Tyrone.............0-13

By Barry O'Donnell

2005's unstoppable express train may have been transformed into a rather more pedestrian steam engine but Tyrone's Championship journey will trundle up the track for at least another week.

For the second Saturday running, the side displayed ferocious determination, if little overall fluency and cohesion, to squeeze past stubborn opposition and so reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals for the sixth time in eight seasons.

It's an admirable achievement but few of the Red Hand supporters in the 27,000 plus crowd at Croke Park will be getting too carried away with dreams of a third Sam Maguire title just yet, given the huge improvement required to set up a September date with destiny.

A mediocre Mayo team huffed and puffed throughout the seventy minutes but their age old failing to translate territorial ascendancy into scores on the board, once more came back to haunt them and Tyrone's greater class and pedigree ultimately saw them home.

Midfield maestro Enda McGinley was again the man of the match for the victors, prompting and cajoling his team-mates from first whistle till last, while in defence Justin McMahon, Ryan McMenamin, Ciaran Gourley and Philip Jordan also weighed in with assured, disciplined performances.

Further up the field the attack flickered into life only sporadically and aside from effective targetman Sean Cavanagh and a lively cameo appearance by sub Martin Penrose, there was a lack of real potency and purpose in that sector.

Both sides were forced into a couple of late adjustments to their starting line-ups, Gourley stepping in for the injured PJ Quinn at corner back for Tyrone with Joe McMahon drafted in for Penrose. Mayo as expected had to reshuffle their midfield with captain Ronan McGarrity failing to overcome a hamstring strain, David Heaney his replacement.

Conor Gormley was tasked with shadowing the movements of Mayo dangerman Conor Mortimer but the normally reliable Carrickmore defender, was strangely off-colour in the first period conceding a couple of needless early frees. The first on four minutes enabled Alan Dillon to slot a 20 metre free to hand the Westerners an early advantage.

Tyrone though were quickly into their stride and three points in quick succession suggested they were keen to end their Championship hoodoo against Mayo having lost their only two previous meetings (1989 & 2004).

Davy Harte was picked out in space by Tommy McGuigan to curl over the leveller, before McGinley produced an audacious finish with the outside of the left foot and Cavanagh swung over a spectacular effort after good perseverance by Colm McCullagh.

A tug on McCullagh by Higgins was punished when Tommy McGuigan slipped over the 30m free on the quarter hour mark to ease Tyrone three ahead, but a further infringement committed by Gormley off the ball on Mortimer allowed Dillon to close the gap from 25m. Billy Joe Padden then lofted over a neat point from the left wing, after receiving Peadar Gardiner's pass, to leave Mayo trailing by one, 0-4 to 0-3, midway through the first half.

Despite subdued showings from the two Brians, Dooher and McGuigan, Tyrone held the early edge and with Cavanagh pouncing on a loose ball to pop over another score, the forwards looked set for a productive afternoon.

McCullagh did find the back of the net but the goal was rightly ruled out as his attempted handpass was meant to loop over rather than under the bar, while at the other end Tyrone keeper John Devine had to be on his toes to twice punch decisively clear under pressure.

The momentum of the contest really took a dramatic turn in the 26th minute. McCullagh and Brian McGuigan combined to put Tommy McGuigan through on goal but he sidefooted inches the wrong side of David Clarke 's post. Suddenly the action switched to the Tyrone goal as hard-working midfielder Tom Parsons picked out Pat Harte. With the Red Hands rearguard stretched he squared across for Mortimer to palm into the unguarded net to hand the Connacht men a 1-3 to 0-5 lead.

Mortimer tagged on a close range free as the intensity level belatedly cranked up a notch or two. McMenamin, who played at centre-half back, cut in along the endline at the Hill 16 End to fist over and Padden and Dooher exchanged quality efforts during injury time from open play which meant Mayo held a slight edge at the turnaround. (Tyrone 0-7 Mayo 1-5)

Cavanagh dropped back into midfield for the restart, switching positions with Joe McMahon, but Tyrone completely lost their way in the third quarter and were held scoreless, Parsons, Nallen and Heaney beginning to take a vice-like grip on proceedings for the westerners.

Crucially though they couldn't make this dominance count, squandering numerous openings and opportunities through reckless shooting or taking the wrong option.

Mortimer slipped over a 13m free, after a foul by the impressive Gourley on him, and then the bleached-haired marksman blazed over another point when released by Trevor Howley, though he really should have tested Devine. Tyrone were clinging on by their fingertips and only a magnificent interception by Gourley prevented Nallen setting up Mortimer for another goal chance.

Sensing danger, Micky Harte rung the changes with Colin Holmes and Penrose introduced for the ineffective Brian McGuigan and Ryan Mellon.

At last the Red Hands awoke from their stupor, Cavanagh rampaging through only to fire weakly straight at Clarke. Tommy McGuigan stroked over a 25m free, following a foul on McCullagh in the 53rd minute to register his side's first point of the half and it was to be the cue for six white flags on the trot from the Ulster men.

McCullagh guided over a 20m free from an awkward angle after the eager Penrose was upended, and then the Aghyaran man spun to curl over the equaliser, benefiting from good work by the inspiring McGinley.

Mayo were clearly rattled at this juncture and fullback Tom Cunniffe gifted possession to Cavanagh who gratefully fisted over. McCullagh was found unmarked by Penrose to ease Tyrone further ahead and when Cavanagh banged over a 45m free, Tyrone had motored ahead 0-13 to 1-7 with seven minutes remaining.

John O'Mahony's troops sought to rally and under pressure Tyrone conceded two close range frees which Mortimer converted to leave the bare minimum between the sides, but with the play becoming increasingly ragged, Mayo lacked the composure and quality to carve out the chance of an equaliser.