Gaelic Games

Malachy O’Rourke off to a flyer as Tyrone take down defending league champions Derry

A late flourish sparked by full back Peter Teague’s scrambled goal secured a seven-point win in Ulster derby

Peter Teague scores Tyrone's second goal during the Allianz Football League Division One game against Derry at O’Neill’s Healy Park in Omagh. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho
Peter Teague scores Tyrone's second goal during the Allianz Football League Division One game against Derry at O’Neill’s Healy Park in Omagh. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho
Francis Mooney at Healy Park
Sun Jan 26 2025 - 13:33
NFL Division One: Tyrone 2-13 (2-1-11) Derry 1-9 (1-1-7)

The Malachy O’Rourke era got off to a flyer with a morale-boosting and restorative win for Tyrone over Ulster rivals Derry as the green shoots of recovery from three seasons of underachievement began to show.

A late flourish sparked by full back Peter Teague’s scrambled goal saw the Red Hands finish strongly with an unanswered 1-4 to win by seven over the defending league champions at O’Neills Healy Park.

O’Rourke said the aim is to generate a steady upward curve in performance levels in what looks like being the toughest Division One campaign in years.

“We want to see if we can keep improving, that’s the overall aim in the league. And hopefully if we get enough points to keep ourselves in the division,” he said. “That’s obviously the first aim. And after that it’s about improving from game to game.

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“But at the same time we know all the games are going to be tough. It’s just we want to see how we get on from week to week. We want to see what we’re doing well and what we’re not doing so well.”

The new Tyrone boss believes Gaelic football’s new rules will begin to transform the game when pitches dry up and the ball moves faster.

“I do honestly think that as the year goes on there definitely is more space for forwards to operate in,” he said.

“It is different and people will take a wee bit of time to get used to it. But I think if a lot of these games were played in the same conditions as last year they’re not going to be a great spectacle.

“Teams will still get back and defend their own goals but they can only take 11 outfield players back. So I think it will open up that way.”

Derry’s Ethan Doherty takes a shot as he comes under pressure from Tyrone's Michael McKernan. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho
Derry’s Ethan Doherty takes a shot as he comes under pressure from Tyrone's Michael McKernan. Photograph: Lorcan Doherty/Inpho

But Derry’s new manager Paddy Tally believes the FRC should have moved to curtail the role of the goalkeeper, after watching Tyrone’s Niall Morgan strongly impact the game with a constant press.

“The 12th man is killing the game, it’s as simple as that,” said Tally. “That is no slight on any particular goalkeeper. Niall is a fantastic ‘keeper but it doesn’t make any sense.

“You wanted one to one battles and there were periods in that game today when the ball was just going back and forth across the field for two, three minutes at a time.

“It’s just a pointless rule. It doesn’t make any sense that you are now at the stage where it is nearly unfair to 11 versus 11, to add in a 12th. It just doesn’t make any sense. The goalkeeper contributing and coming up the field, it is something we have to look at.”

Derry’s lively start saw Brendan Rogers kick one of only two long-range two-pointers that the game produced to ease his side three ahead. But the home side, playing into the wind, settled to take the lead 23 minutes in through Darren McCurry.

Dominant through Brian Kennedy in the battle for possession from Oak Leaf kick-outs, the Red Hands struck for a goal on the half-hour, a fine solo effort and equally delightful finish from wing back Michael McKernan, one of his side’s outstanding performers on the day.

Niall Devlin sent Tyrone in with a 1-7 to 0-6 interval lead, but the neighbours from across the Sperrins made a stunning start to the second half with a thunderous Conor Glass finish to the roof of the net, before Shane McGuigan brought them level.

Committing more men forward, they had the home defence under sustained pressure, and two more McGuigan scores edged Derry in front by the 50th minute, with Tyrone managing just one score in the third quarter.

But a scrambled goal from full back Peter Teague sparked a Red Hand flourish as they hit 1-4 without reply in the final 12 minutes.

Eoin McElholm, recently pursued by AFL clubs, came off the bench to stroke over a couple of scores, while Mattie Donnelly and McCurry, with a two-pointer, finished the job off.

TYRONE: N Morgan; A Clarke, P Teague (1-0), N Devlin (0-1); M McKernan (1-2), F Burns, S O’Hare (0-1); B Kennedy (0-1), L Gray; S O’Donnell, K McGeary, C Daly; D McCurry (0-3, 1tp), M Donnelly (0-2, 1f), R Cassidy (0-1, f).

Subs: C Kilpatrick for Gray, E McElholm (0-2) for Cassidy (both 47 mins); R Brennan for Burns (58); B Cullen for O’Hare (66); M Bradley for Donnelly (70)

DERRY: O Lynch; D Baker, E McEvoy, D Gilmore; C Doherty, B Rogers (0-2, tp), D Cassidy; C Glass (1-0), A Tohill; E Doherty (0-1), C McFaul (0-1), P Cassidy (0-1); N Toner, S McGuigan (0-4, 2f), L Murray.

Subs: B McCarron for McFaul (43 mins); C Murphy for Toner (53); C McGrogan for P Cassidy, M Doherty for D Cassidy (both 66).

Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).