70 minutes later, Tyrone’s apparent slide has been halted firmly.
Mickey Harte’s men didn’t so much rip Derry to shreds on Sunday as they did stroll past them in Celtic Park. It was almost routine, simple routine – get 14 men into the 45′, watch the home side go sideways and backwards until they eventually cough up possession and then hit them with those lung-bursting runs that they’re seemingly eating up at a canter these days.
Conall McCann’s legs in the middle third were frightening. The usual suspects like Meyler, like Harte, like Sludden and like Tiernan McCann joined him on his forays. Colm Cavanagh picked and chose times it was okay to leave his station in front of Niall Morgan and his older brother Sean Cavanagh looks like the years have done nothing on him.
For 15 years, he’s been dominating games at senior inter-county level.
For 15 years, his rivals have been sold by the classic shimmy that everyone knows is coming. They know it’s coming, but they can’t stop it.
He doesn’t even know why that is.
“I don’t know how that’s still working out,” Cavanagh told The GAA Hour before the championship began.
“I don’t know how it’s still working after 15 years but, look, it’s something you can use sometimes to your advantage.
“It’s okay, I suppose!”
Sunday was no different to any other day that Sean Cavanagh will be remembered for. A Tyrone win, a breathtaking Cavanagh display, and seven more points to add to his tally.
The Moy man played every minute of Tyrone’s opener and looked for all the world that he was doing it in third gear, even as he strode out of defence with the ball and punched holes in the Derry rearguard at the other end.
The idea that Tyrone were in a slump was quickly destroyed but they do have Donegal next in the Ulster semi-final and that does represent a completely different threat.
Still, 11 different scorers against the Oak Leafers will have been pleasing enough for the management team and it would’ve played its part in silencing the critics, for a few weeks at least, who say that Tyrone don’t have enough firepower.
There was even room for two points from Lee Brennan in the last seven minutes, the man who kicked 3-14 in a club game last month.
Decent start.
