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Offaly's Peter Cunningham and Conor Clarke of Tyrone INPHO/James Crombie
Dominant

Tyrone cruise to football qualifier win over Offaly by 22 points

Ronan O’Neill struck the only goal of the game for Mickey Harte’s side.

Tyrone 1-27
Offaly 0-8

MICKEY HARTE’S TYRONE were far too classy for Offaly in this afternoon’s first round football qualifier at Tullamore.

A dominant first half display from the splendid visitors ensured Tyrone went in at the break armed with a 0-15 to 0-1 lead.

Offaly failed to score until a 31st minute Peter Cunningham free split the uprights and by that stage Tyrone had hit fourteen points without a reply.

It had been a classy and clinical start from Tyrone, who were prompted by their excellent captain, Sean Cavanagh, who bossed the midfield exchanges.

Cavanagh commenced the rout with a second minute point, but it was his enterprise that ensured a lively Tyrone attack was given plenty of possession to do damage.

That is precisely what they did with Mattie Donnelly nailing three opening period points from play, while in the corner Darren McCurry was in splendid form.

McCurry steered over seven in the first half including five excellent efforts from play which ensured Offaly were forced into damage limitation mode after the restart.

Five points in a row including two from wing back Conor Clarke had Tyrone 19 clear before a brief Offaly burst. Ken Casey impressed for the Faithful then with a brace of neat points from play, but Tyrone were never seriously bothered.

A 61st minute goal from substitute Ronan O’Neill edged them 1-23 to 0-6 clear as the game petered out to an inevitable conclusion.

This was a convincing victory for Tyrone that was every bit as comfortable as the scoreline suggests, as Offaly were outclassed.

Tyrone’s Colm Cavanagh and Padraig Bracken of Offaly
INPHO/James Crombie

Scorers for Tyrone: Darren McCurry 0-8 (3fs), Sean Cavanagh 0-6 (5fs), Ronan O’Neill 1-2, Mattie Donnelly 0-3, Mark Donnelly 0-2, Conor McAliskey 0-2, Conor Clarke 0-2, Ciaran McGinley 0-1, Kyle Coney 0-1 (f).
Scorers for Offaly: Ken Casey 0-4 (2fs), Padraig Bracken 0-1, Ciaran Hurley 0-1, Brian Darby 0-1, Peter Cunningham 0-1 (f).

TYRONE: Pascal McConnell; Ryan McKenna, Danny McBride, Cathal McCarron; Conor Clarke, Peter Harte, Conor Gormley; Colm Cavanagh, Sean Cavanagh; Mattie Donnelly, Mark Donnelly, Ciaran McGinley; Darren McCurry, Martin Penrose, Conor McAliskey.

Subs: Joe McMahon for C Cavanagh (36 mins), Ronan O’Neill for McCurry (52 mins), Aidan Cassidy for Clarke (58 mins), Kyle Coney for Penrose (61 mins), Johnny Lafferty for Mattie Donnelly (63 mins)

OFFALY: Alan Mulhall; Brian Darby, Paul McConway, Shane Sullivan; Eoin Carroll, Derek Kelly, David Hanlon; Alan McNamee, Johnny Brickland; Graham Guilfoyle, Peter Cunningham, Niall Darby; Darragh Corbett, Niall McNamee, Ken Casey.

Subs: Padraig Bracken for Brickland (15 mins), Ciaran Hurley for Guilfoyle (23 mins), Dan Currams for Kelly (25 mins), Ruairi Allen for A McNamee (39 mins), Willie Mulhall for Carroll (49 mins).

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath).

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