Messages

Looking at the league table its a must win game for Tyrone if they've any chance of getting promoted
http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/gaa_tables_footballleague.html

Kildare are home to Sligo in the last game whereas we're away to our old pals Mead.

Laois are away to Sligo and home to Donegal in their last game.
Derry are home to Mead and away to Antrim

Derry will be hoping we can beat the SillyWhites and then they've a good chance of qualifying as they beat us in the head to head should we end with the same points. However should Tyrone, Derry & Laois win all their remaining games, then Laois would go up on score difference if stay with their current +16
Is that right lads? If so then we need to win our last 2 games and hope Derry lose or draw one game. Come on Baker.
If Derry win their 2 games they'll be hoping we win our two games as well as Laois beat them on their head to head game so they need a 3 way tie for 2nd.

I think Derry will be content to stay in div 2 for another season. They have introduced a lot of new players this year and another season in div 2 would do no harm.

Mc Nicholl some player remember him playing against the college with wee james also playing

You sure about that. McNicholl left maghera in 1984 and wee James left Colmans in 1989. James would therefore have been a 2nd year playing MacRory.

To be fair U-21 is by far the most unpredictable of games to call, although still surprised the 2009 AI lads didn't do better.

Was Grugan etc all playing?

Armagh seemed to be leading by 6 or 7 at a stage so it was a great comeback from Derry. Perhaps Armagh became complacent.

Anyone care to post Armagh/Derry updates

Armagh 1.1 Derry 1.0

Armagh 3.1 Derry 1.2. Doesnt sound like good defending from derry.

Anyone care to post Armagh/Derry updates

Armagh 1.1 Derry 1.0

Sounded read like a good game..just in and didn't get to listen to it 

What was final score?

Johnny McGurks winning point v Dublin in all ireland semi in 1993. Fantastic score. Also Eamon Burns point for Derry v Down in 1991. Think it won score of the championship that year.

[they were being fouled all day (plus ca change for Derry?)]

Was happy enough with that.  It was a game we should have won but kicked too many wides ... and does anybody else think one of Bradley's points looked wide (his 'point' before he kicked three in a row wide)?  From a Tyrone point of view, thought McGuigan ran the show and was all over the pitch, Penrose played well and young McKenna looked good when he came on ...  O'Neill and Cavanagh were OK, but saying that they were being fouled all day (plus ca change for Derry?)  Pity a couple of times we were in good positions the ball was in Hub's hands!!  He put in a good shift but he'd be first to admit his shooting isn't his strong point.  Lot of time-wasting from Derry thanx to the goalkeeper and the substitutions at the end ... but sure we'd probably have done the same if we'd been in their position

Boy, yous are sore losers. In fairness most derry fans i spoke to thought tyrone should have won, they kicked themselves out of it. It's a bit rich to hear you complain about tyrone players getting fouled all day when Dermot Carlin spent the whole day holding on to Lynchs jersey, he nearly had it pulled off him at one stage. Also McMenamin and McCarron are fond of the timely jersey holding onm the blind side of the ref.

That's what you call a positive defeat.

Tyrone were the better team throughout but worryingly the scoring malaise which was their downfall v Dublin last August hasn't rectified itself.

Tyrone started strongly and owned the ball for the opening 20 mins. McGinley was clean through in the first attack but kicked the ball straight into the Derry keeper's arms. Sean Leo McGoldrick then waltzed through a wide open Tyrone defence to score the match defining goal. What was clear in that move and subsequent to that was that Gormley wasn't at the races at all. Sean Leo scored 1-2 uncontested. The Block's injury after about 20 mins only hid his abject performance up to that point. Tyrone were winning all the breaking ball around midfield with Brian McGuigan head and shoulders above everyone on the field. He rolled back the years and Derry found him unmarkable.

