Tyrone are into the second round of the Qualifiers after a 1-14 to 0-8 victory over Limerick at Omagh.

The winners finally pulled away in the second half, with Peter Harte grabbing the only goal of the game deep into added time.

The Red Hands led by 0-6 to 0-4 at the end of a closely-contested first half. And it could have been closer had not the Treaty County struck six first-half wides (against two for Tyrone).

Mattie Donnelly, Sean Cavanagh (free) and Connor McAliskey - who had earlier missed a goal chance - hit the first three scores of the match and midfielder Gearoid Hegarty landed Limerick's first score on 15 minutes. Cathal McCarron had a Tyrone 'goal' disallowed before a McAliskey free was cancelled out by a great Ian Ryan score.

Corner back Robert Browne made it a one-point game but Mickey Harte's men replied from a Darren McCurry free. Treaty goalkeeper Brian Scanlon lofted over a '45' and McAliskey closed the first-half scoring with a super finish a minute from the break.

As the teams left the field, the underdogs were unhappy at having had both Cillian Fahy and Darragh Treacy black-carded during the opening period.

McAliskey (free) and substitute Cian Sheehan swapped points as the rain started to hammer down again upon the restart. Ronan O'Neill, Tiarnan McCann and substitute Mark Bradley made it double scores with 43 minutes gone, 0-10 to 0-5.

McAliskey almost conjured a Tyrone goal on 50 minutes after Donnelly's free had struck an upright; Hegarty then fisted the ball against the outside of the post after Ian Ryan's free had hit the woodwork; points from McAliskey (free) and Rory Brennan increased the Red Hand lead to seven.

Sean Cavanagh and McAliskey (free) cancelled out Limerick scores from Ian Ryan (free) and Kevin Moore to make it double scores again and  Harte had the simplest of tasks in palming the ball to the net in the third minute of injury time after good approach play from Joe McMahon and McCann.

Seanie Buckley hit a late consolation for the visitors but it was the O'Neill County who advanced to the second round of the Qualifiers.

Tyrone - M O'Neill; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; R McNabb, Justin McMahon, P Harte (1-0); C Cavanagh, M Donnelly (0-1); T McCann (0-1), R O'Neill (0-1), R Brennan (0-1); D McCurry (0-1f), S Cavanagh (0-2, 1f), C McAliskey (0-6, 4f). Subs: M Bradley (0-1) for D McCurry, Joe McMahon for R McNabb, D McBride for C Cavanagh, R Donnelly for Justin McMahon, C Clarke for P Harte.

Limerick - B Scanlon (0-1'45); J McCarthy, S O'Dea, R Browne (0-1f); I Corbett, C Fahy, S Cahill; T Lee, G Hegarty (0-1); D Treacy, C Sheehan (0-1), S Buckley (0-1); D Neville, P Nash, I Ryan (0-2, 1f). Subs: B Fanning for C Fahy (BC), M Brosnan for D Treacy (BC), P Ranahan for T Lee, K Moore (0-1f) for P Nash, C Phair for D Neville, G Noonan for S Cahill.

Referee - P Neilan.

Tweet

Most Read Stories