Corey O'Reilly goal sees Derry hurlers defeat Tyrone in National League opener

Derry 2-20, Tyrone 0-16

Corey O'Reilly's superb second half goal was the decisive score as Derry hurlers claimed first blood in the Sunday's double header to get their National League campaign off to the perfect start in Division 2B.

With the Allianz Hurling Leagues set to be restructured next season, a top three finish will secure your place in the revamped Division Two next season but Derry's target is top spot and this was ideal start with O'Reilly and senior debutante Ruairi O'Mianian excellent throughout.

Backed by the strong breeze Johnny McGarvey's men were in complete control in the opening half and led by 13 points at one stage but such were the conditions that even a 0-17 to 0-5 half-time lead didn't feel secure, especially considering Tyrone had passed up two great goal chances, And so it proved as Tyrone began eating into Derry's lead upon the restart, pulling the Oak Leafers back to five points at one stage before O'Reilly took the game by the scruff of the neck with a 52nd minute goal that stopped the Red Hands in their tracks.

It proved the winning of the match, Dara Mooney's insurance goal arriving after a pair of red cards for Tyrone duo Joe McToal and Lorcan Devlin as the Red hands chased the game. Conditions dictated it would never be pretty and McGarvey won't be overly pleased with the third quarter display but on opening day, the result is all important and Derry did just enough

Much of the pre-match Derry talk had centred on former Antrim player Christy McNaughton's arrival and despite being named among the Oak Leaf substitutes in the official programme, McNaughton started in place of Cahal Murray but had a quiet enough half as McGarvey's men dominated.

Backed by the considerable breeze blowing in from the Brandywell end, Derry were 0-9 to no score up by the 16th minute with a spread of seven first half scorers but also registered seven wides. Not that Tyrone didn't have their chances. Despite seeing relatively little of the ball, the Red hands rallied late in the opening half and engineered three gilt edged goal chances, including 32nd minute penalty from Dean Rafferty which Derry keeper Eoin Mulholland saved brilliantly.

Mulholland also saved superbly from a fierce Aidan Kelly shot three minutes before the penalty while Richie Mullan was on hand to block as goalbound effort from Cormac Munroe. However those efforts all came in the final seven minutes of a half Derry were otherwise in total control of with O'Mianain and O'Reilly excellent as they registered seven points from play before the short whistle.

Two Cormac O'Doherty frees got Derry off to a predictably solid start and with Paddy Kelly excellent in the full-back role the home side took complete control thanks to further points from O'Mianain (2), John Mullan and O'Reilly for a 0-6 to no score lead after 14 minutes.

Two more O'Doherty frees and a lovely O'Mianain effort after Aimon Duffin had broken down the Tyrone puck out stretched the lead to nine before the Red Hands finally split the posts through an Aidan Kelly free on 19 minutes.

The Tyrone opener didn't halt the Derry charge though as O'Reilly (3), Mullan and O'Doherty took the Oak lead tally to 14 but from there Tyrone rallied. Despite the missed penalty, two points apiece from points from Michael Little, Kelly (2f), either side of a fine Richie Mullan effort, left it 0-17 to 0-5 at the break.

And anyone wondering about the impact of the wind on proceedings had their answer within 11 minutes of the restart as Tyrone hit seven unanswered points to cut Derry’s advantage back to five points at 0-17 to 0-12 with Kelly (f), Lorcan Devlin, Ruairi Weir and Little again on target.

Derry were rocking and needed a score of any sort. They got it through an O'Doherty free but it was the one that followed that defined the game and it was that man O'Reilly who delivered. Taking a pass from Dara Mooney, O'Reilly accelerated into space, side-stepped the last Tyrone defender and flashed a great shot past Conor McElhatton for the goal that changed the entire momentum of the game.

At 1-18 to 0-13, Derry had found their feet once more. Tyrone were chasing the game and their cause wasn't helped by red cards for substitute Joe McToal and Lorcan Devlin within six minutes of each other for high challenges. Dara Mooney’s goal at the back post then confirmed Derry's superiority. They'd been given a scare but they had the opening win they craved and they deserved it. Eventually!

Derry scorers: Cormac O'Doherty (0-7, 6f), Ruairi O Mianain (0-4), John Mullan (0-2), Corey O'Reilly (1-4), Christy McNaughton (0-1), Meehaul McGrath (0-1), Richie Mullan (0-1), Dara Mooney (1-0)

Tyrone scorers: Aidan Kelly (0-5, 5f), Michael Little (0-4), Lorcan Devlin (0-1), Tiernan Morgan (0-3, 1f), Rory Weir (0-1), Ben Gormley (0-1), Fionn Devlin (0-1)

Derry: Eoin Mulholland, Aimon Duffin, Sean Cassidy, Paddy Kelly, Thomas Brady, Richie Mullan, Meehaul McGrath, Cormac O’Doherty, Ruairi O’Mianain, Corey O’Reilly, Christy McNaughton, Callum O’Kane, Dara Mooney, John Mullan, Paul Cleary. (Subs) Cahal Murray for P Cleary (inj), 13mins; James Friel for T Brady, 41mins; Mark Craig for C McNaughton, 49mins; Darragh McGilligan for C O'Kane, 51mins; Padhraig Nelis for R O'Mianain, 65mins;

Tyrone: Conor McElhatton, Dean Rafferty, Ruairi Devlin, Oran McKee, Bryan McGurk, Fionn Devlin, Tiernan Morgan, Ben Gormely, James McCann, Michael Little, Aidan Kelly, Lorcan Devlin, Turlough Mullin, Cormac Munroe, Rory Weir. (Subs) Joe McToal for T Mullin , 46mins; Conal McKee for R Weit, 61mins

Referee: James Clarke (Cavan)