The relegation-threatened Tyrone scored a crucial two-point victory at Healy Park and hammered a dent in Mayo’s bid for a spot in the Alliance FL Division One Finals.
Three Peter Harte points and two from Conor Meyler put Tyrone ahead 0-8 to 0-3 at the break.
Mayo fought back to a point by Ryan O’Donoghue, but the Red Hands sealed a tense tie, a repeat of the last All-Ireland final, with a Darragh Canavan score.
A second successive defeat blew Mayo out of the race for the league decision, but Victory Kildare next Sunday was able to save their title kick.
Tyrone pushed hard on the kick-outs of Rory Byrne, a pre-match replacement for the experienced Rob Hennelly, and claimed the benefits with early scores from Frank Burns, Peter Harte and Conor Meyler.
It was a high-energy approach from a Red Hand side that set the pace in many of their five previous games from which they had just won one win.
Four of their first five goals were scored by defenders, a Darragh Canavan marking the only sequence-breaker as they went into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead in the 13th.
And they were ready for Mayo’s strong run, putting up resistance lines to stop the love of Lee Keegan, Matthew Ruane and Stephen Coen, while Brian Kennedy repulsed the Westers with a handful of turnover.
That was far too lenient! 24 minutes into the game, James Horan had to leave the pitch due to a knee injury.
Horan had to act to stop Tyrone’s support from deep, and with some success, but late in the half, Harte found the opening to shoot over another game after Jordan Flynn gave Mayo his only hit first half of the game.
The Ulster side led 0-08 to 0-03 at the break, but their lead was systematically dismantled by a Mayo side moving with purpose.
49 minutes into the match, the visitors put themselves ahead 0 – 2 as Ewout Regeer finished off an attack from the left with a spectacular scissors kick.
Good game by Peter Harte – Tyrone are five points on the good
Live Updates: #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/MIOWVqFf6c– The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) March 19, 2022
Mattie Ruane and O’Donoghue both sent over long distances, and substitute Jack Carney pushed a pearl from a tight angle before O’Donoghue’s freedom gave the home side a 0-9 lead at 0-8. left.
But with his back to the wall, the Ulster men struggled to come out, completing a 15-minute scoreless spell with a Darren McCurry special.
She frustrated the Mayo men with a series of recent attacks and turnover that only conceded one point in the last 25 minutes, another O’Donoghue free.
Mayo took some dubious options when they were late in offensive positions, and combined with Tyrone’s last defense, they were unable to make that vital equalizer.
It was substitute Richie Donnelly who brought the home side out of trouble to create a goal chance that honored Darragh Canavan.
Half a chance for a goal fell to Carney late in the stoppage time, but he pulled his effort far and kept the red hands.
Tyrone: N Morgan; M McKernan, R McNamee, F Burns (0-01); C Meyler (0-02), R Brennan (0-01), P Harte (0-03); C Kilpatrick, B Kennedy; Hampsey P, Sludden N, McGeary K; D McCurry (0-01), C McShane, D Canavan (0-02, 1m).
Subs: R Donnelly for Kennedy (ht), M Donnelly (0-01) for McShane (ht), N Donnelly for Sludden (55), L Rafferty for Brennan (61), B McDonnell for Canavan (71)
Majo: R Byrne; Keegan L, McBrien D, McHugh D; O Mullan, A O’Shea, S Coen; J Flynn (0-02), M Ruane (0-01); F McDonagh, P Towey, F Boland; A Orme, J Doherty, R O’Donoghue (0-05, 4f).
Subs: J Carney (0-01) for McDonagh (35 + 1), K McLoughlin for Towey (ht), E Hession for McHugh (ht), D Coen for Doherty (52), C Loftus for Boland (67)
Referee: M Deegan (Laois).
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