But the Tyrone men, champions for the first time in 25 years, awoke from their slumber, recovering from a two-goal deficit to win 4-2 and complete their programme unbeaten.

Indeed, they have also ended the season with a completely unblemished record at home in all competitions, winning each of their 13 games on their own patch.

Garvey needed to take at least a point to leapfrog Banbridge into the runners-up spot in the league and earn a place in the theoretical easier group in next month's All-Ireland play-offs.

They began like they meant business, playing the more fluent hockey and keeping Cookstown firmly on the back foot. Garvey turned that dominance into a 2-0 lead with goals from veteran Brian Waring and exciting young prospect Daniel Buser.

But crucially for Cookstown they managed to peg a goal back just before the interval, courtesy of Andy Barbour, and from then on the home team played like the champions they are.

Skipper Ian Hutchinson, Barbour again and then Ivan Steen, who is surely a contender for Cookstown's player-of-the-season, punished Garvey with three further goals, all rich in quality to complete a 4-2 win and banish the visitors to third place.