Derry 1-12 Tyrone 0-9

Tyrone’s new look side were always going to be up against it at Celtic Park against neighbours Derry and that’s how it transpired with the hosts making it two wins from two in division one after a deserved six point success.

Already with out a number of players Tyrone were dealt another double blow when Cormac Quinn and team Captain Peter Harte were both ruled out through injury. Derry had a strong wind at their backs in the first half but Tyrone would have been more than happy to have been only three points adrift at the short whistle, 0-8 to 0-5.

In the second half though Derry raised their game on a day when both sides played better against the elements with poor shooting costing the visitors dearly, a dozen wides hit with all but two of those coming 1n the second half.

Shane McGuigan and Niall Loughlin put Derry into an early two point lead before a good move resulted in Ciaran Daly opening Tyrone’s account in the 7th minute. With the Tyrone kickouts holding up in the wind Derry enjoyed a good spell with four unanswered points by the end of the opening quarter through Cormac Murphy, McGuigan, Padraig McGrogan and Ethan Doherty.

Tyrone were in trouble but they then hit a good patch themselves with Niall Morgan and Darragh Canavan converting frees either side of a point from play from League debutant Aodhan Donaghy who had earlier been denied a goal by Derry keeper Odhran Lynch. McGuigan and Canavan exchanged points from frees but that score from Tyrone in the 26th minute proved to be their last until the 23rd minute of the second half and that ultimately proved to be their undoing. A strong run and point from Doherty then brought the first half scoring to a close.

Derry ran the ball in the second half and that caused Tyrone problems with the superb Murphy getting their first two points of the second period. Murphy then set up Conor Glass who palmed the ball to the net but it was ruled out as the ball had gone out of play but it was a warning sign for Tyrone.

Conor Doherty pointed after Morgan had tipped an effort from Paul Cassidy onto the bar before Ethan Doherty pushed the gap out to seven with Derry’s last point in the 54th minute. Sean O’Donnell finally ended Tyrone’s barren spell before the same player notched another point. The visitors wides tally were racking up though and in the 70th minute Glass put the icing on the cake for Derry when his shot fir a point dipped into the net. Tyrone had the final say with quality scores from Brian Kennedy and Daly but it was Derry’s day.

Tyrone- Niall Morgan (0-1, 1F), Conal Devlin, Paudie Hampsey, Aidan Clarke, Tarlach Quinn, Michael McKernan, Ben Cullen, Brian Kennedy (0-1), Aodhan Donaghy (0-1), Niall Devlin, Ruairi Canavan,  Sean O’Donnell (0-2), Darren McCurry (0-1, F), Darragh Canavan (0-1, F), Ciaran Daly (0-2). Subs- Joe Oguz for Ruairi Canavan, Conor Cush for McCurry, Nathan McCarron for McKernan