Tyrone secure hard fought victory over Meath

All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Round 4 Qualifier: Meath 2-9 Tyrone 0-17
Seán Cavanagh was the star of the show as Tyrone booked their place in the quarter-finals of the All-Ireland Championship, where they will play Monaghan following the quarter Final draw with a two-point win over Meath at Croke Park.
The Red Hands conceded a goal after just six minutes – Meath’s stand-out player, 19-year-old Eamonn Wallace, hitting the back of the net after a sensational run – but they recovered to lead by 0-11 to 1-4 at half-time after Cavanagh hit four points in a row at one stage towards the end of the half.
Meath’s Mickey Newman hit the first score of the second half to cut the gap and then he drilled a penalty to the back of the net on 39 minutes after Séamus Kenny was fouled by Conor Gormley. Wallace drew Meath level before he brought his tally for the evening to 1-3 with another superb effort, the second putting the Royals 2-7 to 0-12 ahead.
Aidan Cassidy levelled for Tyrone almost immediately and then Mickey Harte’s side took control again to ease two clear. With eight minutes to go, Newman made it a one-point game with a free, but the Royals missed chances to draw level in the closing stages, Paddy O’Rourke dragging a free wide and Newman striking a post from an angle.
When the pressure was on, Seán Cavanagh delivered yet again, firing over a crucial free at the start of added time. It turned out to be the final score of the game and Cavanagh, who hit 0-8, was a fitting match winner as his side held on despite intense late pressure and the sending off of captain Stephen O’Neill.
Scorers for Meath: E Wallace 1-3, M Newman 1-5 (1-0 pen, 0-4f, 0-1 45), S Bray 0-1.
Scorers for Tyrone: S Cavanagh 0-8 (0-6f), D McCurry 0-5 (0-3f, 0-1 45), Matthew Donnelly 0-2, A Cassidy 0-1, S O’Neill 0-1.
Meath: P O’Rourke; D Keoghan, K Reilly, B Menton; P Harnan, M Burke, S Kenny; B Meade, C Gillespie; E Wallace, D Carroll, G Reilly; S Bray, J Sheridan, M Newman. Subs: B Farrell for Sheridan (42), P Byrne for Carroll (50), A Tormey for Meade (53), C Lenihan for Kenny (66).
Tyrone: P McConnell, R McKenna, C Clarke, C McCarron, C McGinley, P Harte, C Gormley, C Cavanagh, S Cavanagh, M Donnelly, M Donnelly, J McMahon, D McCurry, S O’Neill, M Penrose. Subs: D Carlin for McKenna (50), K Coney for Penrose (65), P McNeice for C Cavanagh (69).