Tyrone's Class Telling

Ulster SFC Semi-Final
Tyrone 0-15 Derry 0-7

By Denis O'Brien

An accomplished performance by All Ireland Champions Tyrone proved too much for a limited Derry at Casement Park on Sunday.

Once Tyrone got in front in the early going they provided enough of a scoring threat in attack coupled with a very efficient defense to be able to keep Derry at bay for the rest of the game.

The Red Hand rarely looked troubled and ran out comfortable eight-point winners by the final whistle.

Derry, who were always playing catch-up, were over reliant on the well-marshaled Bradley brothers Paddy and Eoin. Derry struggled to find scores and could only manage just two points in a second half that a confident Tyrone largely dominated.

It took all of six minutes for the games opening score when Derry's, Barry McGoldrick converted a free.

A Tommy McGuigan free leveled matters before the same player then put Tyrone ahead with a further conversion and a fine point from play.

Derry's Paddy Bradley reduced arrears to one from a placed ball in a game that struggled to find fluency with only the one point from open play by the end of the first quarter.

In the center of the park, Kevin Hughes for Tyrone was beginning to influence and set up threatening attacks with the pacey half forward line of Martin Penrose, Tommy McGuigan and Joe McMahon creating space and trouble for an under pressure Derry defense.

By the 19th minute, McGuigan and Penrose (2) had put four between the sides with Derry struggling to keep up with the All Ireland champions.

Despite Tyrone's sterling defense, Paddy Bradley did well to get his hand to the ball only to see his effort go narrowly wide of the far right post.

Points from brother Eoin ('45) and lively sub Seamus Bradley reduced the margin to two points but a good reply with a fisted effort from Stephen O'Neill, after he had rounded Sean Marty Lockhart, kept Derry at a safe distance.

Eoin Bradley and Hughes exchanged points to leave Tyrone leading by 0-8 to 0-5 at half time.

The opening quarter of the second have belonged to both defensive units as neither side managed to score during that period.

The deadlock was broken by Tyrone substitute, Brian Dooher when he typically showed leadership to fire over a fine point. Early in the second half he had come on for Owen Mulligan who had never got going in the game.

Tyrone received a setback when O'Neill and McMahon had to be sidelined with injuries, however, they were still very much in control. They had a chance to put the game beyond Derry's reach in the 53rd minute when Tommy McGuigan who had now moved to full forward, should have done better when his shot was saved by Derry keeper, Barry Gillis.

A minute later Eoin Bradley fisted a point to narrow the gap once more to three but Tyrone, sensing danger, struck again to hit the next five scores and finally kill off the Derry challenge.

A needle crept into the game in the closing stages and a frustrated Derry saw corner back, Kevin McGuckian red-carded for an infringement on Sean Kavanagh.

The fleet-footed Tyrone substitute Sean O'Neill looked very good when introduced and he chipped in with Tyrone's final score. Tyrone were well on top nearing the final whistle and could afford six wides before Derry's Eoin Bradley ended the scoring with a free.

It's the front door all the way for Tyrone who are now into an Ulster final. They look to mean business this year.

Tyrone usually get better as the year progresses and especially when they arrive in Croker and their 6/4 favorites tag is completely justified thus far.

Teams & Scorers:
Tyrone: J Devine; PJ Quinn, Justin McMahon, R McMenamin; D Harte (0-1), C Gormley, P Jordan; K Hughes (0-2), E McGinley; M Penrose (0-3, 1f), T McGuigan (0-04, 3f), Joe McMahon; S O'Neill (0-1), S Cavanagh (0-1), O Mulligan. Subs: B Dooher (0-1) for Mulligan (44 mins), B McGuigan (0-1) for O'Neill (49), Sean O'Neill (0-1) for Joe McMahon (50), C McCullagh for T McGuigan (65)
Derry: B Gillis; K McGuckin, SM Lockhart, G O'Kane; C McKaigue, B McGuigan, SL McGoldrick; B McGoldrick (0-1, f), J Diver; E Browne, P Murphy, E Lynn; E Bradley (0-4, 1f, 1 '45'), P Bradley (0-1, f), M Lynch. Subs: S Bradley (0-1) for Murphy (22 mins), N McCusker for SL McGoldrick (54), C O'Boyle for Lynch (55)
Referee: G O Conamha (Galway)