Derry 1-18 Tyrone 1-12:WHEN THESE sides met in last year's Ulster Championship Tyrone emerged victorious without having to put the rev counter into the red. It was a chastening afternoon for Derry manager Damian Cassidy and convinced him his side needed a major remodelling.
With a raft of new faces on board and some established ones in unfamiliar positions at Celtic Park, a comprehensive victory over the Ulster Champions will have given Derry’s experienced absentees food for thought.
Yet Bellaghy man Cassidy knows judgment on Derry’s campaign will not be pronounced until much later in the season.
“It’s two points and that’s it, the true tests will come toward the end of the campaign. In those last two or three league games when there’s more on the game and people are scrapping for points and building up to the championship,” he said.
Certainly the players who started this game at Celtic Park on Saturday put themselves in the box seat for future selection. Apart from a 10-minute spell midway through the first half when Kyle Coney and Martin Penrose briefly threatened, Derry were dominant.
Particularly encouraging for Derry were the displays of Gerard O’Kane and Mark Lynch at full back and centre-half back, while the Kielt brothers, James and Charlie, also produced outstanding displays.
With Lynch orchestrating matters, Derry were on top from the start and led 0-4 to 0-1 after 13 minutes. Tyrone did briefly eschew their tactic of kicking the ball down Barry Gillis’s throat and four points on the spin from Tommy McGuigan, Martin Penrose (two) and Aidan Cassidy saw them lead for the only time in the game.
However, by the interval Derry were back on top 0-9 to 0-6 as Charlie Kielt, Lynch, James Kielt, Eoin Bradley and Raymond Wilkinson raised the white flag.
Derry continued to dominate after the interval and with Raymond Wilkinson bravely bundling the ball to the Tyrone net. Derry led by 1-15 to 0-9 and the game looked over as a contest. Colm Cavanagh’s close-range goal offered Tyrone a chink of light and a Penrose free followed by an Eoin McCusker closed the gap to five.
However, Derry steadied and three late pointed frees from James Kielt and Eoin Bradley (two) made the game safe.
DERRY: B Gillis; B Óg McAlary, G O'Kane (0-1), D McBride; C Kielt (0-1), M Lynch (0-2), L Hinphey; F Doherty, Patsy Bradley; C O'Boyle, J Kielt (0-6, frees), A McCartney (0-1); S Bradley, E Bradley (0-4, 45, two frees), R Wilkinson (1-2). Subs: D Mullan (0-1)for O'Boyle (33 mins), B Mullan for S Bradley (48 mins), J Diver for P Bradley (53 mins), E Lynn for McCartney (68 mins), B McGuigan for Wilkinson (69 mins).
TYRONE: J Curran; M Swift, Justin McMahon, Joe McMahon; D Carlin, C Gormley, R McNabb; A Cassidy (0-1), K Hughes; K Coney (0-1), B McGuigan, E McGinley; C Cavanagh (1-0), M Penrose (0-4, three frees), T McGuigan (0-5, three frees). Subs: R McMenamin for Justin McMahon, S O'Neill for McNabb, E McCusker (0-1) (all 47 mins), D Harte for Swift (65 mins).
Referee: P McEneaney(Monaghan).
