Allianz Football League Division One, round one
Tyrone 2-13 Derry 1-9
SNOW started to fall in Omagh not long after the hurlers of Tyrone and Derry had taken to the field on Saturday afternoon, with pockets of people huddled across the stand or seeking out cover on the opposite side.
A few minutes after 4pm, floodlights already on, nobody inside Healy Park needed to be reminded that winter is still here. The football that followed carried a similar chill factor; at least in the context of what people might have been expecting.
So, what were we expecting?
Long raking balls into the corner? Wee nippy forwards skipping around the desperate grasps of burly backs, minders having been ripped for them in the pursuit of delivering ‘the most exciting amateur game in the world’?
Were we waiting for ructions when balls weren’t handed back to opponents on a silver platter? Big game shooters splitting the posts from outside the 40 metre arc for fun?
Saturday night in Omagh was a bit of a reality check, in a couple of ways, because Gaelic football as we know it hasn’t gone away - at least, not when the game is being played at the end of January on a heavy pitch already cutting up in parts.
There’s muscle memory to consider too. These players have been drilled and conditioned for all their days to play the game in a certain way, to play the percentages, to mitigate risk where possible.
The occasional bouts of up and down chaos on show at November’s inter-provincial series provided a window into a future that was unlikely to ever be fully realised; certainly not upon the flick of the switch when December rolled into January.
In terms of the new rule enhancements, Saturday’s Division One clash between Tyrone and Derry threw up two two-pointers from outside the arc – Brendan Rogers in the first half, Darren McCurry in the second.
Paddy Tally’s men were penalised for dissent twice in the first half, one leading to a handy free for Ronan Cassidy. The three men left inside were spectators for large sections as our old friend keep-ball was king once more.
Niall Morgan’s most meaningful contribution from play was the lofted ball into Ciaran Daly that led to a second goal of the night for Malachy O’Rourke’s men. Outside of kick-outs, Odhran Lynch joined the play once and was bottled up as opportunity appeared.
Tyrone won, getting the O’Rourke era up and running, because they used the ball better than Derry – utilising the extra space available to pop off killer passes that allowed the likes of Shea O’Hare, Niall Devlin and, in particular, the rampaging Michael McKernan to burst forward and punish the Oak Leafs.
When legs tired, Eoin McElholm came on and showed exactly why there is so much excitement in Tyrone, slotting over two classy scores as the job was seen out.
Malachy O’Rourke’s hours spent data-crunching with Jim Gavin, Eamonn Fitzmaurice et al looked to have been of benefit while Derry, whose show didn’t get properly on the road until Paddy Tally’s late appointment, had the cut of a team with catching up to do.
Because after that Rogers two-pointer six minutes in, Tyrone dictated the terms of the first half. With a wind too prohibitive to attempt anything speculative from range, they held possession, they waited, and it worked.
Those ends justified the means.
So while Derry chased shadows, the Red Hands remained composed. Goal chances for McCurry and Brian Kennedy were passed up before McKernan turned Ciaran McFaul inside out and lashed beyond Lynch.
The Coalisland ace burst through for another as half-time neared, before Niall Devlin left it 1-7 to 0-6 at the break.
Derry showed a bit of urgency upon the resumption, Conor Glass thumping to the net two minutes in to close the gap to one. When Shane McGuigan started warming to the task, it became clear that all was not lost.
Tyrone, though, managed to wrestle back control after a McGuigan free momentarily moved Derry ahead. And it is little wonder Tally is no fan of goalkeeper’s creating an overload as Morgan’s clever pass unleashed Daly who fisted across the square before Peter Teague eventually bundled home to bag Tyrone’s crucial second goal.
It wasn’t pretty but he won’t care and, as McElholm and McCurry helped put the gloss on an opening Division One win, either will new boss O’Rourke.
The Derrylin man’s fingerprints may be across the plans for revolution of a kind, but true judgement should be reserved for brighter days. For now, though, winning – by whatever means necessary – is all that matters.
Tyrone: N Morgan; A Clarke, P Teague 1-0, N Devlin 0-1; F Burns, M McKernan 1-2, 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 (0-1 free), R Cassidy 0-1 (free). Subs: C Kilpatrick for Gray (47), E McElholm 0-2 for Cassidy (45), R Brennan for Burns (57), B Cullen for O’Hare (65), M Bradley for Donnelly (67)
Derry: O Lynch; D Baker, E McEvoy, D Gilmore; C Doherty, B Rogers 0-2 (1tp), 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 (0-2 frees), L Murray. Subs: B McCarron for McFaul (44), C Murphy for Toner (52), C McGrogan for P Cassidy (65), M Doherty for D Cassidy (65)
Yellow card: D Baker (67)
Referee: D Coldrick (Meath)