However, and it's a big'un, Stevie O'Neill is no longer able to be the focal point of the Tyrone attack. McGuigan, on numerous occasions, was ready to pull the trigger only to look up and see a rather immobile O'Neill with Dermot McBride hanging out of him. In the past O'Neill was able to make some amount of space - not any more. O'Neill contributed next to nothing for 70 mins. I'm sure it's Mickey's instruction but he also failed to even look at kicking any frees from either side. Cavanagh and Penrose were entrusted with that role with very average success rate.

At the other end of the pitch, Paddy Bradley saw very little of the ball but as the half wore on and Tyrone tired a little around the middle he tore McCarron to shreds. It was his two late points which gave Derry the breathing space they never relinquished. Cassidy had moved to full forward for Tyrone and his first take was very encouraging. He rounded McCloy easily but shot too close to the keeper. After that though a very lean McCloy had his number.

The second half (1-7 to 0-5) saw the introduction of Niall McKenna to midfield with Cassidy still at FF and Peter Harte at half back in place of PJ Quinn who was playing after Davy Harte cried off beforehand. Well, McKenna's performance was tremendous. Not since Cavlan's Aussie Rules style catching has fielding been seen in a Tyrone geansai. He troubled Derry greatly and set up a swarm of Tyrone attacks throughout the second half. Unfortunately, the Tyrone shooting was dire. On the other hand, Derry were economical with every attack and although McCaul did OK on Bradley, Paddy was central to all Derry scores.

For me the turning point was when Hughes decided to go for goal instead of knocking a simple point over the bar. Derry were 2 up at this stage but Tyrone were pummelling their half back line. Hughes was turned over and Derry went straight up the field and over the bar. Although Tyrone kept knocking on the door, time ran out with O'Neill's only real pop at a score drifting wide.

Plus points - McKenna's fielding, McGuigan's mastery and ability to maintain it for 70 mins, Peter Harte's move to HB (why oh why did Mickey then bring on Swift and move Harte to HF???), Ricey and Carlin's drive in the second half. Cavanagh's shimmy still there. Penrose finally found a way to beat the Derry defence with the ball into space at the corner. All Derry could do was foul.

Negatives - Gormley's performance on Sean Leo. O'Neill's lack of confidence. I know he still attracts 2-3 defenders but he's not the leader he was. Hub's decision making.

For Derry I though their full back line were tigerish with Ballinascreen's McBride impressive. Sean Leo lorded the half forward line in the first 35 though McKenna's fielding deprived him of ball in the second. Paddy Bradley is some player. He has that little late burst. He wins every fecking ball. Though Lynch was poor and Gilligan tired.

Good report. As a derryman I can't argue with too much of that.

[Derry pulled and hauled at Tyrone all day long]

Better team lost today. Tyrone dominated posession but shot themselves out of it. Any 1 of cavanaghs 2 easy frees or either of the point blank goal chances put over the bar would have drawn the game. Shooting was brutal.

Derry pulled and hauled at Tyrone all day long with Duffy choosing to ignore most of it. 2 sideline balls given back to Derry (1 for a score) didn't help either.

Really feel we left the game behind us. Derry were average from MF onwards, Bradley excepted. Why Harte didn't sort that out early doors I don't know. As said before 1 on 1 he's near unmarkable.

McGuigan was a joy to watch and unlike last year seems to have got a wee burst of speed back and was skipping round people all day. McKenna jnr looked like McKenna and at times.

Hopefully Mattie D and Coney will integrate this year and give us some firepower, which we lack at present.

Think Tyrone give as good as they get on the pulling and hauling front. Carlin nearly had the jersey pulled off lynch on several occasions. Mccarron likewise on numerous occasions. I thought duffy was far too fussy and on the whole was a bit sorer on derry. Having said that tyrone have only themselves to blame. They had enough possession to win by 4 or 5 points at least.

St. Pat's won the Rannafast. 2-8 to 0-07.

Great result. Them boys have sum record now. Also, what a year for the Glen boys on that panel.

Gutted. Why was mccomiskey taken off, thought he was having a great game. Just lost out too badly in the middle third.