Temperatures in Clones fell short of most forecasts but still not a bead of sweat on Mickey Harte. The Tyrone manager has rarely endured less stress or done less running on the sidelines. When you win an Ulster championship match by 11 points you can afford to look calm and collected.

Still he does his best to work up the demands of the achievement. Beating Derry is always easier done than said. So much of the task was getting the mindset right.

"I felt it was a tough encounter," he begins, "particularly before Derry had their man sent off. I think a team can't really afford to lose a man against a team like us, and the style of football we play. And it did give us a bit of breathing space, and allowed us to open up a little and play some exciting and expansive football. And I mean that. Anybody losing a man in the modern game is a serious blow and I feel if Derry hadn't been down to 14 men it would have been a much closer contest."

He does allow a small smile and a glint of satisfaction when reminded that it wasn't necessarily the best Tyrone team on display.

"True, especially since I felt we had our strongest ever bench out there today: men like Stephen O'Neill and Owen Mulligan. And we haven't had that luxury in a long time. And the team was still good enough out there without having to call in any of them out of necessity.

"But this still only puts us in the first round proper. It's another day out against Fermanagh on June the 6th and that's all we're thinking about for now."

There was also the satisfaction of the unheralded championship footballers like Mark Harte and Colm McCullagh and Brendan Donnelly doing so well.

"Well I'm happy for them. I know it's difficult to break into this team, and when players get in they know they have to play at a high level to stay there. That's encouraging. And the players who were there last year know they'll have to work hard to get their places back. That's encouraging too."

Then it's back to play-down mode, and any suggestion of this being a stroll in the park was put in perspective: "Well I'd say it took more out of them than you think. You don't perform at that level and with that score without working hard.

"Derry never gave up and kept battling and I wouldn't be happy about that goal we conceded. But if they hadn't been fighting for it they wouldn't have got it. So they didn't roll over and die. And I'd respect them for that."

Much later and with Clones mostly deserted Mickey Moran emerges from the Derry dressing-room, and the contrast is stark. Clearly shaken and stirred, he knows that on this evidence Derry's summer could be brief.

"Well I thought we were well in the game for the first half. But we didn't take nearly enough of our chances and Tyrone did. Every opportunity they got in fact. Maybe we were a little hesitant too but once Pádraig got sent off we were done. It's hard enough to play Tyrone with a full team when you're trying to combat their style of play. But when you're down to 14 men you're totally up against it.

"But I can't make any excuses. I'd still give our boys some credit for fighting away, and I'm pleased with the three or four youngsters out there, like Pádraig Kelly in the defence. And it was clear in the second half we were going to be beaten. But I felt we'd to work very hard to get some frees."