Tyrone’s woes clear on a day to forget in Ulster

By Alan Rodgers

Photograph Michael Cullen

A DAY to absolutely forget for Tyrone saw them slump to one of their worst ever modern losses in the Ulster Championship as an 11 point defeat to Derry left the All-Ireland champions with plenty to ponder.

This was an occasion when nothing went right for the reigning Sam Maguire holders. From start to finish, they were outclassed by the visitors to Healy Park. By the finish, a 1-18 to 0-11 result left them with a lot to work on ahead of the All-Ireland Qualifiers.

There are few consolations for Feargal Logan, Brian Dooher and the Tyrone players from this Ulster Quarter Final which saw Derry dominate almost completely.

It was a first half performance from Tyrone which really caused concern. The penalty goal from Shane McGuigan left Derry 1-7 to 0-4 ahead at that half-time break, but really they were fully merited leaders throughout that opening period.

They entered the tie with hope and expectation, and wasted little time in starting to turn both into reality. As Tyrone faltered and struggled to find their form, early scores emphatically boosted the confidence of the Oak Leafers.

Conor Doherty and Niall Loughlin put them into a lead that they never subsequently relinquished. Try as they might, Tyrone’s fluency was missing all over the field and they only briefly caused an attacking threat.

Points courtesy of Cathal McShane and Darren McCurry reduced the deficit down to a point by the end of the first quarter. Conor Meyler came close to grabbing a goal which might have changed things, but Oran Lynch proved equal to the task.

Derry’s ability to break at speed was making a difference. It yielded a series of well-taken scores, as Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless and Benny Heron all fired over. In contrast, Tyrone were sluggish, second to the breaking ball and this was highlighted by a number of late tackles.

Key players like Kieran McGeary, Padraig Hampsey, Conor Meyler and Cathal McShane tried to prompt a revival. But it simply wasn’t working and matters soon went from bad to worse.

First up, the dismissal of Brian Kennedy left them down to 14. Minutes later a slick Derry move brought a foul in the square on Paul Cassidy. Up stepped Shane McGuigan who made no mistake from the resolting penalty and Derry were in dream land on a half-time score of 1-8 to 0-4.

The introduction of Darragh Canavan provided the Tyrone attack with extra impetus on the resumption. However, each time they scored, Derry were able to hit back. By then, the trend od the game was established and Derry revelled in their newly discovered prowess.

Darren McCurry and Darragh Canavan showed good touches and added to the Tyrone total. But the game moved quickly beyond them as Derry broke at speed and proved deadly accurate where it mattered most. Niall Loughlin, Emmett Bradley and Shane McGuigan all fired over. Their efforts ensured that the extent of Tyrone’s loss was evident long before the final whistle.

The finish brought an end to the misery on that final score of 1-18 to 0-10. Derry move into the Ulster semi-final, while Tyrone face an All-Ireland Qualifier campaign with no guarantees and a lot of questions to be answered.