Hard knock start to life in Div 1
The harsh reality of life in NFL Div 1 dawned quickly on Meath at Healy Park Omagh today as Tyrone used all their experience to punish errors and capitalise on misfortune to open their campaign with a 1-14 to 1-9 victory.
Meath's luck was out from the off. They had to make a change to their selected line-up when Shane Walsh was ruled out, then in the warm-up goalkeeper Andy Colgan pulled up hurt and had to be replaced by debutant Dominic Yorke.
Making his first NFL start in the Healy Park cauldron was tough on Yorke and his kickouts suffered so manager Andy McEntee made a change at half-time, bringing in Summerhill attacker Barry Dardis between the posts, but that didn't solve the problems.
With an already lenghty injury list Meath were stretched to their limits. However in an impressive opening period they played well, forcing Tyrone onto the backfoot and dominating much of the proceedings.
After the break it was a different story. Tyrone rejigged their system, they went back to a more tried and tested defensive structure and punished Meath mistakes with swift, effective counterattacks.
Meath struggled against the more resolute Tyrone rearguard after the break. After failing to score in the closing six minutes of the opening period Meath also went another 22 minutes after the resumption without registering a score.
Despite that struggle to find their range, they dropped at least three efforts into the waiting arms of Colm Cavanagh and Niall Morgan, Meath were still in the game after Bryan McMahon opened their second-half account to make it 1-5 to 1-8, but in the next eight minutes Tyrone kicked on again and added five more points to Meath's one to establish their winning position.
The free-flowing and entertaining tone of the opening half was set in the first minute when a great pass from Thomas O'Reilly released Cillian O'Sullivan in on the Tyrone goals, but Niall Morgan moved quickly from his line to save well.
Two minutes later Tyrone opened the scoring from a Darren McCurry free after Conor McGill fouled Liam Rafferty, but Meath continued to play front-foot, enterprising football and cut the Ulster men's defence open again with James McEntee brilliantly picking out Ben Brennan, but the St Colmcille's man couldn't hold onto possession and the danger was averted.
Eamon Wallace finally opened Meath's account in the 10th minute, but parity lasted less than 30 seconds as Tyrone restarted quickly with Ronan O'Neill picking out McCurry who stole in behind a sleeping Meath rearguard and planted the ball to the roof of the net.
Instead of capitulating Meath retook the initiative and another outstanding move involving O'Reilly and Brennan found Bryan McMahon and this time he executed a fine low finish to make it 1-1 each in the 15th minute.
Six minutes later another mesmerising move from defence featuring Donal Keogan, Joey Wallace and O'Sullivan ended with O'Reilly pointing Meath into the lead for the first time.
At this lofty NFL Div 1 level small mistakes are cruelly punished and a needless foul on Niall Sludden gifted McCurry his second free and 90 seconds later a mistake by Eamon Wallace gifted McCurry his first point from play to restore Tyrone's lead.
As if those errors were bad enough a poor kickout from goalkeeper Dominic Yorke almost saw the Meath Hill man lobbed by McCurry before he scrambled the ball out for a '45' which was converted by his opposing number one Morgan to make it 1-4 to 1-2.
Tyrone threatened to turn the screw at that stage, but a brilliant crossfield pass from McEntee picked out Joey Wallace for a fine score which settled Meath again.
Bryan Menton pointed for the 14th game-in-a-row to restore parity in the 30th minute, but a minute before the break Rafferty ensured Tyrone took a 1-5 to 1-4 lead into the break with a decent score.
It took Tyrone, and Ronan O'Neill, two minutes to double their advantage, but Meath continued to press. They squandered a chance from a '45' when, with Dardis striding forward to take the kick, Eamon wallace took it quickly to Menton and the chance was gone.
It took patient Tyrone until the 50th minute to stretch their lead to 1-7 to 1-4 when McCurry pointed from play and four minutes later the Tyrone dangerman added another converted free to put four points between the sides for the first time.
After Cillian o'Sullivan had a point attempt stopped from going over the bar by Morgan McMahon converted a free to reduce the deficit to three, but then came the decisive period between the 58th and the 65th minutes when Mark Bradley (two), Kyle Coney, McCurry (free) and Rafferty all fired over points while Meath's sole response from O'Reilly left them 1-6 to 1-13 adrift.
Late on McMahon fired badly wide, Ronan Jones shot from distance straight into Morgan's hands. O'Sullivan and Niall Sludden did traded points before O'Reilly and McMahon (free) closed the gap to five.
Meath could have tagged on two or three more points late on, but they had to pass up those opportunities to try to create a goal chance, but that opening never appeared as Tyrone shut up shop and gave Meath an early indication of just how difficult life will be in NFL Div 1.
SCORERS
Tyrone – Darren McCurry 1-6 four frees; Liam Rafferty 0-2; Mark Bradley 0-2; Ronan O'Neill 0-1; Kyle Coney 0-1; Niall Sludden 0-1; Niall Morgan 0-1 '45'.
Meath – Bryan McMahon 1-2 two frees; Thomas O'Reilly 0-3; Eamon Wallace 0-1; Joey Wallace 0-1; Bryan Menton 0-1; Cillian O'Sullivan 0-1.
TEAMS
Tyrone – Niall Morgan; Hugh Pat McGeary, Ronan McNamee, Liam Rafferty; Michael Cassidy, Rory Brennan, Tiernan McCann; Colm Cavanagh, Conn Kilpatrick; Conor Meyler, Niall Sludden, Darren McCurry; Kieran McGeary, Frank Burns, Ronan O'Neill. Subs – Mark Bradley for Burns, Ben McDonnell for Kilpatrick both 47 mins, David Mulgrew for McCann 54m, Kyle Coney for O'Neill 57, Niall Kelly for McNamee 71m.
Meath – Dominic Yorke; Robin Clarke, Conor McGill, David Toner; James McEntee, Ronan Ryan, Donal Keogan; Bryan Menton, Brian Conlon; Ben Brennan, Bryan McMahon, Eamon Wallace; Cillian O'Sullivan, Thomas O'Reilly, Joey Wallace. Subs – Barry Dardis for Yorke half-time, Mathew Costello for Brennan 44 mins, Ronan Jones for Conlon 47m, Jack O'Connor for J Wallace 58m, Sean Tobin for E Wallace 62m.
Referee – Joe McQuillan (Cavan); linesmen – Liam Devenney (Mayo), John Gilmartin (Sligo); sideline – Anthony Marton (Monaghan).