Sport

Tyrone take command

Tyrone outclassed Leitrim in this All Ireland Qualifier at Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday

Mon Jul 01 2002 - 01:00

Tyrone outclassed Leitrim in this All Ireland Qualifier at Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday. Leitrim's challenge was despatched early and by the end the Ulster side had won with ease.

The opening seven minutes saw matters evenly matched after Stephen O'Neill hit over a Tyrone point and James Holohan replied with a similar score for Leitrim. Four unanswered points put Tyrone in control over the next seven minutes.

In this spell Peter Canavan found the target twice from play, while Stephen O'Neill and Cormac McAnallen each shot points. Leitrim's last score of the half came on 16 minutes when Seamus Quinn hit a point from play.

Total command was assumed by Tyrone in the second quarter as they shot eight points without reply. Leitrim struggled in this period as Stephen O'Neill and Brian McGuigan popped over two points each, while Cormac McAnallen, Ryan McMenamin, Peter Canavan and Cormac McGinley added points.

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At half-time Tyrone led 0- 13 to 0-2 and after the restart Gerard Cavalan increased that advantage with a point from play in the opening minute. Brian McGuigan fired home a Tyrone goal five minutes later and thereby signalled an end to any hopes Leitrim had of making a successful comeback.

McGuigan was standing in waiting to crack the ball to the net after it came back off the Leitrim upright.

Leitrim registered their first score in over 28 minutes when Ollie Maguire put over a ninth-minute free.

Tyrone displayed no mercy over the next 12 minutes as Brian McGuckian added 0-2, and Gerard Cavalan, Owen Mulligan and Stephen O'Neill shot a point each.

In the final 13 minutes Ollie Maguire responded with two points for Leitrim, while Jimmy Guckian and Donal Brennan added a point apiece.

But Tyrone increased the victory margin with two Brian McGuckian points and one from Sean Cavanagh.

TYRONE: J Devine; C Gormley, C Lawn, B Robinson; R McMenamin, C McGinley, P Jordan; J Quinn, C Holmes; B Dooher, C McAnallen, G Cavalan; B McGuigan, S O'Neill, P Canavan. Subs: O Mulligan for McGinley (47mins), S Mulgrew for Dooher (53), B McGuckian for Canavan (53), S Cavanagh for O'Neill (59)

LEITRIM: E Lyons; J McKeon, P McDermott, T Kelleher; O McGuinness, C Murray, S Foley; G McCloskey, S Canning; P McLoughlin, S Quinn, F McBrien; J Holohan, O Maguire, J Guckian. Subs: M Greene for Foley (half-time), E Lee for McLoughlin (half-time), K Ludlow for Lyons (half-time), D Brennan for McCloskey (45 mins), G Foley for McGuinness (48)