Minors coast past Derry in Ulster League opener

Tyrone 1-22  Derry 0-11

Tyrone turned on the style to get their Ulster Minor league campaign off to a winning start with a convincing victory over Derry at Garvaghey on Saturday afternoon.

After falling two points down early on it was a contest that the Red Hands were always in control off and in truth they could have won by a greater margin as they created a number of goal chances.

Aodhan Quinn and Cathal Farley stood out in defence for Tyrone with James Mulgrew producing a man of the match performance in midfield with Eoin Long and Joel Kerr lively in attack. Manager Gerard Donnelly will no doubt be pleased with the result although he will be well aware that their opponents weren’t at full strength due to St.Pats Maghera playing in the Hogan Cup on St.Patricks Day.

It was Derry who looked the sharper side in the opening stages of the game and after Sean O’Kane had opened the scoring attacking wing half back Emmet Spiers doubled their advantage in the ^fourth minute with a superb effort with the outside of his boot. Long opened Tyrone’s account from a free and in the next attack they took the lead thanks to a fine two pointer from Mulgrew. Kian Maynes levelled matters to leave it 0-3 apiece at the end of the opening quarter but that was as good as it got for Derry.

Tyrone began to get on top and a five minute purple patch gave them a lead that they were never to lose. Peter Garrity and Long both registered as did corner back Ciaran McCrystal. Harley Patton then got his name on the scoresheet as well before Maynes got Derry’s last point of the opening half. Tyrone finished with a flourish with points from Mulgrew, Kerr and Farley with the latter also being denied a goal thanks to a good save from keeper Michael Conlon to leave it 0-10 to 0-4 at the interval.

Straight from the throw in Derry narrowed the gap thanks to a third point from the boot of Maynes but any thoughts of a comeback were quickly dispelled. Keeper Conlon made another superb save this time to thwart Kerr before Patton opened Tyrone’s second half account.

Derry had a let off in the 34^th minute when their defence didn’t deal with a long ball and it took a timely clearance of the line from Emmet Og McKeever to prevent a goal.

Keeper Conlon then got forward to split the posts but that score was cancelled out by midfielder Mulgrew as we headed into the final quarter. At this stage Matthew Daly entered the action and he was to have a major impact hitting three points the first of which came almost immediately after his introduction. Derry full back Blaine Conwell ventured forward to raise a white flag before a good move from Tyrone finished with Long going for goal but his effort was tipped past the post by Conlon with Kerr knocking over the resulting “45”.

In the 21^st minute the impressive Long hit the score of the game after a move the full length of the field had been started by Goodman before the Cookstown clubman added another point in the following attack. Daly and Farley tagged on points before Tyrone finally raised a green flag in the 55^th minute.

Long’s effort for a point came back off the upright and Mark Kennedy reacted first to send the ball to the net from close range. Codi Rocks converted a brace of 2 point frees either side of Daly on target from play for Tyrone. The home side showed no let up in the closing moments with Kerr on target from a free as well as from play before Long had the final say with his fifth of the day.

The Scorers

Tyrone: Eoin Long 0-5 (1F), Joel Kerr 0-4 (1F, 1 “45), James Mulgrew 0-4 (1 x 2pt), Matthew Daly 0-3, Mark Kennedy 1-0, Harley Patton 0-2, Cathal Farley 0-2, Peter McGarrity 0-1, Ciaran McCrystal 0-1

Derry: Codi Rocks 0-4 (2x 2ptF), Kian Maynes 0-3, Sean O’Kane 0-1, Emmet Spiers 0-1, Blaine Conwell 0-1, Michael Conlon 0-1

The Teams

Tyrone: Ronan Donnelly, Elliot Kerr, Paudi Goodman, Ciaran McCrystal, Aodhan Quinn, James Daly, Cathal Farley, James Mulgrew, Joel Kerr, Harley Patton, Padraig Donaghy, Thomas Meenan, Peter Garrity, Eoin Long, Mark Kennedy. Subs: Darren McAnespie for Meenan, Matthew Daly for Patton, Pearse McDonald for Garrity, Michael Lennon for Farley, Odhran Curran for Kennedy

Derry: Michael Conlon, Emmet Og McKeever, Blaine Conwell, Tobias Beattie, Emmet Spiers, Fionn Cartin, Daire Hull, Matthew Diamond, James Walls, Michael Higgins, Codi Rocks, Dan Mullholland, Sean O’Kane, Cahair McDonnell, Kian Maynes. Subs: Ronan Conway for Spiers, Jarlath Rafferty for Walls, Tony O’Hagan for McDonnell

Referee: Eoin Murphy, Fermanagh