Peter Harte slotted the goal as Tyrone cantered to a facile 1-15 to 0-9 victory over 14-man Cavan in Omagh.

The Breffni County would have been reasonably satisfied as they trailed by just eight points to four at the short whistle, having played into the teeth of a strong breeze in the opening half. But it was still double scores when the final whistle sounded.

The losers' hopes went up in smoke when midfielder Killian Clarke was shown a red card (second yellow) three minutes after the restart. Harte brilliantly dispatched the game’s only goal in the 51st minute to make it 1-10 to 0-5 and the Red Hands were never going to lose from there.

Niall Sludden, Harte and Connor McAliskey each pointed twice for the hosts in the first half. A Jack Brady free had opened the scoring but McAlliskey (two frees), Sludden, Cathal McShane and Harte (free) then struck five unanswered points for Mickey Harte’s men, who picked up their first win of the campaign against Monaghan last weekend and have now moved up the table into fourth place five points – three clear of both the Farney County and the Breffni boys.

It looked like the home team were set to be tested by Mickey Graham’s men – who beat Roscommon last weekend - in the second half but Clarke’s dismissal ruined a fine first-half effort and ensured the challenge never materialised.

Tyrone - N Morgan; P Hampsey, R McNamee, H P McGeary (0-2); T McCann, F Burns (0-1), B McDonnell; C McShane (0-1m), R Donnelly; M Donnelly (0-1f), N Sludden (0-2), C Meyler; C McAliskey (0-3f), P Harte (1-3, 0-3f), K McGeary (0-1). Subs: D McCurry for C McAliskey, K Coney (0-1) for C McShane, H Loughran for K McGeary, L Brennan for R McNamee, R Brennan for P Hampsey.

Cavan - R Galligan (0-1f); J McLoughlin, P Faulkner, C Moynagh; C Brady, C Conroy, C Rehill; P Graham, K Clarke; M Reilly (0-1f), D McVeety (0-1), N Murray; N Clerkin, J Brady (0-2f), C Madden. Subs: T Galligan for P Graham, G Smith for N Clerkin, N McKiernan (0-1) for J Brady, C Mackey (0-3, 2f) for C Conroy, S Murray for N Murray.

Referee - P Hughes.

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