Paddy Tally didn't want to mention the elephant in the room but after winning a game that could have massive consequences for Down's summer, he could let his guard down.

Derry's Division Three promotion hopes suffered an early blow as they were held by a Leitrim side who fully deserved their Celtic Park draw on Saturday evening.

Laois manager John Sugrue believes the O’Moore County must improve if they are to prolong their championship summer despite an impressive four point victory over Derry in Owenbeg on Saturday.

Last year's All-Ireland finalists Tyrone came through a draining battle when they just couldn't shake off a game Derry challenge in the Ulster Championship preliminary round in Omagh.

For a while there on Saturday, it was as if Leitrim had misunderstood the instruction to put the clock forward and had instead wound it all the way back to 1994, when they won the Connacht title.

A first championship win as Waterford boss eluded him on a scorching Saturday but Tom McGlinchey couldn’t question the character of his players. They gave another honourable display in defeat, particularly in the first half.

Yet, a modern analyst would probably focus more on slack defending than anything else, with both sides needing to shore up their rearguards if progress is to be made in the remainder of the league and into the championship.

Derry 1-07 - Down 1-15: Down boss Eamonn Burns was thrilled after watching his side destroy Derry to chalk up successive National League victories and move clear of the bottom two in Division Two.

Derry 1-18 Kildare 1-17: Kildare manager Cian O’Neill was left furious after a controversial Emmett McGuckin goal in injury time saw Derry end the Lilywhites’ perfect start to life back in Division Two.

Allianz FL Division 2

Tyrone’s dominance over neighbours Derry shows no sign of abating, and another convincing win saw them collect a sixth successive Dr McKenna Cup title at Pairc Esler.

Derry 2-12 Monaghan 1-13: Dessie Mone suffered a suspected broken wrist as Monaghan lost out to Derry for a place in Saturday’s McKenna Cup final.

Derry 3-10 Armagh 2-12: Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney took more positives than negatives out of yesterday’s one-point McKenna Cup defeat to Derry at Owenbeg.

Armagh 1-18 Derry 0-15: Armagh went down, but not without a fight, and Kieran McGeeney took the positives from a difficult spring despite the team’s relegation from Division 2 for the second time in three seasons.

Galway may be heading for Armagh on Sunday, but on Monday, they will be going to the sun and a five-day warm weather training camp.

The Roscommon footballers have been forced to concede home advantage for Sunday’s league fixture against Down owing to an unplayable pitch at Hyde Park and a Croke Park ruling the game could not be staged at Kiltoom.

Cavan 1-11 Derry 1-12: Derry boss Damien Barton saw his flair team produce a five-star defensive display to leave hosts Cavan still pointless in the league.

Derry 3-13 Fermanagh 1-10: Derry boss Damian Barton admitted his side had suffered a McKenna Cup ‘hangover’ in the first half of Sunday’s nine-point Division 2 victory over Fermanagh at Celtic Park.

Tyrone 1-22 Derry 1-17 (AET): Derry assistant manager Tony Scullion defended Damian Barton after the Oak Leaf boss was sent to the stand for getting involved in a brawl during Saturday night’s dramatic McKenna Cup final.

Old foes Tyrone and Derry served up a classic at the Athletic Grounds, with the Red Hands emerging victorious in extra-time to take a fifth successive Dr McKenna Cup title.

Cavan 1-10 Derry 1-17: Damian Barton’s promise to get Derry taking a more attacking approach looks to be bearing some early season fruit - his newlook side producing the goods in the Athletic Grounds yesterday to reach the McKenna Cup final.

Derry 4-6 Tyrone 1-16: Derry boss Damian Barton was left bemused after a controversial second-half red card helped Tyrone to victory in an pulsating McKenna Cup clash before before 5,179 spectators at Owenbeg.

Sarsfields 0-17 Athy 1-12: Two behind entering injury time, 14-man Sarsfields scored four points without reply to seal the Kildare senior title for the second time in four years.

Slaughtneil 1-8 Ballinderry 0-9

Derry 0-11 Donegal 1-11

The Cork senior hurling management have made a number of alterations to their squad for the forthcoming championship.

ALLIANZ FL DIV 1:

Derry 0-12 Cavan 3-10

Ballinderry Shamrocks (Derry) 3-09 Kingdom Kerry Gaels (London) 2-07

Ballinderry Shamrocks (Derry) 3-9Kingdom Kerry Gaels (London) 2-7

Ballinderry (Derry) 1-08 Scotstown (Monaghan) 0-10

Ballinderry (Derry) 0-14 Clonoe (Tyrone) 0-10

Ballinderry 3-10 Ballinascreen 2-07

Derry 0-20 Cavan 1-22 (aet)

Karl Lacey will make his first championship start of the season in Sunday’s Ulster final against Monaghan in Clones.

Derry 0-13 Down 1-5

Derry 0-13 Down 1-05

Derry 0-15 Sligo 0-08

Derry 0-15 Sligo 0-08

Derry 1-15 Down 2-17

Tipperary manager Eamon O’Shea concedes Lar Corbett is facing a race against time to be fit to start Sunday week’s Munster semi-final against Limerick.

Derry 1-18 Westmeath 0-15

Derry 1-18 Westmeath 0-15

Derry 2-17 Westmeath 1-05