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Tyrone Into Dr Mc Kenna Cup Final
Sunday 13.01.2019
Tyrone 0-14 Derry 1-8
Five points from the boot of halftime substitute Peter Harte played a major role in propelling Tyrone into a seventh consecutive Bank Of Ireland McKenna Cup final at the expense of Derry at the Athletic Grounds on Sunday afternoon.
The sides were somehow on level terms at the break despite Derry having the better of things in the opening period. Both sides fared better playing against the wind with Tyrone getting the first two points of the second half despite being against the elements. Derry then struck for a superb goal from wing half back Patrick Coney and at that stage a shock looked to be on the cards. Derry though failed to score for the next twenty five minutes while Harte kicked Tyrone’s next five points to give them a grip on proceedings before Kyle Coney’s second score settled it to set up a final shootout with Armagh.
A Christopher Bradley free opened the scoring for Derry but Tyrone responded with points from play courtesy of Ben McDonnell and Ronan O’Neill. Derry though, with Bradley and Enda Lynn to the fore, were playing the better football and that duo hit a brace each with Shane McGuigan also on target to leave them 0-6 to 0-3 in front with half an hour played.
Tyrone were struggling and indeed they could have been further behind had Lynn not elected to fist the ball over the bar having been put through by Bradley. The Red Hands regrouped though approaching the halftime whistle with Ronan O’Neill and Ruairi Sludden both converting frees and Conall McCann adding a point from play following a sweeping move to leave it all square at 0-6 apiece.
Substitute Darragh Canavan put Tyrone in front early in the second half with a quality score after evading a couple of tackles before Kyle Coney made it a two point game. In the tenth minute though Derry wingback Coney blasted in a brilliant goal and having come on the back of a Bradley free Derry were now two in front. The momentum was now with the Oakleaf side but it was Tyrone who seized the initiative as they took a stranglehold on proceedings.
Peter Harte led by example with four frees in a row to put his side within touching distance of the final. Shane McGuigan stopped the rot for Derry from a free to reduce the deficit to the minimum but Tyrone weren’t to be denied. A shot from Harte was tipped over the bar by Derry keeper Thomas Mallon before centre half forward Coney concluded the scoring.
On a day when Tyrone were taken to the pin of their collar they know they can improve given the fact that they hit seven wides as well as dropping the ball short on nine occasions into the arms of Derry keeper Mallon.
Tyrone: B Gallen, A McCrory, HP McGeary, M McKernan, B McDonnell (0-1), R Brennan, M Cassidy, D McClure, B Kennedy, C McCann (0-1), K Coney (0-2), C McShane, L Brennan, R O’Neill (0-2, 1F), R Sludden (0-2, 2F). Subs: L Rafferty for McCrory, P Harte (0-5, 4F) for O’Neill, D Canavan (0-1) for L Brennan, D McCurry for Sludden, F Burns for Cassidy
Derry: T Mallon, E Concannom, C Mulholland, S Quinn, P Coney (1-0), K McKaigue, J Rocks, C McKaigue, C McFaul, R Dougan, J Doherty, P Cassidy, C Bradley (0-4, 3F, “45”), S McGuigan (0-2, 2F), E Lynn (0-2). Subs: C McAtamney for Doherty, D Hughes for Mulholland, N Toner for Bradley, G McKinless for Dougan
Referee: C Branagan, Down
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