Cavan 1-10 Derry 1-17
There may be some substance to Derry's ambition to play a more expansive style of football this year, if Sunday's emphatic Dr McKenna Cup semi-final victory over Cavan is anything to go by.
Towering full-forward Ryan Bell was the standout performer in the Athletic Grounds with 1-5, all five of his points from play coming from long-range.
Eight Derrymen scored from play with James Kielt, Cailean O’Boyle and Enda Lynn ably supporting the brilliant Bell as Derry coasted into their first final in this competition since winning it in 2011.
New manager Damian Barton promised to put the team on the front foot this year and they moved the ball with a lot of pace, getting a lot of bodies forward to support in some slick attacking moved.
“Statistically Derry have been very good defensively in the last few years, but the problem is you can’t win games unless you score and we have to address that,” said Barton.
“It took us a wee while to get going but the penalty and point straight after it were equally as important. We mixed our game up well so there are many positives.”
Bell’s confidently-hit penalty in the 21st minute was a decisive score, with the Oak Leafers kicking 1-4 from play in a six minute spell to seize control.
Cavan had the wind in the first half but that scoring blitz from Derry left them chasing the game and they trailed 1-10 to 0-6 at the break.
Killian Clarke’s tidy finish from a well-worked move in the 53rd minute was the high point in their much-improved second half, while Eugene Keating and Seanie Johnston kicked their first scores since their return to Breffni blue.
But Derry were in no mood to surrender such a comfortable lead and ran out deserving winners.
They now face a third meeting inside a month with Tyrone in Saturday night’s final (they also played in the group stages of this competition and in an O’Fiach Cup match in December), fixture scheduling that is not ideal considering they still have to face each other in league and championship.
The sides were level four times in a tight first quarter, with Gearoid McKiernan’s left-footed wonder point from near the touchline putting Cavan ahead 0-4 to 0-3 after 15 minutes.
From there, Derry completely took over and outscored Terry Hyland’s side by 1-7 to 0-2 in the 20 minutes before half time, Bell kicking 1-4 in the opening half.
Conor Moynagh, Ciaran Brady and Gearoid McKiernan battled hard for Cavan, but Derry had too much for them all over the field.
All but three of Derry’s total of 17 points came from play.
“Our ball handling and decision-making in the first half was very poor,” said the Cavan manager.
“We left ourselves too much to do but were a lot happier with our second half and we’ve given runouts to about 36, 37 players in the last few weeks which is a big plus.”
CAVAN: R Galligan; J Hayes, K Clarke (1-0), P Faulkner; C Brady (0-1), C Moynagh (0-2), F Flanagan; G McKiernan (0-2), B Sankey; B Doyle, N Murray, E Henry; J Brady (0-3, 3f), D Givney, P O'Connor
Subs: M Argue for Doyle (32), K Brady for J Hayes (HT), N McDermott for Henry (HT), E Keating (0-1, f) for O’Connor (HT), S Johnston (0-1) for J Brady (54)
DERRY: T Mallon; C Mullan, D McBride, R Ferris; G McKinless, C McKaigue, D Heavron (0-1); B Rogers, E Bradley (0-2); B Heron, J Kielt (0-2, 1f), E Lynn (0-2); C Kearns (0-1), R Bell (1-5, pen), C O'Boyle (0-2, 1f)
Subs: K McKaigue for Ferris (28), S Heavron (0-1, f) for Kearns (47), M Craig (0-1) for McKinless (51), C Murphy for O’Boyle (54), O Duffy for Heron (62), C Bradley for Kielt (66)
Referee: Niall McKenna (Monaghan)
Tyrone 1-13 Fermanagh 0-9
Tyrone’s drive for five remains on course, and they will meet Derry in the final next weekend as they defend the Dr McKenna Cup, which they have won in each of the last four seasons.
The holders settled after a sluggish start to comfortably get the better of Fermanagh at Clones, cruising to the finish line after the Erne county’s best player, Eoin Donnelly, was sent off early in the second half.
Red Hand boss Mickey Harte admitted that Donnelly’s second yellow card dismissal had a big bearing on the outcome.
“To lose any player and to be down a man in the modern game is a big ask for any team,” said Harte.
“When it’s one of your leading players on the day, and for the past number of seasons, then that makes it all the more difficult.
“He was unfortunately he got the second booking after already carrying a yellow card. That’s the danger of making rash tackles of any kind. When you’re on a yellow card, you’re always open to that kind of decision by the referee.
“It was unfortunate for him, and it made a big difference to Fermanagh’s challenge.”
Sean Quigley fired over three points in the opening five minutes, two of them from frees, as Fermanagh set about taking the game positively to their opponents.
Donnelly’s towering midfield influence kept them on the attack, and when Tyrone did break sporadically, they shot a string of frustrating wides.
The Red Hands finally got off the mark with a Mark Bradley free in the 16th minute, and by this time, Rory Brennan was providing extra protection for rookie full back Padraig Hampsey in his tussle with Quigley.
A handful of skirmishes prompted referee Ronan Barry to produce yellow cards, while the holders drew level with a Connor McAliskey free.
Fermanagh went 25 minutes without a score, until Ciaran Flaherty edged them back in front, but Bradley’s second free made it 0-4 each at the break.
Mickey Harte sent for the cavalry art half-time, introducing Sean Cavanagh, Mattie Donnelly and Ronan McNamee, and they went ahead for the first time with a McAliskey free.
Fermanagh lost the inspirational Donnelly to a second yellow card on 42 minutes, and their challenge faded, with Tyrone piling on the scores
Cavanagh, Darren McCurry, Richie Donnelly and Ronan O’Neill all hit stylish scores, and in the 51st minute, the outcome was settled by the game’s only goal.
Goalkeeper Chris Snow parried Cavanagh’s cross, and McAliskey volleyed to the net to open up a seven points lead.
Colm Cavanagh stepped up his output as the Red Hands closed out the game, while Fermanagh scores from Quigley, Conall Jones and Eoin McManus made little difference.
Tyrone also finished with 14 men after defender Rory Brennan received straight red card two minutes from the end following a clash with Ciaran Flaherty.
Tyrone: M O'Neill, J Munroe, P Hampsey, C McCarron, N Sludden, R Brennan, K McGeary (0-1), R Donnelly (0-1), C Cavanagh, D Mulgrew, C McCann, C Meyler, D McCurry (0-2), C McAliskey (1-3, 0-2f, 1 0-1 '45), M Bradley (0-3, 3f).
Subs: S Cavanagh (0-1) for Mulgrew (h-t), M Donnelly for McCann (h-t), R McNamee for Munroe (h-t), C Clarke for Meyler (42), B Tierney for McGeary (49), R O’Neill (0-2, 1f) for McAliskey (54)
Fermanagh: C Snow, M Jones, A Breen, P McGovern, D McCusker, J McMahon, C Cullen, C Jones (0-1), E Donnelly, B Mulrone, C Flaherty (0-1), P McCusker, R Corrigan, S Quigley (0-6, 4f 1 '45), T Corrigan.
Subs: N Cassidy for R Corrigan (52), P Cadden for McGovern (54), E McManus (0-1) for Mulrone (52), D Teague for T Corrigan (52), R Hanna for McCusker (65)
Referee: R Barry (Down).
