Tyrone's sprint finish too hot for Derry

Malachy O’Rourke era off to a winning start with a derby win at O’Neills Healy Park.

Conor Glass of Derry and Tyrone manager Malachy O'Rourke after the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Tyrone and Derry at O'Neills Healy Park in Omagh, Tyrone. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Allianz NFL Division 1: Tyrone 2-13 (2-1-11) Derry 1-9 (1-1-7) 

Tyrone stepped on the accelerator going down the home straight to get the Malachy O’Rourke era off to a winning start with a heart-warming derby win at O’Neills Healy Park.

The sides were level going into the final ten minutes, but the Red Hands hit 1-4 in the closing stages to take the points for a somewhat flattering seven points success.

It was a day when the new playing rules brought a promising glimpse of how the game can blossom in the weeks and months ahead, p[articyularly when pitches speed up in the warming days of spring and summer.

They did allow more space to the forwards inside, but the game’s three goals came from two defenders and a midfielder, Surprisingly, the sides managed just one two-pointer apiece, long range shooting at a premium, and overall, the impact of the new playing regulations created little controversy.

Brendan Rogers landed an early two-pointer, but that promise of a long range shooting exhibition failed to materialise, and the game had reached its 73rd minute when the second came from the boot of Tyrone’s Darren McCurry.

Tyrone's Mattie Donnelly with Derry's Eoin McEvoy and Diarmuid Baker. Pic ©INPHO/Lorcan Doherty

It was the Oak Leafers who pressed early on with the wind in their backs, but the home side soon managed to exert a measure of control, bossing the opposition kick-out, with Brian Kennedy seizing on to Odhran Lynch’s long restarts.

And with Tyrone goalkeeper Niall Morgan pressing into Derry territory almost constantly, they stretched a defence that was coming under increasing pressure.

Wing back Michael McKernan was a perpetual attacking force, kicking his side’s opening point, before two stars of last year’s All-Ireland U20 winning side, Ronan Cassidy and Shea O’Hare, also hit the target.

Derry’s indiscipline saw them suffer a 50 metre free kick penalty on three occasions, one of which Darren McCurry converted from 13 metres for a 0-4 to 0-3 lead by the 23rd minute.

And they crafted a couple of goal chances, McCurry rifling a shot into the side netting, before a Kennedy effort was deflected over for a point by ‘keeper Lynch.

Tyrone did hit the net in the 31st minute, McKernan’s polished finish capping another surging run, and now they led by four.

McGuigan and Conor Glass were at the heart of the Dery response which led to scores from Shane McGuigan and Ciaran McFaul, but Tyrone’s strong finish to the half saw Niall Devlin ease them into a 1-7 to 0-6 interval lead.

But Conor Glass set the game alight with a superb goal inside 90 seconds of the restart, smashing his shot to the roof of the net from Antron Tohill’s assist.

Rogers was the beating heart of Derry’s strong resurgence, and it was looking positive for them when Shane McGuigan brought the sides level.

Tyrone were struggling to contain the runners from deep, but some strong defending quelled the revival, and Mattie Donnelly fisted them back into the lead on 50 minutes.

Derry responded strongly, with a McGuigan brace regaining the lead, which they held going into the final ten minutes,.

But a turbo-charged Red Hand finish saw them hit 1-4 without reply to send their neighbours from across the Sperrins home empty-handed.

Morgan’s delightful pass sent Ciaran Daly away, and his cross to the far post was scrambled over the line by Peter Teague.

Substitute Eoin McElholm chipped in with a couple of scores, with McCurry hitting a two-pointer late on to make it a positive management debut for new boss O’Rourke.

Scorers for Tyrone: M McKernan 1-2, P Teague 1-00, D McCurry 0-3 (1 2pt), M Donnelly, E McElholm 0-2 each, B Kennedy, S O’Hare, N Devlin, R Cassidy (f) 0-1 each.

Derry scorers: C Glass 1-0, S McGuigan 0-4 (2f), B Rogers 0-2 (1 2pt), P Cassidy, C McFaul, E Doherty 0-1 each.

TYRONE: N Morgan; A Clarke, P Teague, N Devlin; M McKernan, F Burns, S O’Hare; B Kennedy, L Gray; S O’Donnell, K McGeary, C Daly; D McCurry, M Donnelly, R Cassidy.

Subs: C Kilpatrick for Gray (47) E McElholm for Cassidy (47), R Brennan for Burns (58), B Cullen for O’Hare (66), M Bradley for Donnelly (70) 

DERRY: O Lynch; D Baker, E McEvoy, D Gilmore; C Doherty, B Rogers, D Cassidy; C Glass, A Tohill; E Doherty, C McFaul, P Cassidy; N Toner, S McGuigan, L Murray.

Subs: B McCarron for McFaul (43), C Murphy for Toner (53), C McGrogan for P Cassidy (66), M Doherty for D Cassidy (66) 

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).