half time rapidly approaching. Cavan registered one last score just before the break as Cian Madden clipped over to leave three points between the sides at half time with Tyrone leading 0-8 to 0-5.

Darragh Canavan opened the scoring five minutes after the restart but Cavan, who had made several changes were much improved during the second half. During the next fifteen minutes Cavan were very much on top and asked questions of the Tyrone defence. Points from Oisin Brady (2) and a long range Raymond Galligan free reduced the lead to a single point as Mickey Graham’s side continued to work hard. Tyrone half backs Peter Harte, Peter Og Mc Cartan and Michael Mc Kernan as well as David Mulgrew worked tirelessly to deny the Cavan forwards time and space on the ball and slowly but surely the tide began to turn. A superb point from Cathal Mc Shane put two between the teams again and with fifteen minutes left it was all to play for as Oisin Brady struck for his third point of the second half.

Defensively Tyrone shut up shop with Niall Morgan, Peter Harte and Michael Mc Kernan retaining possession and forcing the Cavan forwards to chase shadows as Tyrone stretched the play in an attempt to create chances. Darragh Canavan and Mc Kernan added further points before Dara Mc Veety sent over his team’s tenth and final point of the match.

The Red Hands finished strongly to add points from substitutes Liam Nugent, Niall Sludden and Mattie Donnelly and secure a 0-15 t0 0-10 win. They can now look forward to the final next weekend against the winners of Down V Derry.