Ulster SFC Quarter-final: Tyrone 0-12 Derry 1-9 There is no straight road out of Clones anymore. Yesterday it was Tyrone and Derry who came to town, and as expected painted it red. Mostly blood red. Yet somehow both teams got out of it alive.
Considering what happened here a week ago the final whistle sounded like a saving grace. Though not always the raging sort of affair that was anticipated, the last five minutes certainly went beyond boiling point. And for sure the final whistle defused a potential explosion. Any longer and Derry's Conleth Gilligan would surely have been joined for the early shower.
Still, after all the bleeding there was survival. And in a strange way this game deserves a replay. Too many questions were left unanswered, too many sub-plots never revealed. Derry's Paddy Bradley was the only player to truly surpass expectations, but most others - and none more than Tyrone's Peter Canavan - simply failed to set their championship seasons alight.
As a game, too, it had just one real turning point, albeit one of seismic proportions. Tyrone played the first half with the wind in their backs and gradually took control. But then Derry hit back with an early second-half goal from Bradley, and from there to the end held most of the momentum.
That might normally have won Derry the game, but clearly some new resilience has been uncovered in this Tyrone team. They shot over the last three points of the game to draw level and managed to fluff one glorious chance to win the thing outright.
And there is more to be revealed. Whatever questions hung over the Derry team before this game have not all disappeared. Scores from play were at a ridiculous premium, even with the usual dose of heavy-hitting and crowded defending. Without a repeat performance from Bradley, they would be struggling.
Yet Tyrone suffered most with that infliction and went the opening 20 minutes of the second half without a score of any sort. Canavan himself failed to record one from play, and only Brian Dooher, and later substitutes Gerard Cavlan and Kevin Hughes, sparked any sort of passing magic.
For Derry Anthony Tohill's re-emergence at midfield was also far from conclusive. Enda Muldoon started at full forward but was soon back at midfield helping out, and while Tohill's presence was always notable, it wasn't always transformed into a tactical advantage. His fitness, too, is questionable and he eventually retired five minutes from time.
So for the crowd of 23,708 there really wasn't much to get too excited about before those fiery closing minutes. Dooher had signalled some fireworks when he slipped over a majestic point from play within the opening minute, but as a score that proved the exception rather than the standard.
Canavan's free-taking also started promisingly but later he was guilty of some surprising inaccuracy. Enda McGinley has seen better days too but for Eoin Mulligan it was simply a day to totally forget. Besides squandering several chances during the game it was he who ballooned wide the clear-cut chance for the winning score just moments before Pat McEnaney blew the final whistle.
What helped Tyrone build their first-half advantage was not just the favourable wind, but also Derry's general indecisiveness. Tohill and Fergal Doherty won their fair share of ball at midfield but it was rarely turned into positive possession. Back-up was too slow in coming.
Sean Cavanagh and Cormac McAnallen were proving far more constructive. Cavanagh in particular made some bursting forward runs that needed to bring out the best in Kevin McCloy and Niall McCusker. Defensively Derry saw out much of the first half under the most pressure.
The game was 11 minutes old before Bradley slipped over his first free, followed by the neat contribution from wing back Paul McFlynn, yet the balance of play was still in Tyrone's favour. Canavan kept the scoreboard ticking over and Dooher added the next best from play to push them 0-7 to 0-2 in front. Only Bradley's punched point could reduce that margin in time for the turnaround.
In an instant though Muldoon's bouncing point started the Derry comeback. With more space opening, too, for Bradley the advantage was clearly turning. He kicked his best point yet followed by a second from Muldoon and within six minutes Tyrone's lead was cut to a point.
Then Derry shot in front just nine minutes after the restart. Gavin Diamond's high ball was well collected from in front of goal by Dermot Dougan, despite the pressure of Colin Holmes and Conor Gormley. A short pass to Bradley was all that was required and the ball ended cleanly in the net. Now leading 1-6 to 0-7 the game had clearly turned in Derry's favour. Straight away Bradley hit another sweet point from play, and then another free before Tyrone finally hit back with a point from Cavlan - their first in over 20 minutes.
With 10 minutes remaining Bradley sent over his best point so far. Tyrone needed to act fast and Canavan's free, followed by points from Dooher and the Hughes proved fast enough. The sides were level again and the tension soared.
Gilligan saw his straight red for an apparent off-the-ball hit on Ryan McMenamin and in the closing confusion Mulligan also squandered the only potential winner. At least they get six days now for things to calm down. Just a little.
TYRONE: J Devine; C Lawn, C Holmes, M McGee; C Gormley, G Devlin, P Jordan; C McAnallen, S Cavanagh; B Dooher (0-3), B McGuigan, S O'Neill (0-1, a free); E McGinley, P Canavan (0-6, 5 frees, one 45), E Mulligan. Subs: G Cavlan (0-1) for O'Neill (half-time, inj), C Courley for McGee (48), K Hughes (0-1) for McGinley, R McMenamin for Lawn (both 63).
DERRY: M Conlan; S M Lockhart, N McCusker, K McGuckin; P McFlynn (0-1), K McCloy, K Doherty; A Tohill, F Doherty; G Diamond, C Gilligan, M O'Neill; P Bradley (1-6, three frees), E Muldoon (0-2), D Dougan. Subs: D Scullion for Lockhart, J McBride for Tohill (both 65 mins), J Conway for O'Neill (68 mins), G McGonagle for Diamond (70 mins).
Referee: P McEnaney (Monaghan)
