GAA: Second half goals finish Derry's title hopes

Tyrone 3-7 Derry 0-14

Stephen O'Neill and Brian Dooher blasted Derry's title dream with the second

half goals which earned Tyrone a place in the Ulster Football Championship

final for the frist time since 1996.

Gerard Cavlan had earlier fired home a first half screamer to set the Red

Hands on their way.,

But they needed a stunning save from Finbar McConnell to deny Paddy Bradley

what would have been a senastional equalising goal.

Cavlan set the game alight with a superb 28th minute goal, taking a pass from

midfielder Kevin Hughes to turn his marker in a flash and send a 15-yard

screamer to the roof of the net.

It was a score which lifted a flagging Tyrone side which had earlier gone

behind to scores from Enda Muldoon, Anthony Tohill and Paddy Bradley.

Cavlan and Ryan McMenamin had Tyrone points, and after late call-up Gavin

Diamond hit the target five minutes before the break, the sides were level.

Anthony Tohill converted his second free, but two wonderful points from

Stephen O'Neill gave Tyrone a narrow 1-4 to 0-6 interval lead.

Tohill, with a free, and substitute Paul Murphy levelled the scores, but

O'Niell sent Dooher through for a second Tyrone goal 15 minutes into the

half, and they finally enjoyed some measure of control.

Two minutes later Tyrone had the ball in the net again, this time Gerard

Cavalan's vision picking out O'Neill with a long pass, and the centre forward

finished from close range.

But Tyrone had to defend desperately for the final 15 minutes, with Derry

hitting six points to just one in reply.

Paddy Bradley thumped oiver as tring of frees, and Gavin Diamond nd Enmda

Muldoon also found the target.

And they almost snatched it at the death wheh Bradley fired in a rocket which

appeared to be heading for the bottom corner of the net, but somehow giant

keeper McConnell flew across to push the shot away.