Derry manager Damian McErlain was a relieved man after his team finally got their Division 3 campaign up-and-running with a five-point victory over Offaly in Celtic Park yesterday.

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.

Waterford were well in contention at the interval.

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.

Cavan 0-18 Derry 1-17: Dynamic Derry timed their run to perfection to put 14-man Cavan to the sword in a pulsating All-Ireland SFC Qualifier at a sun-kissed Kingspan Breffni Park on Saturday.

Derry made it a hat-trick of competitive wins over Cavan this year and, in the process, booked themselves a place in the last 12 of the All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers after a cracking match at Kingspan Breffni Park.

Mickey Harte has named an unchanged team from the one that hammered Cavan 5-18 to 2-17 in their Ulster SFC semi-final replay for Sunday’s final against Donegal at Clones, throw-in 2pm.

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.

Derry 2-12 Meath 2-12: Meath manager Mick O’Dowd admitted next week’s crunch Division Two clash away to Laois will be “do or die” for both teams after the Royal County were denied victory in Derry by an injury-time Ryan Bell free.

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.

The returning Brian Murphy is one of three changes to the Cork side for Sunday’s Munster SHC semi-final with Waterford in Thurles.

Allianz Football League leaders Cork have included all three O’Driscoll brothers for Sunday’s table-topping clash with Mayo.

Monaghan 0-15, Derry 0-10:

Derry 1-13, Mayo 2

Paul Galvin’s return to action for Kerry will have to wait for at least another week, as he wasn’t included in the squad to face Cork in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League at Páirc Uí Rinn on Sunday (2pm).

Derry were denied a first NFL win of the season by Tyrone’s late surge at Healy Park.

Derry 2-14 Longford 2-16

Derry 2-14 Longford 2-16

Derry 0-11 Donegal 1-11

Derry 2-17 Kildare 3-9

Cork were put to the pins of their collars by Derry in Division 1 of the Allianz Football League at Páirc Uí Rinn today, but by the end their 100% record was still alive.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has rung wholesale changes for Sunday’s trip to Killarney to face Kerry.

Derry 3-16 Westmeath 0-12

Derry 3-16 Westmeath 0-12

Kerry manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice believes a win over Mayo tomorrow would throw his side right back into contention for the Allianz Football League Division 1 title.

Ulster 2-26 Leinster 3-21 (aet)

The eight-week suspension to Galway hurler Darragh Burke has been cut in half, the Central Hearings Committee ruled yesterday.

Kerry 0-14 Derry 0-16

Kerry 0-14 Derry 0-16

Westmeath manager Paul Bealin is optimistic his outfit will stay the course against All-Ireland champions Dublin on Sunday.