Gaelic Games

Darren McCurry’s late free gives Tyrone a share of the spoils

Derry denied victory as late Niall Holly red card proves costly

Derry’s Terence O’Brien shields the ball from Tyrone’s Ronan McNabb. Photo: Doherty/Inpho
Derry’s Terence O’Brien shields the ball from Tyrone’s Ronan McNabb. Photo: Doherty/Inpho
Mon Mar 02 2015 - 01:46

Tyrone 0-11

Derry 1-8

Derry are still seeking their first league win after Tyrone’s late surge salvaged a draw at storm-lashed Healy Park on Saturday night.

Referee David Coldrick conducted a lengthy pitch inspection before allowing the action to commence, and the game quickly became bogged down, with Tyrone operating with 15 men behind the ball and picking their moments to attack on the break.

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But Derry were able to prise openings in the second half, and stunned the home side with a Terence O’Brien goal in the 62nd minute. It was only after Derry full back Niall Holly was sent off on a second yellow card that Tyrone began to look like a potent attacking force, hitting four late points, including Darren McCurry’s stoppage-time equaliser.

Derry boss Brian McIver claimed “hometown” decisions went against his side in the closing stages. “The free kick at the end, we had turned the ball over and our man was fouled on the way out. It should have been a free kick to us and it’s game over. It was a home town decision,” he said. “Decisions were going like that for the great percentage of the night against us... I’m saying nothing.”

Coldrick had a long, hard look at a sodden surface before deciding to allow the game to go ahead, after heavy rain had battered the Omagh area all afternoon. When it did get under way, Tyrone, playing into the driving wind and rain, parked 15 men behind the ball for much of the first half. It had worked at Castlebar, and it did the trick again for 35 minutes on home soil as they frustrated their opponents and conceded just three points before the break. Eoin Bradley, making his first Derry start since the 2012 qualifier defeat to Cavan, hit two of those, one a trademark effort from wide on the left.

But Tyrone made the most of their raids on the break, with Seán Cavanagh scoring twice and Aidan McCrory denied by Eoin McNicholl’s smart save in the 16th minute.

Mickey Harte’s side reached the break with a 0-4 to 0-3 lead, but their more adventurous approach in the second half allowed their opponents to sniff out gaps in their defence.

Substitute James Kielt steered over a couple of long-range frees, and the hard-working Seán Leo McGoldrick had just given Derry the lead for the first time when Emmet McGuckin sent substitute O’Brien in for a low finish past Niall Morgan.

Four points ahead going into the final six minutes, Derry looked set for full points, but the loss of full back Holly to a second booking gave Tyrone a reprieve, which they accepted gratefully. Sean Cavanagh, Mattie Donnelly and PJ Lavery all fired over points, before McCurry nailed his fourth free to salvage a draw.

TYRONE: N Morgan; A McCrory, R McNamee, C McCarron; R McNabb, J McMahon, P Harte; C Cavanagh (0-1), P McNulty; T McCann, M Donnelly (0-1), B Tierney; D McCurry (0-4, 4 fress), S Cavanagh (0-3, 2 frees), C McAliskey (0-1). Subs: C McCann for McNulty (47), PJ Lavery (0-1) for McAliskey (54), C McShane for C Cavanagh (54).

DERRY: E McNicholl; O Duffy, N Holly, D McBride; B Óg McAlary, L Johnston, SL McGoldrick (0-1); M Craig, B Og McGilligan; C McWilliams (0-1), B Heron (0-1), E Lynn, D McKinless, E Bradley (0-2, 1 free), B McGoldrick. Subs: J Kielt (0-2, 2 frees) for B McGoldrick (17), 0M McIver (0-1) for McAlary (BC, 41), F Doherty for Craig (48), T O’Brien (1-0) for McKinless (48), E McGuckin for Kielt (58), L McGoldrick for McWilliams (68).

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).