Canavan goal makes trip worthwhile

Tyrone's 560-mile round trip to Cork yesterday proved a successful adventure as they won their second game in Division 1A to stave off the threat of relegation. Few in the 1,500 crowd at Pairc Ui Chaoimh would begrudge the Ulster side their victory as they looked the more composed side throughout a game spoiled by strong winds.

Tyrone had the wind from the start and led by 0-9 to 0-4 at the interval. Cork introduced Colin Corkery for the second half and he made an immediate impression, scoring after 15 seconds and converting a 45 minutes later.

That score came after a fine penalty save by goalkeeper Finbar McConnell, who dived to his left to deflect Joe Kavanagh's shot around the post after Steven O'Brien was fouled by Chris Lawn.

The goal that decided the contest came four minutes from the end after Cork had kicked 0-5 without reply to cut the lead to a point, 0-12 to 0-11. A probing ball from Cormac McAnallen was caught by the wind, but as Cork goalkeeper Kevin O'Dwyer waited for it to drop, up popped Pascal Canavan to fist the ball home.

Kavanagh offered the champions some hope with a point two minutes later, but Tyrone never allowed the home side a chance to mount an attack in search of an equalising goal, despite three minutes' injury time.

Tyrone adopted the more sensible tactics from the start. They used the wind to their benefit from the start with a series of long deliveries into the full-forward line, where Peter Canavan was always a handful.

Points from Canavan, Eoin Gormley (two), Richard Thornton and Damien Gormley helped the Ulster side to a 0-5 to 0-0 lead after 18 minutes as Cork struggled. A fisted point from Kavanagh was their first score a minute later and a couple of Michael Cronin points approaching half-time left just five points between the teams. Cork continued in the same vein on the resumption, pumping the ball deep into Tyrone territority, but for some inexplicable reason Cork returned to the short passing game and it got them nowhere.

Instead, pointed frees from Eoin Gormley and Peter Canavan nudged Tyrone 0-11 to 0-6 clear after 44 minutes. Another Gormley free at the three-quarter stage made it double scores, but Cork responded with their best spell which brought them to within a point of their opponents.

A Corkery free started the fightback and two more from him added to points from Ciaran O'Sullivan and Philip Clifford had Tyrone clinging to a slender lead with five minutes remaining. Pascal Canavan's opportunist goal decided the contest however, plunging Cork into deeper relegation problems.

CORK- K O'Dwyer; M O'Donovan, D Wiseman, A Lynch; E Sexton, C O'Sullivan (0-1), J Miskella; M O'Sullivan, P Hegarty; J Kavanagh (0-3), F Collins, J Canty; P Clifford (0-1), S O'Brien, M Cronin (0-2). Subs: R McCarthy for Miskella; C Corkery (0-5) for Hegarty; K Daly for Canty; G Kelleher for Cronin, M Kelleher for O'Brien.

TYRONE - F McConnell; C McGinley, C Lawn, M McGee; C Holmes, B Meenan, C Gourley; Pas- cal Canavan (1-0), C McAnallen; B Dooher, E Gormley (0-5), R Thornton (0-1); D Gormley (0- 2), C. McBride, Peter Canavan (0-4). Subs: S McCallan for Meenan; K Hughes for McBride; S O'Neill for D Gormley; B McGuckin for Thornton.

Referee: A Mangan (Kerry).