Brennan bemoans Conway red card

Tyrone’s foundations for a serious push for promotion at the second attempt have been solidly laid.

A five-game unbeaten run culminated in a first Dr McKenna Cup title since 2007 and now Mickey Harte feels his Red Hand charges are ready to begin the task of reclaiming their place in the top tier of the Allianz Football League.

Throughout the pre-season competition, Harte has had one eye on the Croke Park clash with Kildare which will launch the 2012 NFL next weekend. And he is determined to spend no more than two seasons in Division Two.

“If you’re not playing the top eight teams in the country regularly, then you’re not playing as high a level of football as you would be otherwise. So it’s so important to get up there, there’s no hiding place in Division One.”

Derry’s bid to retain the McKenna Cup was derailed by the 18th minute dismissal of midfielder James Conway. After leading by six points, they saw their challenge fall away and fell seven behind before pulling back a late consolation goal from a Paddy Bradley penalty.

Owen Mulligan led the Red Hand charge with a stoppage time goal and the sides went in at the break deadlocked on 1-5 each.

Oak Leaf boss John Brennan, however, was none too pleased at the sending off.

“I just wonder as to how a man at 100 metres away had better vision than the other linesman, who was approximately five metres away, who said there’s nothing. ‘The fellow dived’, was the words he said.

Tyrone profited from the form of midfielder Mickey Murphy and emerging attacker Mattie Donnelly, who kicked five points between them as the Red Hand pressed home the advantage in the second-half.

They had nine players on the scoresheet to Derry’s four, including half back trio Cathal McCarron, Peter Harte and Dermot Carlin, and displayed a greater range of ideas and innovation than their opponents.

Teenager Ronan O’Neill had opened out a seven point advantage at 1-14 to 1-7 when Derry found space in the closing stages to pull back a Sean Leo McGoldrick point and a goal from a Cailean O’Boyle penalty.

Harte remains upbeat as he prepares to take his side to GAA headquarters at the weekend as the warm-up act for Dublin’s Spring Series.

“We’ll go in with a certain amount of confidence, but, at the same time, we were quite wayward in our finishing. That’s a cause for concern. We created a lot of chances and didn’t really put them away.”

Scorers for Tyrone: O Mulligan 1-1 (0-1f), Mattie Donnelly 0-3, S O’Neill (1f), C McCarron, M Murphy 0-2 each, Mark Donnelly, D Carlin, P Harte, R O’Neill 0-1 each

Scorers for Derry: P Bradley 1-2 (0-2f), C O’Boyle 1-0 (pen), C Gilligan 0-3 (2f), M Lynch 0-2, SL McGoldrick 0-1 .

TYRONE: J Devine; A McCrory, Justin McMahon, PJ Quinn; C McCarron, P Harte, D Carlin; M Murphy, C Cavanagh; Mattie Donnelly, P Hughes, M Penrose; O Mulligan, Mark Donnelly, Stephen O’Neill.

Subs: Joe McMahon for Cavanagh, J Lafferty for Penrose, Sean O’Neill for Justin McMahon, S McNulty for Murphy, R O’Neill for Stephen O’Neill.

DERRY: D Devlin; D McBride, L Morrow, R Dillon; G O’Kane, B McCallion, SL McGoldrick; J Conway, J Diver; C McKaigue, M Lynch, B McGoldrick; C O’Boyle, P Bradley , C Gilligan.

Subs: N Forrester for O’Kane, K O’Neill for Forrester, PJ McCluskey for Diver, M Craig for R Dillon, E Lynn for Gilligan.

Referee: M Higgins (Fermanagh).