GAA - Tyrone hand Derry a Healy hammering

Tyrone 2-15 Derry 0-12

Steven Doherty reports from Healy Park

A breathtakingly well-oiled and ruthless Tyrone comfortably saw off Derry by 2-15 to 0-12 to record a fourth straight league win, and worse still, a fourth consecutive victory over Derry this season. The win gives the Red Hands a commanding lead at the top of Division Two and leaves them very much in the promotion pole position. Where the defeat leaves Derry is a different matter. Rather than play Tyrone at their own dark arts and exact some element of revenge for past injustices, Derry remained disciplined and attempted to outplay the old foe at football. Hopes that they could harness the hurt from previous defeats and the manner of a couple of those losses soon dissipated. That they were so painfully schooled by Micky Harte’s side who looked several gears quicker and slicker than Derry, and have landed yet another psychological blow on the Oakleaf county that has become all too accustomed to defeat at the hands of the noisy neighbours. Derry supporters can only pray that this particular Tyrone side have peaked too soon in the season, and hope that their own team can re-group, re-focus and return a much improved animal ahead of that crunch fifth and all important meeting in May. Hope springs eternal. That slow, plodding road from Omagh to Derry is never a pleasant trip, but Saturday night’s drive home will have been a particularly painful and sickening journey for Derry folk. Defeat to Galway was a rude wake up call that dampened Derry’s early season sizzle, but this loss was the bitterest of pills to swallow. That two week break and the absence of manager Damian Barton from the sidelines has set Derry back immeasurably and has certainly undermined that early season optimism. Top class goals from Sean Cavanagh and Aidan McCrory were the highlights of a more than convincing nine point victory in front of 5,665 noisy supporters at Healy Park. Derry struggled throughout to counteract the Red Hand well rehearsed running game, which was extremely effective, despite the heavy early March surface. And while Tyrone were slick and potent, Derry were at times their own worst enemy. As Derry coach Brian McGuckin admitted after the game, kick out strategy and implementation was a shambles on which Tyrone hungrily fed any number of scores off. And in stark contrast, Tyrone used their own kick outs – most of them short and to unmarked men – as the launch pad for their own attacks. A good system will always beat good players in the modern game. Tyrone have both. Derry are still very much learning their trade under new management, but that learning curve will need to be a quick one if Derry are to avoid yet another summer of inactivity. After all the McKenna Cup shenanigans, the opening 35 minutes was tame fair. Derry enjoyed the better beginning and led 0-4 to 0-2 after 12 minutes. From there Tyrone seized the initiative, and with Richard Donnelly scoring a fine brace and Ronan O’Neill nailing four frees, the home side ran in 0-10 to 0-06 ahead at the break. Behind by four at the break they may have been, this was at least an improved Derry from the jaded side that under-performed the previous week at home to Galway. Niall Holly, who’s big shoulder on Cavanagh suggested Derry were up for the physical battle, ate up serious yards any time he chose to gallop forward from his sweeping position, while captain Chrissy McKaigue looked pacy and eager any time he chose to raid forward from a new midfield berth. Ryan Bell and Ciaran McFaul were again highly influential in open play and found scores, while the returning Oisin Duffy impressed at full-back. Eoin McNicholl produced a superb save to deny a certain Barry Tierney goal in the 29th minute and Sean Leo McGoldrick earned his first start of the year. Half-time 0-10 to 0-06

Again, Derry enjoyed a decent opening to the second half. Frees from Bell and James Kielt, and a corker from substitute Christopher Bradley left Derry just three adrift by the 46th minute. From there, however, Tyrone quickly accelerated into top gear and left the visitors in trailing in their wake. Sean Cavanagh’s 49th minute goal – again from a Derry kick out – followed by a Conor Meyler point, stretched the O’Neill county lead to eight points. Derry’s strategy was baffling. They left Emmett McGuckin as the sole trader up front (even when well behind on the scoreboard), and vehemently refused to station more bodies at inside forward or commit more men to attacks. The odd ball that was lumped forward was easily dealt with Tyrone’s full back line and layer of sweepers. Second best in most sectors, the Oakleafers only occasionally flickered. Daniel Heavron scored a monster point, while Gareth McKinless’ stock rose once again with another lung-bursting display in defence and attack.

But the positives were few and far between. Sean Cavanagh – able to break through tackles when it suiyted him - missed another sitter he would normally have buried, and had Tyrone not misfired with as many as ten second half wides, this defeat could have been of epic proportions. A bad night turned worse when Derry lost both McKaigue brothers late on – Karl to the black card, and captain Chrissy to a second yellow. Determined to blunt the contest of any physicality, referee David Codrick’s officiating was overly fussy, but it had no effect on the beating Tyrone were handing out. Emmett McGuckin blasted over Derry’s last point before Tyrone inflicted one last stab on their beleaguered prey when Aidan McCrory scored his side’s second goal of the night to wrap up the win. A bad night all round and a long run home. Scorers- Tyrone: R O’Neill 0-6 (5f), R Donnelly 0-4, S Cavanagh 1-1, A McCrory 1-0, K McGeary 0-2, P Harte 0-1, C Meyler 0-1

Derry: R Bell 0-3 (3f), J Kielt 0-2 (2f), C Bradley 0-2 (1f), C McKaigue, D Heavron, E Bradley, C McFaul, E McGuckin 0-1 each

Tyrone: Niall Morgan, Aidan McCrory, Ronan McNamee, Cathal McCarron, Barry Tierney, Rory Brennan, Tiernan McCann, Colm Cavanagh, Mattie Donnelly, Kieran McGeary, Peter Harte, Richard Donnelly, Connor McAliskey, Sean Cavanagh, Ronan O’Neill Subs: C Meyler for Brennan, J Monroe for Tierney, M Bradley for McGeary, D McCurry for McAliskey, J McMahon for McNamee, C McCann for Harte.

Derry: Eoin McNicholl, Oisin Duffy, Chrissy McKaigue, Karl McKaigue, Gareth McKinless, Brendan Rogers, Mark Craig, Niall Holly, Emmet Bradley, Daniel Heavron, Ciaran McFaul, Sean Leo McGoldrick, Ryan Bell, Emmett McGuckin, James Kielt Subs: Ryan Ferris for M Craig, Conor McAtamney for E Bradley, Cailean O’Boyle for J Kielt, Shane Heavron for K McKaigue (bc), Christopher Bradley for R Bell, Benny Heron for E McGuckin.

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)