McKENNA CUP: Tyrone 1-18 Monaghan 0-17STEPHEN O'NEILL and Seán Cavanagh struck up a deadly attacking partnership at Healy Park, hitting seven points each as Tyrone defeated Monaghan at Dr McKenna Cup yesterday.

While Tommy Freeman finished with a 10-point haul for Monaghan, his scoring exploits weren’t enough to secure a semi-final place for either side.

Freeman was on fire in the early stages, hitting three points as Monaghan raced into a 0-4 to 0-0 lead by the sixth minute, impressive wing back Conor McManus was also on target.

Once Tyrone got into their stride, however, there was that familiar intent about their game, and with Cavanagh and O’Neill both operating in the front line, the scores started to flow. Both players fired over quality points, and Tommy McGuigan also chipped in with a point to complement his playmaking role.

The All-Ireland champions took the lead for the first time in the 22nd minute when midfield prospect Aidan Cassidy made ground through the middle before offloading to Enda McGinley, who finished with a firmly struck shot to the bottom corner of the net.

O’Neill and Cavanagh nailed on points for a Tyrone side now firmly in command, with Freeman, the only Monaghan attacker to score in the first half, bringing his tally to six.

Tyrone, who led by 1-9 to 0-8 at the break, stretched the advantage to seven before the end of the third quarter, with young prospect Cassidy making his mark in midfield.

O’Neill and Cavanagh continued to torment and finish unerringly, but the visitors staged a revival, and substitutes Paul Meegan, Paul McGuigan and Dessie Mone all got their names on the scoresheet. There efforts, however, were to be nothing more than consolation.

TYRONE: J Curran; M McGee, J McMahon, P Jordan; D Harte, P Donnelly, M Swift; E McGinley (1-1), A Cassidy; R Mellon, T McGuigan (0-1), R Mulgrew; G Devlin (0-2), S Cavanagh (0-7, four frees), S O'Neill (0-7, two frees). Subs: M Penrose for Mellon (42 mins), K Hughes for Donnelly (48 mins), J McAnulla for Devlin (61 mins), C O'Donnell for O'Neill (69 mins), C Holmes for McGinley (69 mins).

MONAGHAN: P McBennett; D McArdle, M McNally, G McEnaney; V Corey, J Conlon, C McManus (0-1); D Clerkin (0-1), P Finlay (0-1, one free); S Gollogly, S Smith, D Freeman; C Hanratty, B McKenna, T Freeman (0-10, seven frees). Subs: M Downey for D Freeman (half-time ), R Woods for Smith (half-time), P Meegan (0-2) for Hanratty (45 mins), P McGuigan (0-1) for Conlon (46 mins, yellow card), D Mone (0-1) for Hughes (60 mins), S Smith for McKenna (67 mins).

Referee: JJ Cleary (Derry).