Tyrone 1-12
Cork 0-12
IT took a rather fortuitous goal by Pascal Canavan four minutes from time to eventually beat Cork in this lack-lustre Church and General National Football League tie at Pairc Uí Chaoimh yesterday.
After soaking up enormous Cork pressure which saw the home side cut a six point deficit down to one with five points in a row, Tyrone broke upfield for the crucial score which had an element of good fortune about it.
With the entire Cork full backline caught out of position, Cormac McAnallan floated a high ball goalwards which appeared to hang in the wind and his midfield colleague Pascal Canavan, in isolation, won the jump with goalkeeper Kevin O'Dwyer to punch the ball to the empty net for what turned out to be the match-winning score.
There was no doubt about it, Tyrone deserved their victory. They were far more inventive than Cork, used the long ball well when aided by the strong wind in the first half and then frustrated the Leesiders by playing the possession game superbly on the change over. Cork were fortunate to escape with just a three point deficit at the end of a disappointing tie. Had Peter Canavan, who made life an absolute misery for his marker, been able to keep his feet on at least two occasions - he slipped at the crucial moment after rounding his man - he may well have claimed a brace of goals.
It was easy to understand Eugene McKenna, Tyrone's joint coach, delight at the final whistle. " We came for the points and deserved them, but what pleased me most was the way we hung in there when Cork applied the pressure in the second half. "Our winning goal was a classic case of how to break from defence and catch the opposition who had been coming forward. Pascal Canavan was left all alone and in a one on one situation, I would back him every time to finish it", he said. "This victory will do wonders for team morale and sets up our final game against Armagh who are also our championship opponents. At present we are going through a team building process and have a bit to go before we are the finished article, but we are making great strides", added McKenna.
One of the few pluses Cork can take from this game was the successful return of Stephen O'Brien, and the second half introduction of Colin Corkery who made an immediate impact. O'Brien was forced to retire with a hamstring injury late in the game. Peter Canavan was a constant thorn in Cork's side particularly in the first half as Tyrone, pumped the ball long into the home side's defence at every opportunity, and the visitors were well worth their 0-5 to nil lead at the end of the first quarter.
In that opening period Cork's short game regularly got them into trouble and hard won possession was given away far too easily through careless passing. Tyrone contributed hugely to Cork's problems with their midfielders Pascal Canavan and Conor McAnallan completely on top and it came as no surprise when Cork switched Pat Hegarty to full forward with Stephen O'Brien moving out to centre-forward and Fachtna Collins joining Michael O'Sullivan in the middle.
On the few occasions Cork did manage to get into Tyrone's half of the field Joe Kavanagh kicked two points and Miceal O´ Croinín added two more, and for all their territorial advantage, the visitor's half time lead of 0-9 to 0-4 didn't look insurmountable given the strength of the wind. Colin Corkery's introduction for the second half brought a huge cheer from the partisan crowd and when he kicked a point with his first touch, Cork looked well capable of winning this tie, particularly as Donagh Wiseman, Ronan McCarthy and Anthony Lynch who was moved over on Peter Canavan, began to get on top in defence.
Two minutes into the second half Cork were given a great chance to reduce the deficit still further when Steven O'Brien was fouled inside the big square, but from the resultant penalty, Tyrone 'keeper Finbarr McConnell denied Joe Kavanagh with a good save. Tyrone took advantage of that let off and they picked off a couple of excellent points through the impressive Eoin Gormley.
Cork's persistence in playing the short passing game outfield frustrated Corkery, O'Brien and Philip Clifford up front who were crying out for the quick long ball, but after Clifford won a free which Corkery pointed in the 25th minute, the home side began to enjoy their best spell. Ciaran O'Sullivan was now making a major impact and it was his point which began Cork's fightback. Four more points in a row followed, Colin Corkery claiming two of them, to leave just the minimum between the sides with four minutes remaining.
However it was a close as they got, and in that breakaway attack, Pascal Canavan scored the game's only goal which may yet doom Cork to a lower division next season.

Scorers - Tyrone: E. Gormley 0-5 (0-4 frees); Peter Canavan 0-4 (0-1 45, 0-1 free); Pascal Canavan 1-0; D. Gormley 0-2; R. Thornton 0-1.
Cork: C. Corkery 0-5 (0-2 45s, 0-1 free); J. Kavanagh 0-3; M. O´ Croinín 0-2; C. O'Sullivan, P. Clifford 0-1 each.
TYRONE: F. McConnell; C. McGinley, C. Lawn, M. McGee; C. Holmes, B. Meenan, C. Gourley; Pascal Canavan C. McAnallan; B. Dooher, E. Gormley, R. Thornton; D. Gormley, C. McBride, P. Canavan. Subs. S. McCallan for D. Gormley; B. McGuckin for B. Meenan; K. Hughes for McBride; S. O'Neill for Thornton.
CORK: K. O'Dwyer; M. O'Donovan, D. Wiseman, A. Lynch; E. Sexton, C. O'Sullivan, J. Miskella; M. O'Sullivan, P. Hegarty; J. Kavanagh, F. Collins, J. Canty; P. Clifford, S. O'Brien, M. O´ Croinín. Subs. R. McCarthy for Miskella; C. Corkery for Hegarty; K. Daly for Canty; G. Kelleher for O´Croinín; M. Kelleher for O'Brien.
Referee: A. Mangan (Kerry).