Doire -v- Tir Eoghain - 5th April 2008

[Stall the Bailer]

Lookin forward to it myself. Cant remember when we last hosted Tyrone in Celtic park. Anyone know??

Has there been one since the 1992 Ulster championship? I don't remember any league games in Celtic Park since that unless there's been a McKenna cup game.

I think Danny Ball's first game in charge was a defeat to Derry in Celtic Park. Not sure if it was in the league or McKenna Cup

[Fuzzman]

i have a vague memory of that defeat in Celtic park but can't recall when it was.

It should be fun cos I'm organising a st columbs college reunion of lads from the Aughabrack and Dunamanagh area.

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

Shocking poor quality game back in 96, I think it finished Derry 0-7 Tyrone 0-3.

[tyrone86]

Must have been the league then considering it was old format of 3 pre-Christmas league games back in 96. I can't for the life of me remember it, though I do vividly remember Meath visiting Omagh early in that campaign after 96 Semi Final

[Tyrone Dreamer]

They definately played a league game in celtic park in the late to mid nineties - I've a notion Seamus McCallan was tried in midfield for it and Derry won.

As for this weekend I think it will be close again and would be suprised if we get stuffed as some supporters are saying. I think our defence and midfield is good but as everyone is saying its up front that we may struggle. Would like to see McCullagh and Colm Cavanagh brought into the ful forward line. Sean Cavanagh may also be an option at full forward as we really need a quality player close to goal. We really need Mulgrew to get involved in the game and show some class. Is Marty Penrose injured again? - Harte always seemed to like him but he hasnt been involved at all this year. I'm not convinced that the 15 that started for Derry yesterday is as good as people have been making out. However with the like's of Lockhart and Doherty to come back they can improve considerably. I take it Doherty is back for this weekend?

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

Must have been the league then considering it was old format of 3 pre-Christmas league games back in 96. I can't for the life of me remember it, though I do vividly remember Meath visiting Omagh early in that campaign after 96 Semi Final

It was indeed a league game in the winter of 96 and Tyrone were missing a number of established players from the team who had won back to back Ulster titles in 95, 96. It was also a very windy day which was partly the reason for the low scoring.

[Muzz]

Everyone seems to be very critical of the forward line on show on sunday.  And whilst I agree I have been asking myself some questions.  If Tyrone had of had Gormley and McGuigan taking free kicks in their 2 defeats and 1 draw they would have more points than they do have currently.  Kildare for sure would not have ended in a draw. 

Cavanagh was non existant verus Donegal but would still play in any team in Ireland.  Mallon won plenty of breaking ball but is that his job - his distribution of the ball left alot to be desired?  Mulgrew I felt was always available.  Gormley was always out infront of his man but struggled to take the man on and go past him.  Snowy was not at the races.  McGuigan lackluster. 

Verus Derry I would like to see C Cavanagh at 10, B McGuigan at 11 (if fit enough), Mulgrew at 12, Gormley, T McGuigan and Enda McGinley. 

[Tyrone Dreamer]

No chance McGuigan would be fit to start at this stage and Im not convinced you could play both Mulgrew and McGuigan in the half forward line anyway. Also think with all the forwards missing and the fact that midfield has actually been doing quite well that its best to keep S Cavanagh in the forwards for the minute. If he's on his game he should offer more of a scoring threat than McGinley in the forwards (McGinley actually seems to be scoring more from midfield than he ever did at corner forward).

[red hander]

Shocking poor quality game back in 96, I think it finished Derry 0-7 Tyrone 0-3.

Remember it well, pissed all day and was very windy ... at least the stout was good in a couple of the local pubs.  Re: Derry's performance in Galway ... but for the keeper Galway would have scored five or six goals

[saffron sam2]

Shocking poor quality game back in 96, I think it finished Derry 0-7 Tyrone 0-3.

Remember it well, pissed all day and was very windy ... at least the stout was good in a couple of the local pubs.  Re: Derry's performance in Galway ... but for the keeper Galway would have scored five or six goals

Here is what the Irish News had to say.

Tohill has stormer in league opener
National League Division One from Eamonn O'Hara at Celtic Park
14/10/96

