2023 Dr McKenna Cup Final: Derry 3-11 Tyrone 1-5
DERRY convincingly ended a 12-year wait to win the Dr McKenna Cup with storming finishes to each half taking them to another big win over arch-rivals Tyrone – fittingly by 12 points.
The Oak Leafers led by seven points to one at half-time, and although the Red Hands began the second half well, scoring a good goal by Darren McCurry, Rory Gallagher's men hit back in style with three majors themselves.
Skipper on the night Shane McGuigan converted a spot kick, then Oisin McWilliams and substitute Niall O'Donnell also found the net, whereas Tyrone brought their tally of wides to, yep, 12.
Tyrone, with the strong wind behind them, must have felt they could go on to win after drawing level early in the second half, but Derry outscored them by 3-4 to 0-1 in final 20 minutes to move into third on the McKenna Cup roll of honour.
While Derry will go confidently into their Division Two campaign, Tyrone have defensive problems to sort out after a match in which they might have shipped twice as many goals.
Admittedly it was probably a half-strength Red Hands side that lined out, with Liam Nugent coming in for Darragh Canavan – although the Rock lad did get Tyrone's only score before the break.
Derry, though, were missing their Glen men, new captain Conor Glass, Ethan Doherty, and Emmett Bradley, and had last year's skipper Chrissy McKaigue suspended after his red card in the semi-final win over Down, with Shea Downey still out too.
Derry had the stiff breeze behind them, but the quickest and furthest most of their forwards ran in the first quarter was in getting back into their own half just after the throw-in.
Tyrone were better in those early stages but had only one score to show for their possession, a neat effort Nugent after a solo dummy, which equalised an early score from Niall Toner – firing over when he might well have found the net.
However, when Derry went up as gear, they left Tyrone trailing in their slip-stream, the Oak Leafers reeling off three scores in quick succession, two of them from sloppily conceded frees.
Yet it could have got much worse for the Red Hands as McGuigan was sent through on goal by his Slaughtneil clubmate Rogers, but his shot was well smothered by Benny Gallen.
Then Paudie Cassidy found Murray bursting in from the right, but his effort was parried out by Gallen and the onrushing Paul Cassidy poked the loose ball wide of the gaping goal.
Unfortunately Gallen got hurt in that incident, the Aghyaran man forced of holding his left arm, with the experienced Niall Morgan coming on for him.
Tyrone soon sent on Peter Harte, for Richie Donnelly, but Derry remained in the ascendancy, and Murray scored his second fine point from play before a lightning counter-attack from the Oak Leafers was finished off by wing-forward Oisin McWilliams.
Trailing by seven points to one, Tyrone brought out more big guns, Conor Meyler and Cathal McShane coming on.
The latter was well involved, but struck three wides and only scored once, before a Michael McKernan interception, the Coalisland man supplying McCurry, who finished delightfully with the outside of his left foot from the right.
A Morgan '45' levelled matters, but Derry responded well, with a point from Paul Cassidy, and then McGuigan's coolly converted penalty after the Tyrone keeper hauled down Brendan Rogers.
McCurry scored a free, but it was all Derry after that. The excellent Conor McCluskey surged forward to set up McWilliams, who palmed in his goal.
Derry continued to cut through Tyrone, especially down the Red Hands' left flank, and O'Donnell cut in from that side to slip in a third goal, before McGuigan completed the rout – and went on to collect the McKenna Cup.
Derry: O Lynch; E McEvoy, P McGrogan (0-1), C McCluskey; G McKinless, C Doherty, Paudie Cassidy; Paul Cassidy (0-1), B Rogers; B McCarron, N Toner (0-3, 0-1 free), O McWilliams (1-1); B Heron, S McGuigan (capt.) (1-2, 0-1 free, 1-0 penalty), L Murray (0-2).
Substitutes: N O'Donnell (1-1) for Murray (h-t); P McNeill for McWilliams (63); M Doherty for McCarron (69); A Tohill for Heron (72); K Johnston for McGuigan (72).
Tyrone: B Gallen; N McCarron, C Monroe, P Hampsey; P Og McCartan, M McKernan, N Devlin (0-1); B Kennedy, R Donnelly; C Kilpatrick, D Mulgrew, K McGeary; D McCurry (1-1, 0-1 free), M Donnelly, L Nugent (0-1).
Substitutes: N Morgan (0-1 45) for Gallen (28, inj.); P Harte for R Donnelly (30); C Meyler for McCartan (h-t); C McShane (0-1) for M Donnelly (h-t); E McNabb for Nugent (52); F Burns for McGeary (64); N Sludden for McCurry (64).
Attendance: 5,113.
