TYRONE.....................2-17

CAVAN........................1-4

BY FRANCIS MOONEY

Tyrone's new kids on the block strutted their stuff at Healy Park, where they laid on a confident display to book a semi-final place in the Barrett Sports Lighting Dr McKenna Cup.

The Red Hands clinched top spot in Group B as they maintained an unbeaten record, setting up a clash with Fermanagh.

But this floodlit game could so easily have fallen victim to weather conditions for a second time.

The original fixture was postponed due to a frozen pitch, this time it was dense fog which almost scuppered the event.

Referee Seamus McGonagle of Donegal, in consultation with Ulster Council officials and the team managers, delayed the throw-in for half an hour to give the fog time to clear, and as if by magic, it duly did, sufficiently for the action to go ahead belatedly in front of a relieved and grateful crowd of more than 3,000.

Even more grateful were the batch of new recruits who were given another opportunity to impress manager Mickey Harte.

The triple Sam Maguire Cup winning manager fielded a half forward line made up entirely of members of the 2008 All-Ireland minor winning side, and Mattie Donnelly, Niall McKenna and Peter Harte did their chances of an extended run in the senior squad no harm at all with impressive showings.

Also in an inexperienced attack, Mark Donnelly and Eoin McCusker turned in sparkling displays, hitting a combined total of 2-6.

Carrickmore star Donnelly hit both his side's goals, a clinical strike in each half reminding local GAA fans of the immense talent with which he is blessed.

Other newcomers, such as Ronan McNabb and Conal McElholm, performed confidently in defence, and at the end of it all, manager Harte was even more confused than ever as he continues to contemplate the make-up of his National League squad, with decision time fast approaching.

Midfielder Mickey Murphy, displaying a new lease of life on his return to the Tyrone set-up after an absence of almost two years, had the first score on the board after just 25 seconds, but Cavan were anxious to make amends for their shock midweek home defeat to St Mary's and responded with a couple of scores to go ahead.

Gareth Smith and Sean Brady were on target, but the home side, after a slow start, gradually got to the pace of the game, and Dromore attacker McCusker slotted over two neat points from play to regain the lead by the 19th minute.

At the back, Justin McMahon was equal to anything the Cavan attack could muster, executing a couple of textbook blocks to frustrate the visiting attack, and with McKenna and Mattie Donnelly always eager for the ball and creative in possession, supremacy was soon established by Harte's men.

McKenna, from play, Stephen O'Neill and Sean O'Neill slotted over further points soon after defensive duo McElholm and PJ Quinn were forced out of the game by injury.

Cavan's only point of the second quarter, a solo effort by wing back Martin Cahill, sparked another flourish by the home side, with Mark Donnelly taking centre stage.

He banged home his first goal on 33 minutes, taking advantage of Stephen O'Neill's knock-down from Murphy's delivery.

Moments later, he almost had another, but saw his firmly struck shot clip the top of the crossbar on its way over.

Tyrone led by 1-8 to 0-3 at the break, and there was still no cause for alarm when former Dublin player Gareth Smith knocked over a Cavan free soon after the restart.

The Red Hands were soon back in full flow, stretching the advantage through Stephen O'Neil, Mattie Donnelly and Mark Donnelly.

And they came close to grabbing a second goal when Sean O'Neill pressed forward to get on the end of a flowing move, only to crash his shot into the side netting.

The second goal did arrive soon afterwards, the product of another classy passage of combination play.

Peter Harte was involved twice, along with midfield pair Murphy and Kevin Hughes, and when Harte gave the perfect final pass to Donnelly, he made no mistake with a precise angled finish to the far corner of the net past a helpless Fintan Reilly.

And when McCusker added another couple of points from play, the home side led by 15.

A rare lapse allowed Alan Clarke to sneak in and plunder a consolation goal for Cavan seven minutes from the end, but Harte will have been pleased with the fact that his players dusted themselves down and maintained an impressive level of performance right to the finish.

Another volley of scores, two of them wonderful efforts from Mattie Donnelly, a well taken score from McNabb and another Murphy effort put the game further out of sight.

And there was another goal chance right at the death, when McCusker's effort rattled the side netting.

Defender Dermot Carlin is certain the frequency of the games can only be good for the development of players, especially young prospects who are trying to force their way onto Mickey Harte's squad.

"It's great to get the new lads in. Every day we go out, there's different players playing.

"I think the easiest way of getting fit is playing more games, and when they're coming thick and fast, that's great for everybody.

"Everybody is getting a chance and everybody is getting a fair chance, so the more games the better, I think," said Carlin.

And he is relishing the prospect of Wednesday evening's semi-final. "That will be another step up, and that's what you want. You want to keep stepping up and you want to keep improving, keep getting better, and there's no better time of year to have those games coming straight at you."

Tyrone scorers: Mark Donnelly 2-2, Eoin McCusker 0-4, Mattie Donnelly 0-3 (1 free), Niall McKenna, Stephen O'Neill (2 frees), Mickey Murphy 0-2 each, Sean O'Neill (free), Ronan McNabb 0-1 each

Cavan scorers: Alan Clarke 1-0, Gareth Smith 0-2, Martin Cahill, Sean Brady (free) 0-1 each.

Tyrone: Johnny Curran, Dermot Carlin, Justin McMahon, PJ Quinn, Joe McMahon, Conal McElholm, Ronan McNabb, Mickey Murphy, Kevin Hughes, Niall McKenna, Peter Harte, Mattie Donnelly, Eoin McCusker, Stephen O'Neill, Mark Donnelly. Subs: Sean O'Neill for McElholm, Martin Swift for Quinn, Colm McGurk for Justin McMahon, Kyle Coney for Stephen O'Neill, E McGinley for Hughes.

Cavan: Fintan Reilly, Killian Lynch, Thomas Corr, Eoin Smith, Martin Cahill, John McCutcheon, Mark McKeever, Nicholas Walsh, Eoin McGuigan, Niall Madden, Gareth Smith, Alan Clarke, Dane O'Dowd, Sean Brady, Conor Smith. Subs: Mark Johnston for McGuigan, Pauric Reilly for Johnston, John McCabe for Brady, Joey Jordan for Smith, John Cunningham for McCutcheon.

Referee: Seamus McGonagle (Donegal).