Niall Morgan summoned all his mental strength and ball-striking expertise to steer Tyrone to a sensational victory in a classic All-Ireland SFC Round 2A tie at O’Neill’s Healy Park.

The sides had been level on ten occasions before the Red Hands struck late with the goalkeeper’s late two-pointer to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Mayo looked like they had done enough to claim the win when Sam Callinan punched over a late point but they left with nothing but a place in the bowl for Monday morning’s Round 3 draw.

It was a game that burst into spectacular life in the second half, Darragh Beirne’s goal lit the touchpaper that sparked the chaos and gave Andy Moran’s side a real foothold in the game.

But they couldn’t shake off the stubborn Red Hands, who had substitute Darren McCurry to thank for a sensational six-point injection off the bench.

They were level on four occasions in the opening 11 minutes, Tyrone striking early through Conn Kilpatrick and Ciaran Daly, with Mayo hitting back through Darragh Beirne and wing back Hession, before Ryan O’Donoghue fisted over the lead score.

Ronan Cassidy broke tackles to level, with Ethan Jordan nudging the home side back in front from a free, as they pressed the opposition kick-out to claim possession around the middle.

They sides were level following Hession’s second score, when both sides created goal chances.

First Kobe McDonald sent Jordan Flynn clear, but he fired his shot straight at Niall Morgan for a comfortable save.

Moments later, Eoin McElholm broke away to have a go, but his man-marker Eoin McGreal, denied the Loughmacrory man with a crucial block.

They were level for the fifth time on 20 minutes as Paddy Durcan cancelled out another Cassidy score, but the Connacht men hit three in a row, the best of them a brilliant O’Donoghue effort, to open up a two-point lead.

McElholm landed a gem, with Cassidy adding his third, and it was midfielder Kilpatrick who connected with a Michael McKernan lob right on the hooter, his fisted effort flying over the bar when it could easily have hit the net.

They were level in 0-08 each at the interval, and but for a Jack Carney two-pointer, Mayo were on the receiving end of a Tyrone barrage for the opening ten minutes of the second half.

The Red Hands enjoyed one of their most productive spells of the game, with Brian Kennedy and Kilpatrick powering them forward from the engine room.

Cassidy sent over his fourth point, and Ethan Jordan was denied a goal by Jack Livingstone’s diving save, converting the resultant ’45.

Darren McCurry came off the bench to make an immediate impact with three points as Tyrone pushed three clear by the 45th minute.

Mayo needed an injection of their famous chaos, and with Towey and Tommy Conroy entering the action to run at the Tyrone defence, they had their opponents under intense and sustained pressure.

Kobe McDonald sprinkled magic dust with a delightful sliced two-pointer, and Towey saw a shot saved off the line by Cormac Quinn after he had rounded ‘keeper Morgan.

Towey was involved with the assist as Darragh Beirne smashed home the only goal of the game on 54 minutes, and now they led by two, but the Red Hands still had plenty to say as the tension rose and the pressure intensified.

McCurry lofted over a couple of scores off his weaker right foot, but Jordan Flynn restored Mayo’s two points cushion as he blazed over the bar when a little more composure could have earned him more.

Again, McCurry danced through to split the posts, and traded points with O’Donoghue as the game entered its final five minutes.

Morgan sent a ’45 between the posts, but when Sam Callinan charged through to fist over the lead point in the 68th minute, Mayo looked like they could hold on.

But Morgan displayed nerves of steel as he nailed a two-point free from close to the sideline with just seconds remaining.

Tyrone: N Morgan (0-03, 1 ’45, 1tpf); C Quinn, P Teague (0-02), J Clarke; M McKernan, N Devlin, K McGeary; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick (0-02); S O’Donnell, R Cassidy (0-04), C Daly (0-02); E McElholm (0-01), M Donnelly, E Jordan (0-02, 1 ’45, 1f).

Subs: D McCurry (0-06, 2f) for Jordan (45), F Burns for McGeary (5), L McGarity for Donnelly (59), C Bogue for Daly (59), D Canavan for Cassidy (63), M Rafferty for Burns (65)

Mayo: J Livingstone; J Coyne, D McHugh, E McGreal; S Callinan, D McBrien, E Hession (0-02); J Flynn (0-01), J Carney (0-02, tp); H O’Loughlin, C Loftus, P Durcan (0-02); D Beirne (1-02), R O’Donoghue (0-05, 3f), K McDonald (0-03, 1tp).

Subs: T Conroy (0-01) for O’Loughlin (45), P Towey for Loftus (47), A O’Shea for Durcan (54)

Referee: B Cawley (Kildare).