Tyrone v Derry (mk 2)

[STREET FIGHTER]

Decent game today and one i feel that Tyrone should have won.Derry were more clinical up front and they hit some cracking scores.Emmet McGuckian was very good when introduced and kicked a couple of mighty scores.

Tyrone hit some brutal wides and spurned a couple of great goal chances.The plusses for me were the performance of Brian McGuigan and Niall McKenna.It was a hugely improved performance from the debacle in Celtic park last year but ultimately with the same result.

Fair enough analysis.

[tyroneman]

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 Snr at times.

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

[whitegoodman]

Tyrone remind me of chelsea a bit, strong and powerful but ageing and lacking pace.  If McCarron proves to be as good as hoped it could release justy mcmahon who i think could be a great wing back and introducing coney, harte and possibly coney into the forward line would provide some freshness into the attack.( Although Coney in particular is taking a while to get to the next level)

Just an opinion looking from the outside

[lenny]

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.

[tbrick18]

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.

Have to say I dont agree with this entirely...particularly about Derry hauling shirts all day! Coming from tyrone that's a bit rich!
Anyway, Tyrone did have a lot of posession and did miss some handy frees. But a lot of the wides were caused be intense Derry pressure and tyrone were forced to shoot from bad positions. A lot of those wides were as much as a result of good Derry defending as poor Tyrone shooting. Possession isnt everything in this game, as Derry have found to their folly now for too many years. Derry also missed a good few easy frees, so in all I think the result was a fair reflection on the game. Derry simply played better for more of the game than Tyrone did.

[tyroneman]

I guess the old adage about victors writing the history runs true again today 

Tyrone will have to win all remaining games to go up.

I would sooner see Justy in MF. Not sure why MH is rotating so much in there at present. Cass is ineffective at FF and we seem to be at aloes where to play Cavanagh. The half forward line ain't the place though. FF or MF.

Ah well, at least the shambles of last year was avoided .......

[oakleaf stateside]

paddy bradley needed a saddle and on ocassions james conway had that many man hanging on him he needed a cart

[ONeill]

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.

[lenny]

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.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

That's about the height of it ONeill.

Still can't figure out though how we contrived not the win that game comfortably; more positives than negatives overall, with the younger lads particularly reassuring.

[ONeill]

On the other hand, I'm probably doing Derry a disservice. Tyrone only scored 0-7 from play today compared to Derry's 1-10 from play.

[gaagaa]

paddy bradley needed a saddle and on ocassions james conway had that many man hanging on him he needed a cart

conway needed an oxygen mask 

patrick was very sharp - he should have shot himself more

[omagh_gael]

I wouldn't have thought Jerome would have covered this. My understandingis he can only cover games run by the ulster council, i.e. MacRory, Ulster Championship, and not central run games, i.e. NFL or AI games.

[Club Rossa]

Was a lovely tribute that Derry chairman John Keenan penned in the programme yesterday about Michaela.

[LeoMc]

Tyrone remind me of chelsea a bit, strong and powerful but ageing and lacking pace.  If McCarron proves to be as good as hoped it could release justy mcmahon who i think could be a great wing back and introducing coney, harte and possibly coney into the forward line would provide some freshness into the attack.( Although Coney in particular is taking a while to get to the next level)

Just an opinion looking from the outside

Bit of a theme going there?