Derry 1-12

Tyrone 0-9

AFTER THIRTY YEARS spent with his native Tyrone, Mickey Harte has finally faced them in a competitive game and led Derry to a commanding win over their neighbours in round two of the football league Division One. 

Tyrone’s performance was abject and insipid with four shots converted from 16 efforts in the second half when assisted by a huge wind. They went 32 minutes without scoring. A lot of work lies ahead for the Red Hands. 

Played in front of an almost capacity crowd of 11,629, Derry settled into the game with a huge gust of wind coming off the Foyle River, for a time once the game settled, they looked as if they might monster Tyrone.

Putting pressure on Niall Morgan’s kickouts they opened the scoring through Shane McGuigan and Niall Loughlin points, only for Ciaran Daly to reply for the visitors.

Then Derry found another gear to notch four unanswered points in six minutes through Cormac Murphy, Shane McGuigan profiting from a Loughlin turnover on Conall Devlin, Padraig McGrogan and Ethan Doherty.

But Tyrone hung in and soon notched their own trio of points from a beautifully curled free from goalkeeper Niall Morgan, Aodhan Donaghy popping up and a Darren McCurry free.

Shane McGuigan with a free and Ethan Doherty’s second point from play was answered by a Darragh Canavan free after he was fouled by Conor McCluskey as the sides headed for the break with Derry 0-8 to 0-5 ahead.

It might have been more only for Padraig Hampsey bravely getting across Ciaran McFaul’s goalbound effort, while Odhran Lynch made a smart save from a Donaghy effort from distance.

In the second half Derry had to change tack and began carrying the ball. They had goal chances from Paul Cassidy, Cormac Murphy and Brendan Rogers. They also had a goal disallowed when the magnificent Conor Glass had spiked a ball delivered across the goal only for his assistant Murphy to have carried over the endline. 

With Glass controlling everything around the pitch, Derry were helped by points from Murphy, Ethan and Conor Doherty. And the issue was completely settled when Glass looped in a wicked shot that finished in the top corner of Niall Morgan’s net with just a minute left. 

Scorers for Derry: Conor Glass 1-0, Shane McGuigan 0-3 (1f), Cormac Murphy 0-3, Ethan Doherty 0-3, Conor Doherty, Padraig McGrogan, Niall Loughlin 0-1 each.

Scorers for Tyrone: Seanie O’Donnell 0-2, Ciaran Daly 0-2, Niall Morgan (f), Darren McCurry (f), Darragh Canavan (f), Brian Kennedy 0-1 each.

Derry

Odhran Lynch (Magherafelt)

Conor McCluskey (Magherafelt), Christopher McKaigue (Slaughtneil), Diarmuid Baker (Steelstown)

Conor Doherty (Newbridge), Gareth McKinless (Ballinderry), Padraig McGrogan (Newbridge)

Conor Glass (Glen), Brendan Rogers (Slaughtneil)

Ethan Doherty (Glen), Cormac Murphy (Magherafelt), Paul Cassidy (Bellaghy)

Niall Loughlin (Greenlough), Shane McGuigan (Slaughtneil), Ciaran McFaul (Glen)

Subs:

Niall Toner (Lavey) for McKinless (35)

Ryan Scullion (Ballinascreen) for Lynch (46)

Declan Cassidy (Bellaghy for Loughlin (56)

Donnchadh Gilmore (Steelstown) for Glass (70)

Emmett Bradley (Glen) for Paul Cassidy (70)

Tyrone

Niall Morgan (Edendork)

Conall Devlin (Dungannon), Padraig Hampsey (Coalisland), Aidan Clarke (Omagh)

Niall Devlin (Coalisland), Michael McKernan (Coalisland), Ben Cullen (Edendork)

Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan), Tarlach Quinn (Moortown)

Ruairí Canavan (Errigal Ciaran), Aodhan Donaghy (Lochmacrory), Seanie O’Donnell (Trillick)

Darren McCurry (Edendork), Darragh Canavan (Errigal Ciaran), Ciaran Daly (Trillick)

Subs:

Michael McGleenan (Eglish) for Cullen (50)

Joe Oguz (Errigal Ciaran) for Ruairí Canavan (56)

Conor Cush (Donaghmore) for McCurry (61)

Nathan McCarron (Dromore) for McKernan (65)

Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan)