Tyrone 2-13 Derry 1-9
METALLICA’S legendary rock anthem ‘Enter Sandman’ was blasting out at a frigid Healy Park when the sides took to the pitch on Saturday night. For Tyrone fans who braved the cold to attend- ‘Enter Mal-man’ might have been more apt.
Malachy O’Rourke’s much anticipated managerial debut drew a bumper crowd to the county ground and it proved to be a successful one as the hosts withstood a spirited second half fightback from defending league champions Derry to emerge with the spoils in this Division One opener.
In the first competitive game for either side played under the new ‘rule enhancements’ introduced to improve football as a spectacle, it was Tyrone who adapted better to the radical changes, especially in their use of keeper Niall Morgan to create an ‘overload’ in the opposition half.
He exploited the new 12×11 attacking format to the maximum (with teams compelled to keep three outfield players in each half) creating both Tyrone goals with pinpoint deliveries into men in space.
It was a constructive night overall for the home side, who gave first starts to Shea O’Hare and Ronan Cassidy. They did their cause no harm, while another member of last year’s All-Ireland winning Under-20 side, Eoin McElholm produced a sparkling second half cameo when introduced, and experienced campaigners like Matthew Donnelly, Kieran McGeary and Michael McKernan also impressed across the duration.
The Oak Leafers played with a strong wind at their backs in the first period and Ethan Doherty popped over the opener before their half-back Brendan Rogers wrote his name into the history books, with the first official ‘two pointer’ in the sixth minute, swinging over a fine score over from outside the new 40m arch.
Tyrone then settled to their task with Michael McKernan hoisting a beauty and with keeper Morgan acting as the ‘quarterback’ orchestrating attacking moves, they began to boss the possession stakes.
Rookies Cassidy (free) and O’Hare each split the posts to draw the hosts level, as Derry keeper Odhran Lynch struggled with Tyrone’s press, the new kick-out rule compelling him to go deep.
Darren McCurry reacted sharply to collect Morgan’s skier to swivel and fire Tyrone ahead though the Edendork marker then spurned up a fine goal scoring opportunity, firing into the side netting at the keeper’s near post, after being fed through by Seanie O’Donnell.
Lynch then produced a terrific save when he got a block to divert Brian Kennedy’s piledriver over his own bar, the towering midfielder providing an effective platform around the central channel for his side to build upon.
Paul Cassidy broke the Oak Leafers scoring drought with a score to leave one in it-0-5 to 0-4- before Tyrone struck for a goal on the half hour mark.
Morgan swept a pass out wide right to McKernan who then stormed inside and crashed a tremendous shot high to the net.
Shane McGuigan (free) and Ciaran McFaul replied for the visitors, but late scores at the other end from Coalisland duo McKernan and Niall Devlin handed Tyrone a 1-7 to 0-6 interval advantage.
Any impressions that Tyrone could push on and record a convincing triumph were quickly dispelled shortly after the restart, when Anton Tohill led a blistering Derry counter-attack which culminated in team captain Conor Glass unleashing a rocket high past Morgan at his near post.
McGuigan was also stepping up his game now, leading the Derry forward line and he hoisted over an excellent effort to restore parity.
Tyrone’s first score of the half didn’t arrive until fifteen minutes in when Matthew Donnelly latched onto a pass from Trillick colleague Ciaran Daly to cut in and fist over.
The wind though was very much in Derry’s sails and they jumped in front courtesy of a brace from McGuigan (one free), as the hosts toiled to recapture their earlier rhythm and cohesion.
But just before the hour mark another inch perfect pass from Morgan around the opposition ’45’ put Ciaran Daly in the clear and he fed the onrushing Niall Devlin. He was bottled up but Peter Teague was on hand to scramble the loose ball across the goal-line.
This laid the platform for a power packed late surge from Tyrone, who reeled off the last four scores of the contest. Lively sub Eoin McElholm drilled over two of them, showing real style in the process, while Donnelly (free) also registered, and McCurry then took centre stage, curling over a ‘two pointer’ to copper fasten a first night victory for O’Rourke.
Scorers
Tyrone: Michael McKernan (1-2), Peter Teague (1-0), Darren McCurry (0-3,1 tp), Eoin McElholm (0-2), Matthew Donnelly (0-2,1f), Brian Kennedy, Niall Devlin, Shea O’Hare (0-1 each), Ronan Cassidy (0-1,f)
Derry: Shane McGuigan (0-4,f), Conor Glass (1-0), Brendan Rogers (0-2,tp), Ciaran McFaul, Paul Cassidy, Ethan Doherty (0-1 each)
(tp = Two Pointer)
Teams
Tyrone: Niall Morgan, Aidan Clarke, Peter Teague (1-0), Niall Devlin, Frank Burns, Michael McKernan, Shea O’Hare, Brian Kennedy, Liam Gray, Seanie O’Donnell, Kieran McGeary, Ciaran Daly, Darren McCurry, Matthew Donnelly, Ronan Cassidy. Subs used: Conn Kilpatrick for L Gray (46mins), Eoin McElholm for R Cassidy (46), Rory Brennan for F Burns (57), Ben Cullen for S O’Hare (64), Mark Bradley for M Donnelly (67)
Derry: Odhran Lynch, Diarmuid Baker, Eoin McEvoy, Donncha Gilmore, Conor Doherty, Brendan Rogers , Declan Cassidy, Conor Glass, Anton Tohill, Ethan Doherty, Ciaran McFaul, Paul Cassidy, Niall Toner, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray. Subs used: Ben McCarron for C McFaul (44), Cormac Murphy for N Toner (52), Callum McGrogan for P Cassidy (64), Mark Doherty for D Cassidy (64)
Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)
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