Mayo snapped back like a wounded animal at O'Neills Healy Park to stun Tyrone and blow All-Ireland Group One wide open.
Hurting from a home defeat to Cavan, the notoriously unpredictable, beautifully chaotic Connacht men served up a tonic for recuperating manager Kevin McStay and gave Stephen Rochford the perfect start to his stand-in role in charge.
They were full value for their seven points win over a Red Hand side that showed only glimpses of the battling qualities that had seen them take full points from their visit to Donegal’s fortress Ballybofey a week earlier.
Darren McHale’s goal on the stroke of half-time, and a second from the penalty spot, netted by Ryan O’Donoghue, kept this game balanced in Mayo’s favour, and the passion and grit that was sadly lacking previously kept an increasingly desperate home side at bay.
Even when Darragh Canavan fired home a 45th minute goal to help Tyrone trim the deficit back to one gong into the final 15 minutes, the westerners never flinched, and pressed on for a convincing win.
Mayo, playing into the wind, carried all the drive and energy as the ran at a flat and disjointed home side right from the off, moving into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead by the 15th minute.
Pressing hard on Niall Morgan's kick-out, they had no shortage of joy in dominating possession around the middle through Mattie Ruane, Paddy Durcan and David McBrien, and with Bob Tuohy and Conal Dawson adding dash to complement the physical presence of Aidan O’Shea, they looked a totally different side to that which crashed to home defeat at the hands of Cavan.
Dawson and Rory Brickenden were on target early on, before Ryan O’Donoghue knocked over a couple of points.
The Red Hands struggled for momentum, going 15 minutes without a score before Ben McDonnell pulled one back, but the Connacht men responded with five on the spin to open out a seven points gap.
Durcan, O’Donoghue, Tuohy, and Brickenden with his second, kept the score-board ticking to the delight of the smaller than usual band of travelling supporters.
Tyrone did show signs of recovery late in the half as Darragh Canavan picked off a couple of points, but disaster struck for them after the hooter had sounded.
Tuohy sent in a dropping ball which goalkeeper Niall Morgan fumbled, and Darren McHale nipped in to gather and slot the ball to the net for a massive boost and a 1-9 to 0-4 interval lead.
O’Donoghue came agonisingly close to adding a second goal soon after the restart when he raced through to co0llect O’Shea’s assist and send his shot crashing against an upright.
Tyrone’s powers of recovery were evident, if not sustained, as they rallied for Mattie Donnelly to float over a point, before Darragh Canavan danced through for a brilliant goal, and when Darren McCurry broke his duck with two points in the space of a minute, followed by a two-point free from Morgan, just a point separated the sides with 55 minutes played.
But Mayo’s need was greater, and it showed. Rochford ran the bench, and Davitt Neary in particular answered the call in noble fashion, running hard at a nervous Tyrone defence to win frees that O’Donoghue clipped between the posts.
And it was Neary who won the penalty that O’Donoghue netted on 63 minutes to restore the seven points cushion.
Tyrone were unable to muster another big response, although Morgan did raise another orange flag, but the green and red had more in the tank, Aidan O’Shea capping an influential display with a point, and corner back Jack Coyle also on target.
Tyrone: N Morgan (0-04, 2tpf); C Quinn, P Teague, N Devlin; M McKernan (0-01), R Brennan, K McGeary (0-01); B McDonnell (0-01), C Kilpatrick; S O’Donnell, M Donnelly (0-01), C Daly; D McCurry (0-02, 1f), M Bradley, D Canavan (1-03, 0-2f).
Subs: S O’Hare for O’Donnell (h-t), L Gray for Brennan (h-t), P Harte for Bradley (46), R Canavan for Daly (46), A Donaghy for McDonnell (61)
Mayo: C Reape (0-01, ’45); J Coyne, R Brickenden (0-02), S Morahan; S Coen, D McBrien, E Hession; P Durcan (0-03), M Ruane (0-01); J Carney (0-01), D McHale (1-00), B Tuohy (0-01); A O’Shea (0-01), C Dawson (0-01), R O’Donoghue (1-06, 1-0 pen, 0-5f).
Subs: J Flynn for Tuohy (51) D Neary for McHale (51), F Kelly for Dawson (54), F Boland for Ruane (63), S Callanan for Durcan (67)
Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).
