Tyrone 1-16
Monaghan 0-12
Colm Shalvey reports from Healy Park
TYRONE GOT THEIR first win of the Allianz NFL in some style when they cut Monaghan apart in the second half of this Ulster derby in Omagh.
A goal from the hugely influential Peter Harte separated the teams at the end of an open and well-contested first half, but the game eventually became a procession for Tyrone, who eased their relegation worries with a hugely-improved performance.
Harte led eight Tyrone scorers on 1-6, while Conor McManus kicked seven points to no avail for an off-colour Monaghan side.
An entertaining first half started with a bang from Tyrone, who hit 1-1 inside four minutes: the point from a Niall Morgan free and the goal a cracking finish by Peter Harte.
A fine score from Dermot Malone got Monaghan up and running, before Conor McManus burst into the game with a hat-trick of unanswered points (one from a mark) that brought his side level.
Cathal McShane, who was proving dangerous at the other end to McManus, fisted over to regain the lead for Tyrone and although McManus replied with another excellent effort, Harte converted a brace of frees to keep the hosts ahead.
Niall Sludden finished a swift Tyrone counter-attack with a point, before Harte and Jack McCarron swapped scores from frees.
McCarron doubled his tally to bring Monaghan back within two, but Ben McDonnell blazed a goal chance over just past the half-hour mark.
That proved to be the last score of the first half, with the entirety of the three added minutes played out by Tyrone holding possession, with Monaghan dropping deep after Dessie Ward had been sin-binned.
McShane eventually broke through the ranks of defence to get a shot off, but it went wide, leaving the goal between the teams at half-time: Tyrone 1-7 Monaghan 0-7.
Tyrone burst out of the traps in the second half, with a Kieran McGeary point and a brace by Harte [one from a mark].
McShane and Morgan added frees, before the superb Harte clipped over another point, while also seeing a cheeky lobbed goal attempt go just past the post.
Further scores from sub Conor Meyler and McShane [free] made it nine without reply for Tyrone, before Ryan McAnespie finally ended Monaghan’s 27-minute wait for their first point of the half.
McManus got back into the game with three pointed frees [two after claiming offensive marks], but Declan McClure responded for the dominant home side.
McAnespie curled over in added time, but Monaghan were still seven points short in the end.
Scorers for Tyrone: Peter Harte 1-6 (0-3f, 0-1m); Cathal McShane 0-3 (2f); Niall Morgan 0-2f; Niall Sludden, Ben McDonnell, Declan McClure, Conor Meyler, Kieran McGeary 0-1 each.
Scorers for Monaghan: Conor McManus 0-7 (3m, 1f); Ryan McAnespie, Jack McCarron (1f) 0-2 each; Dermot Malone 0-1.
Tyrone
1. Niall Morgan (Edendork)
2. Michael McKernan (Coalisland)
3. Pádraig Hampsey (Coalisland)
4. Ronan McNamee (Aghyaran)
5. Tiernan McCann (Killyclogher)
6. Liam Rafferty (Galbally)
7. Ben McDonnell (Errigal Ciarán)
8. Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan)
9. Richard Donnelly (Trillick)
10. Matthew Donnelly (Capt., Trillick)
11. Peter Harte (Errigal Ciarán)
12. Niall Sludden (Dromore)
13. Kieran McGeary (Pomeroy)
14. Cathal McShane (Owen Roe O’Neills)
15. Frank Burns (Pomeroy).
Subs:
26. Conor Meyler (Omagh) for Rafferty (H-T)
22. Declan McClure (Clonoe) for Kennedy (62)
21. Connor McAliskey (Clonoe) for R Donnelly (66)
20. Harry Loughran (Moy) for Sludden (68).
Monaghan
1. Rory Beggan (Scotstown)
4. Ryan Wylie (Ballybay)
3. Drew Wylie (Ballybay)
2. Kieran Duffy (Latton)
5. Dessie Mone (Clontibret)
6. Barry Kerr (Cremartin)
10. Ryan McAnespie (Emyvale)
8. Darren Hughes (Scotstown)
21. Gavin Doogan (Magheracloone)
12. Shane Carey (Scotstown)
13. Dermot Malone (Castleblayney)
15. Dessie Ward (Ballybay)
11. Jack McCarron (Currin)
14. Conor McManus (Clontibret)
25. Stephen O’Hanlon (Carrickmacross).
Subs:
13. Conor McCarthy (Scotstown) for McCarron (43)
7. Karl O’Connell (Tyholland) for Kerr (43)
6. Vincent Corey (Clontibret) for Carey (54)
23. Owen Duffy (Latton) for Malone (60)
24. Micheál Bannigan (Aughnamullen) for Ward (64).
Referee: Ciarán Branagan (Down).
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