Second-half goals by Cathal McShane and Darren McCurry paved the way for this wholly-merited win where they were by far the composed team, their directness severely hurting Mayo.
Down 0-10 to 0-8 at half-time, Mayo could have been ahead had they converted their 41st penalty, Frank Burns adjudged to have touched the ball on the ground after Ryan O’Donoghue’s free dropped short. However, O’Donoghue, who had been hit hard in winning the free, hit the post with the spot kick and Tyrone could breathe.
It wasn’t until the 10th minute of the second half when Hennelly sent over a 45 that there was a score in the period. But Mayo were continuing to give up possession and their wastefulness was shown up by Tyrone when substitute McShane touched Conor Meyler’s diagonal ball to the net in the 46th minute.
Tyrone’s directness paid off again in the 58th minute when McKenna fed McCurry to palm for a goal but Mayo were back within three in the 59th minute, the defiant Lee Keegan scoring a point then winning one for O’Donoghue to slide over.
A Peter Harte mark was matched by Tommy Conroy’s second point but replacement Darragh Canavan then fisted over a score as Mayo continued to fail in front of goal. Rob Hennelly had to deny Canavan in the 69th minute but McCurry was closeby to send over a point.
Matthew Ruane was then shown the line for a scuffle with Conn Kilpatrick and Niall Morgan put six between the sides in the fifth minute of additional time to put the result beyond all doubt.
Conroy had been off the mark after just 13 seconds and Mayo were two to the good when Ryan O’Donoghue punished a Frank Burns foul on Kevin McLoughlin in the second minute. However, Tyrone were back on level terms by the eighth minute and never went behind for the remainder of the half.
A McCurry free for an infringement by Bryan Walsh on the freektaker pushed Tyrone a point ahead although Mayo could have raised a green flag in the 15th minute but for Walsh’s shot being snuffed out by Niall Morgan and the follow shot by Loftus cleared off the line by Niall Sludden.
Tyrone went into the first water break 0-4 to 0-3 thanks to some fine direct play by Tyrone, Conor McKenna claiming from a kick-out and finding McCurry to score. Mayo levelled the game for a third time when O’Donoghue sent over a free and they were square again in the 22nd minute after Patrick Durcan responded to a Kieran McGeary effort.
Mayo were again ruing a goal chance going abegging when Ronan McNamee blocked an O’Shea shot. It came between two occasions when Matthew Ruane lost possession under pressure and Tyrone went two up when Mattie Donnelly followed Niall Sludden’s point and tagged on a score after O’Donoghue coughed up a ball.
Tyrone went direct again in the 30th minute and Morgan’s punt was touched on by McKenna into McCurry whose ground effort was pushed out for a 45 by Rob Hennelly, which Morgan converted.
An O’Donoghue free settled Mayo a little but Tyrone went three up again through a similar score by McCurry at the other end. Mayo seemed to be running out of ideas when Stephen Coen arrowed over a point.
Sludden added his second thanks to a quick free and O’Donoghue finished out the first half scoring when McGeary was whistled for a high tackle on Pádraig O’Hora just outside the parallelogram.
Scorers for Tyrone: D. McCurry (1-4, 0-2 frees); C. McShane (1-0); N. Morgan (0-3, 2 frees, 1 45); N. Sludden (0-2); P. Hampsey, K. McGeary, M. Donnelly, P. Harte (mark), D. Canavan (0-1 each).
Scorers for Mayo: R. O’Donoghue (0-8, 7 frees); T. Conroy (0-2); P. Durcan, S. Coen, R. Hennelly (45), K. McLoughlin, L. Keegan (0-1 each).
TYRONE: N. Morgan; P. Hampsey (c), R. McNamee, M. McKernan; F. Burns, P. Harte; B. Kennedy, C. Kilpatrick; K. McGeary, M. O’Neill, N. Sludden, C. Meyler; C. McKenna, D. McCurry, M. Donnelly.
Subs for Tyrone: C. McShane for M. Donnelly (44); D. Canavan for M. O’Neill (53); B. McDonnell for B. Kennedy (57); P. Donaghy for C. McKenna (66); T. McCann for C. Kilpatrick (70+3).
MAYO: R. Hennelly; S. Coen, P. O’Hora, L. Keegan; P. Durcan, O. Mullen, M. Plunkett; M. Ruane, D. O’Connor; B. Walsh, K. McLoughlin, C. Loftus; R. O’Donoghue, A. O’Shea (c), T. Conroy.
Subs for Mayo: E. Hession for M. Plunkett (h-t); J. Flynn for P. O’Hora (52); D. Coen for B. Walsh (58); A. Orme for C. Loftus (66); J. Carr for K. McLoughlin (70+4).
Referee: J. McQuillan (Cavan).
