Bradley points not enough to give Derry win over Tyrone

Tyrone 0-14 Derry 0-11

Tyrone seized the Ulster derby bragging rights with victory over Derry in tonight’s Healy Park clash.

There was double delight for the Red Hands, who lifted themselves to the relative safety of mid-table, and also hammered a huge hole in the Oak Leaf bid to retain the NFL title.

Five converted frees by Tommy McGuigan proved the difference, while Paddy Bradley’s sweet left foot was once again a key component for Derry. His six points, however, were not enough to save Derry from a second defeat.

Paddy Bradley displayed all his class with a wonderful opening score, sliced off the outside of his left boot, but Tyrone’s attacking half backs Davy Harte and Sean O’Neill also showed impressive finishing to get the Red Hands in front.,

Tyrone, displaying the intensity of a side that sensed the threat of relegation, took the game to their opponents with intent, restricting Derry to attacks on the break for much of the opening 20 minutes.

And while Bradley was lethal virtually every time he got the ball in his hands, a major concern for the Oak Leafers was the fact that the Glenullin ace scored all but one of his side’s first half points.

The sides were level on four occasions in the opening half-hour, with Tommy McGuigan converting a couple of Tyrone frees, and Bradley and James Kielt on target at the other end

But it was Tyrone who slipped into a higher gear in the closing stages of the half, Allstar defender Harte popping up to drill home his second point, and Sean Cavanagh emerged from a quiet spell to set up Owen Mulligan for a score.

McCullagh’s converted free opened up a three points gap, the home side going in with a 0-8 to 0-5 interval lead.

But it was a rejuvenated Derry that started the second half with a familiar flourish, Enda Muldoon and Barry McGioldrick narrowing the gap to a point, before Bradley drilled a free between the posts from 40 metres to level.

And it was Bradley’s younger brother Eoin who regained the lead for the Oaks eight minutes in.

It was a remarkable transformation for a Derry side that had appeared lacking in confidence in many areas, but now their support play and movement were of the highest order.

Tommy McGuigan’s converted free was Tyrone’s only score of the third quarter, and in a bid to freshen things up, Mickey Harte introduced Brian McGuigan and Martin Penrose.

And they could have had a goal when Tommy McGuigan released Nmulligan with a delightful pass, but the Cookstown man opted for his point, the sides level for the sixth time.

And it was Brian McGuigan who split the Derry defence open with the pass from which Cavanagh won a penalty, but goalkeeper Shane McGuckin made amends for the foul with a save from Mulligan’s poorly struck kick.

Free-kickers Bradley and McGuigan exchanged conversions, and they were still deadlocked going into a tense final five minutes.

Substitute Eoghan Brown had a chance to win it for Derry, but missed an easy free, and Tyrone rallied for McGuigan, with his fifth, to stroke the winner between the posts.

Cavanagh and Kevin Hughes put the icing on the cake with late scores, and suddenly, the outlook looks bright for Tyrone.

Tyrone: J Curran, PJ Quinn, C Gormley, C McCarron; D Harte (0-2), S O’Neill (0-1), P Jordan; K Hughes (0-1), R Mellon; C Cavanagh, A Cassidy, T McGuigan (0-5 5); C McCullagh (0-1, 1f), S Cavanagh (0-2), O Mulligan (0-2).

Subs: M Penrose for McCullagh (45), B McGuigan for C Cavanagh (48), D Carlin for Quinn (yellow card, 53)

Derry: S McGuckin: G O’Kane, K McCloy, SM Lockhart: P Cartin, B McGoldrick (0-1, 1f), SL McGoldrick: Patsy Bradley, E Muldoon (0-1): J Kielt (0-1), P Murphy (0-1), P Young; Paddy Bradley (0-6, 3f), E Bradley (0-1), Paul Bradley.

Subs: B Mullan for Paul Bradley (25), K McGuckin for B McGoldrick (57), E Brown for Young (58), J Diver for Muldoon (60)

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).