Derry.....................0-7 Tyrone.................0-3

ANTHONY TOHILL took the game, the points and the plaudits by the scruff of the neck yesterday, as the midfield giant turned on the power to dominate the Division One derby before 8,000 spectators at gale-lashed Celtic Park. Tohill was at his brilliant best as he inspired the double league champions to a fine first round win. The Derryman slammed over six points with superb accuracy, lorded the outfield exchanges and generally ran the show to all but strangle a blunt Tyrone challenge. And to cap a dismal day for the Ulster title holders' new manager Danny Ball, defender Paul Donnelly failed to finish, being sent off for a second bookable offence with five minutes left. An uncompromising, competitive clash in extremely demanding conditions, brought about four other cautions - all in a first half which saw Derry use the wind advantage to lead by five points at the break after 30 hard minutes in which 21 frees were awarded. Seamus Downey was first into the book of Pat McEneaney, booked for stamping on the grounded Pascal Canavan while Donnelly and Henry Downey were cautioned after a bit of boxing following a multiple eighth-minute flare up. With the gale swirling around him, Tohill flighted over frees with an exhibition of dead ball precision while Joe Brolly added to Derry's first period advantage with their only point from play. Brolly also squandered two very scorable frees leaving Tyrone somewhat relieved to face only a five point deficit on the turnaround. But despite some resilient defence which soaked almost constant pressure during the first half, Tyrone's centrefield play and attack failed miserably to craft the opportunites required in the second. It took them 47 minutes for them to register their first score. Eoin Gormley hooked over a tight-angled 14-yard free. At this stage they trailed Derry by six points, Tohill having thumped over a tremendous '50' strike 31 seconds after the break and an equally impressive conversion from a 35 yard free after 44 minutes. Against a very stiff breeze, those conversions epitomised the stunning scoring strengths of their former All-Star, a level of accuracy Tyrone's lack of ideas and cohesion up front failed to compete with. And it could have been a considerably higher mountain to climb had it not been for a series of wides from the 15th to the 20th minute of the second half, when Derry exerted pressure and dominance, their midfield and forward line impressing as a fluent unit, but Tohill and the Downeys just missed the mark on three occasions. In spite of the work rate Tyrone's defence were producing, their forwards found the opposition rearguard in outstanding form. No matter what they tried, and passes were often inaccurate, Derry's corner backs Kieran and newcomer Emmet McKeever intercepted with remarkable regularity, while the disruptive influences and attacking aggression of Gary Coleman and Sean Lockhart virtually shot out the prospect of a Tyrone fightback. The conditions were no different for Tyrone in the second half as they were for Derry in the first but the visitors lacked the penetration required and often the support play. Without the services of Peter Canavan and Gerard Cavlan their attack was relatively punchless. Only in the last two minutes did they manage to return some profit. Eamon McCaffrey, a second-half substitute, and McGleenan, now operating at full-forward, mustered late points to leave a deficit of four in it at the finish. The margin of victory was overall unflattering to the league champions who on the balance of play could and should have reached double figures. With so many young players being given their chance on the day by Derry's management, the back room team will be well satisfied with the overall contribution of the newcomers, with Emmet McKeever a particularly outstanding novice on his NFL debut. Tyrone had no substantial answer to the play of Tohill, who over the hour produced his best performance for some months making amends for a lacklustre contribution to Derry's championship challenge when they bowed out to Tyrone in mid summer. Derry are off to a better start in their pursuit for a third league title in-a-row than in the previous two seasons when they were held pointless until the third round. Yesterday, they had the punch where it mattered delivered by Tohill. Tyrone did not deliver. But it is still very early days.

Derry: D O'Hare, K McKeever, R McGuckin, E McKeever, S Lockhart, D Heaney, G Coleman, A Tohill (0-6), H Downey, R Boylan, S Downey, R Rocks (0-0), J Brolly (0-1), A McGuckin, S McLarnon Subs: D Dougan for A McGuckin (half time), S McGuckian for McLarnon (38 mins), D McIlvar for Heaney (57 mins)

Tyrone: F McConnell, P Devlin, N Donnelly, D Hagan, P Donnelly, P Canavan, S McLoughlin, M McGleenan (0-1), S McCallan, B Dooher, A Kilpatrick, C McBride, A Cush, S Lawn, E Gormley (0-1) Subs: B Gormley for Dooher (36 mins), E McCaffrey 90-1) for Cush (42 mins) Referee: P McEneaney (Monaghan)

Very interesting Derry keeper there. No surprises to see (0-0) after R Rocks either.

[tyrone86]

Is that ex Bannsider legend Davy per chance SS?

[saffron sam2]

Not ex-Bannsider Davy, tyrone86. Will be taking the field tonight against DC in the Irish Cup semi-final replay.

[Fuzzman]

Can anyone confirm is the Derry match on at 7pm or 7.30 as its different on a few websites?

[lynchbhoy]

Very interesting Derry keeper there. No surprises to see (0-0) after R Rocks either.

LMAO

I'd say Rocks was lucky to get 0-0 too ! He had two feet like corkscrews! 

Derry to hammer the bitter ones by 23 points in the next league game.

[screenexile]

Very interesting Derry keeper there. No surprises to see (0-0) after R Rocks either.

LMAO

I'd say Rocks was lucky to get 0-0 too ! He had two feet like corkscrews! 

Derry to hammer the bitter ones by 23 points in the next league game.

Tyronies don't listen to him he predicted that against Galway as well and look what happened there.

We're an awful team, Tyrone are far superior... All Ireland winners at every grade. Us Derry boys should just count ourselves lucky to grace the same field as youse. If I was PC I wouldn't field a team it will be a one way street. Tyrone by 25 points easy.