Tyrone v Cavan, Donegal v Mayo Live: Updates from Group Two in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship as all four teams look to move on to the knockouts

Tyrone are hoping for a similar outcome to when these two sides met in the Ulster Championship earlier in the year, with the Red Hands winning by four points (May 13 2025). Picture by: Seamus Loughran.

GROUP One of the All-Ireland Football Championship was considered a ‘slam-dunk’ by many pundits at the start of the series, with Donegal predicted to sweep the groups and Tyrone and Mayo to rumble along behind them into the prelims.

However, now it is the most delicately balanced situation in the Championship, with just a points difference of two separating first-placed Donegal and second-placed Mayo.

Tyrone and Cavan are in third and fourth, respectively, with Tyrone in third due to Mayo’s win over them in the last round of fixtures.

Malachy O’Rourke’s men enter the last game now with everything to play for, including a spot in the quarter-finals of the Championship, which many thought improbable at best after their relegation from Division One in the National League.

Darren McCurry has been invaluable for the Red Hands’ performances, with the Canavan brothers of Ruairí and Darragh not being given the freedom they once were, now that teams know what they are capable of.

The O’Neill County’s opponents today, Cavan, were predicted to be without hope in this group, managed to overturn Mayo in Castlebar to add to the shocks in this Championship, after a brilliant attacking performance against the Westerners.

The Breffnimen are now faced with the opportunity to progress in the most unlikely of circumstances, should they win or if Donegal win today, at the expense of Mayo, with that first-round effort proving worth its weight in gold now.

Donegal will be eager to ensure that they are at least in the last 12 teams left, so Jim McGuinness’ high-accuracy style of attacking football will be on full display to keep Mayo backpedalling.

Tír Chonnaill were shocked at home by Tyrone’s masterclass in composure late on, aided by McCurry’s accuracy in front of the posts and Peter Harte’s ungodly left foot.

The Ulster champions managed a tight win over Ulster rivals Cavan to give themselves every chance of progressing, but now everyone is in the same boat and it’s a dog-eat-dog Championship.

Stephen Rochford’s Westerners will be up against a lot in Dr Hyde Park, Roscommon, but have pulled off one big win already this year against Tyrone and will be eager to keep things rolling.

Aidan O’Shea has proved that he is still a key part of the set-up under the new environment, with midfielder Matthew Ruane also showing his worth for the Connacht runners-up.

For all of the build-up, action and reaction from the most tightly contested group in the All-Ireland senior Football Championship group phase, follow our live blog below as we see three Ulster sides fight for their survival.

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