Tyrone through to USFC Final

Ulster SFC Semi-Final:
Tyrone 0-15 Derry 0-07

A dogged effort from Tyrone saw them easily overcome Derry in Casement Park on Sunday.

Although Tyrone performed reasonably well on the day, their overall quality was well below their best but Derry simply didn’t perform and they never seriously threatened the All-Ireland champions.

Tyrone led from the early stages and never relinquished it, going in three points ahead at half-time after a patchy opening period.

It took a long time for a score to be registered in the second half but when Brian Dooher finally kicked one over, Tyrone kicked into a higher gear and powered to victory.

Derry’s Kevin McGuckin was given a straight red at the arc of Tyrone’s second half blooming and it was a blow that essentially signalled the end of the game as things turned pedestrian thereafter.

The first half was far from a dynamic affair but Tyrone’s fast-paced attacks just did enough to shade the opening period.

Derry got onto the scoreboard first, Barry McGoldrick kicking over an early free.

However, Tommy McGuigan hit three points without reply for Tyrone as they began to establish themselves. One of the three came from play, a fine technical effort from distance.

Derry were struggling to create chances from play and Tyrone were beginning to blossom, an astute Martin Penrose brace making it six points to two in favour of Mickey Harte’s men.

Derry were hanging in there though and an Eoin Bradley free, followed by a blockbuster effort from substitute Seamus Bradley from play, put two between them.

Seamus’ score was a masterful effort, a high effort from way out brushing the clouds and flying straight between the posts.

However, Tyrone finished the half the stronger as they hit two fine late points.

Stephen O’Neill hit the first, a classy effort which he won in the corner before turning Sean Marty Lockhart and racing in and fisting over the bar.

Eoin Bradley hit a sweet response from 30 yards but then Tyrone midfielder Kevin Hughes thumped over an accomplished score to leave the Red Hands a goal ahead at the break.

If the quality of the first half had not been of the superior variety, the opening fifteen minutes was a few notches further below.

It took until the 50th minute for the half’s first score to be registered, a typically abrasive effort from captain Dooher, who came on as a substitute at half-time.

From there, things improved significantly and Tyrone’s increasing fluidity of movement in attack reaped rewards on the scoreboard.

Eoin Bradley and Davy Harte traded scores but then two quick points from Tyrone, first a free from Penrose and then a magical individual effort from Sean Cavanagh had them at double scores, 0-12 to 0-6.

As Cavanagh ran out after scoring, there was a skirmish amongst the players and Derry’s Kevin McGuckin was given a straight red.

Tyrone were unflustered by the melee and Hughes went straight up the field and extended the lead was a point, with substitute Sean O’Neill quickly adding another.

Eoin Bradley kicked one for Derry before the end but substitute Brian McGuigan had the last part to play, clipping over a neat effort to cap a seal on an easy victory.

Related:

– Video: John Devine says sound defence was the key for Tyrone against Derry
– Video: Tyrone beat Derry in front of a great crowd at Casement Park
– Video: Tony Donnelly is the man behind Mickey Harte
– Video: Tony Donnelly says Tyrone are on course for their next target : back-to-back All Irelands
– Photo Gallery: USFC – Derry v Tyrone