Derry hurlers lift league title despite against Tyrone in Owenbeg

Derry 1-14, Tyrone 1-8

Despite giving a performance that was, at times, as flat as a Shrove Tuesday pancake in sunny Owenbeg on Saturday evening, Derry still managed to pick up the Division 2B league title for the second time in three years.

It was the fourth time since it’s inception in 2012 that the Oak Leafers have contested the final with a good start of an unanswered 0-3 and an uncontested 1-4 finale the main reasons why Cormac O’Doherty picked up the trophy for the second time.

Yet there will be a few concerns for Johnny McGarvey ahead of the Christy Ring which gets under way in two weeks. On a day when too many of the Derry players left their ‘A’ game at home, a gritty but limited Tyrone side were on the fringe of a shock win until sub Sean Kelly rattled the Tyrone net with his first touch. Despite having just over 20 minutes on the pitch, Kelly’s 1-01 equalled the total scored by the other Oak Leaf forwards.

Derry’s tactic of playing the long ball into Christy McNaughton worked briefly as Derry hit three points in the first four minutes but after that the excellent Tyrone full back, Ruairi Devlin, got to grip with his assignment and won almost every ball that came his way.

And it’s not often that Derry captain O’Doherty has an off day with his free taking but this was one of them, despite raising seven white flags. He registered five of his team’s nine first half wides with four of them from frees. The baton was then passed to his young club mate, Ruairi O’Mianain, but he too was off target three times though he did well in general play.

Tyrone to their credit never gave up and in the closing stages subjected the home defence to an aerial bombardment but it came to little against the rock solid Derry full back line of star man Paddy Kelly, Mark Craig and Sean Cassidy.

Despite not being at their best, the win aps an excellent league campaign meaning Derry’s thoughts can turn to the Christy Ring in a positive mood. Indeed their second championship game on April 20th will see them meet Tyrone on home soil for the third time this season – on the same day as Derry footballers met Donegal in the Ulster Championship.

With the sun one of the few things shining in this game, Derry got off to a great start as O’Doherty converted a 70m first minute free before the lively Darragh McGilligan doubled the lead from out on the left. That was followed by a McNaughton point which he sent over from close range.

Tyrone, using Rory Weir as an extra defender, began to close down space and continually beat Derry to the loose ball. Indeed the home side had a let off when a 10th minute Aidan Kelly free went all the way to the net but was ruled out for a ‘square’ offence and it was the 14th minute before Tyrone troubled the scoreboard via a Kelly free. Three minutes later he added another when Craig took too many steps.

Derry were struggling to get any rhythm into their play despite an O’Doherty point, their first in 14 minutes. The Tyrone goal soon followed after Rafferty and McCann placed Rory Weir for a low finish and, now with a 1-2 to 0-4 lead, Tyrone kept their noses in front when O’Doherty and Kelly swapped frees.

As Derry continued to miss Lorcan Devlin put Tyrone two up in the 32nd minute before fine scores from Cahal Murray and an O’Mianian (f) levelled matters. That looked like that for the first half until a Kelly free left the visitors 1-5 to 0-7 ahead at the break after a half in which Derry had shot nine wides to their one.

O’Mianain squared matters three minutes after the restart but with Derry’s accuracy not improving, Aidan Kelly restored the Tyrone lead with a pointed free.

By the 47th minute the Derry wides had hit the 13 mark but a brilliant solo point from Corey O’Reilly did restore parity.

With O’Doherty restored as free taker the game was level with 20 minutes to go and Tyrone had no intention of flying the white flag as Kelly sent over his sixth and last free in the 54th minute for a 1-8 to 0-10 lead.

However that was to prove the end of their challenge as they ran out of steam with that goal from Kevin Lynch’s Kelly the killer blow. Kelly’s presence brought a

bit of life to the previously off key Oak Leaf attack. Successive points from O’Doherty, two frees and one from play by Kelly ended any hopes of an upset. Tyrone battled until the end but Derry had too much, despite hitting 16 wides to the Red Hands’ four.

Derry scorers: Cormac O’Doherty 0-7 (7fs), Seán Kelly 1-1, Ruairí Ó Mianáin 0-2 (1f), Darragh McGilligan 0-1, Cathal Murray 0-1, Christy McNaughton 0-1, Corey O’Reilly 0-1.

Tyrone scorers: Aidan Kelly 0-6 (6fs), R Weir 1-0, Lorcan Devlin 0-1, James McCann 0-1.

Derry: Oisin O’Doherty, Paddy Kelly, Mark Craig, Seán Cassidy, Aimon Duffin, Richie Mullan, Meehaul McGrath, Cormac O’Doherty, Ruairí Ó Mianáin, John Mullan, Corey O’Reilly, Darragh McGilligan, Cahal Murray, Christy McNaughton, Paul Cleary. (Subs) Callum O’Kane for J Mullan (37), Séan Kelly for Cleary (51), Pádhraig Neilis for McNaughton (57), James Friel for C O’Doherty (68). Blood Sub: James Friel for R Mullan (62-63).

Tyrone: Conor McElhatton, Dean Rafferty, Ruairí Devlin, Oran McKee, Ben Gormley, Fionn Devlin, Rory Weir, James McCann, Cormac Munroe, Bryan McGurk, Aidan Kelly, Lorcan Devlin, Tiernan Morgan, Seán Óg Grogan, Joe McToal. (Subs) Turlough Mullin for Grogan (28), Michael Little for Weir (60), Anthony Crossan for Morgan (67), Eoin Winters for R Devlin (70), C Taggart for C Munroe (70+3).

Referee: James Connors Donegal.