All-Ireland champions Tyrone got the new season off to a winning start with an impressive 2-12 to 0-11 Dr McKenna Cup victory over Down at Omagh.
A big Healy Park crowd of 8,000 watched a new-look Red Hand side start slowly, before gradually reaching the pace of an entertaining game.
First-half goals from Brian Meenan and newcomer Aidan McCarron stunned a Down side that had troubled the holders in the early stages, and Paddy O'Rourke's side, in truth, never recovered.
Tyrone boss Mickey Harte appears to have added further depth to a richly talented squad, with Colm Donnelly and Raymond Mulgrew showing delightful touches up front and Adrian Ball and the recalled Cormac McGinley solid at the back.
Sean Cavanagh, by his standards having a quiet game in the half-forward line, set up both first-half goals. The opening major was drilled home by the marauding Meenan in the 20th minute, while the second was fisted to the net by diving debutant McCarron on the half hour.
Down’s Ambrose Rodgers regained some measure of control of the central area in the closing moments of the period, setting up stoppage-time scores for Benny Coulter and Michael Walsh, but it was Tyrone who led by 2-4 to 0-7 at the interval.
And they drove home the advantage on the restart, with Donnelly and Martin Penrose firing over two points apiece to add to a sublime Owen Mulligan effort.
Skipper Coulter, who had not been expected to start following surgery for a hernia problem, lifted his Mourne men colleagues, carving openings for Walsh and Daniel Hughes.
Tyrone: J Devine, R McMenamin, C McGinley, E Bradley, A Ball, C Gourley, D Harte, B Meenan, C Holmes, R Mulgrew, C Donnelly, S Cavanagh, A McCarron, M Penrose, O Mulligan.
Subs: D Carlin for Harte, T McGuigan for Penrose, S Sweeney for Bradley, S O'Neill for Meenan.
Down: M McVeigh, D Rafferty, P Murphy, A Brannigan, M Cole, B Kearney, M Doran, A Rodgers, A Scullion, R Sexton, M Walsh, D Hughes, L Doyle, B Coulter, C Gribben.
Subs: S Ward for Kearney, M Poland for Gribben, C Laverty for Sexton.
Referee: A McAlynn (Derry).
