Ulster SFC quarter-final: Tyrone 0-10 Derry 1-18
MAYDAY, mayday! There was no saving Tyrone yesterday, left helplessly down and out, sunk by a fabulous display from Derry.
Win or bust? Well, Derry won, won well, and they truly bust Tyrone up.
The Red Hands lost much more than this match: their Ulster crown, their discipline, and two players to red cards - midfielder Brian Kennedy for a stupid kick in the first half, then Conor McKenna received a second yellow late on for another act of petulance.
For all Tyrone's debits, though, huge credit must go to Derry for a superb performance. Even an away win was unexpected, given that the Oak Leafers hadn't progressed at all in Ulster since a 2015 win over Down.
To win by such a convincing manner, in such style, was simply sensational.
Derry victories over Tyrone tend to be labelled 'famous', but there should be no under-stating the magnitude of this success.
The Oak Leafers must live by the motto that 'What's rare is wonderful': only their fourth senior championship success over their neighbours in 14 meetings, but all of them are unforgettable.
There'd been plenty of pre-match talk about the last such victory, of course - and once again, as they did in 2006, Derry came to the home of the All-Ireland champions and humiliated them.
Back then they held Tyrone scoreless before the break and won by six.
Yesterday, Derry effectively had the match won by half-time, matching their total from 16 years ago of 1-8, and went on to almost double the winning margin from back then.
Indeed Derry really could have destroyed Tyrone.
Yet even with the goal chances they spurned, they still inflicted Tyrone's biggest Ulster Championship defeat for almost a quarter of a century, since Derry themselves thrashed them by 2-15 to 2-3 in the 1997 provincial semi-final.
In between, in 2001, the first year of the 'back door', Derry bounced back from an Ulster loss to the Red Hands to end their Championship in the first All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals, by 1-9 to 0-7.
However, what was once one of the fiercest fought rivalries in Ireland, never mind just in Ulster, had become almost a one-sided procession. Tyrone had won seven of the last 10 Championship meetings, with Derry winless since 2006.
That description applied again, but this time Derry were utterly dominant.
The eventual 11-point winning margin was the same as Tyrone twice inflicted on Derry in Celtic Park, in 2016 and 2017. Sweet revenge indeed.
The press-box talk was mostly about Tyrone and their hammering as All-Ireland champions, but the chat really should surround Derry and their magnificent display.
All 20 who played a part will, quite rightly, be lauded, but chief among the heroes were two with the traditional Derry surname of Doherty, wing-back and 'man of the match' Conor of Newbridge and wing-forward Ethan of Glen, with the latter posing serious problems with his pace and movement.
Brendan Rogers was as unflustered as ever at full-back, Gareth McKinless dominant in front of him and further into midfield, while Shane McGuigan coolly converted a penalty kick and Niall Loughlin top-scored with 0-7.
The 1997 trouncing was a response to an incredible Tyrone win the year before, when the Red Hands were also reduced to 13 men but overcame a 14-man Derry by 0-11 to 0-10.
However, there was no such fighting spirit shown yesterday, with only Conor Meyler, Ronan McNamee, and Darren McCurry performing anywhere close to their ability.
Meyler carried the fight, and the ball, on his home ground; McNamee held Loughlin to just one point from play, late on; and McCurry twice escaped the close attentions of Chrissy McKaigue to score two wonderful points.
Otherwise, though, Derry were superior in every position, in every regard.
While Tyrone were listless and lethargic, Derry were lively and eager in contrast, from first to last.
The Red Hands gave starts to Peter Harte and Conor McKenna, instead of Michael O'Neill and Darragh Canavan, with Harte in his usual left wing-back role and the Eglish man at centre half-forward.
Yet Derry's sole change to the programme team proved far more effective - not so much from Niall Toner, who started in attack, but with McKinless's move to midfield in place of Emmett Bradley.
The Ballinderry man dominated the central area from his 'D' forward, keeping Conn Kilpatrick quiet and dropping back to sweep effectively.
He also irritated Kennedy sufficiently to spark his sending-off.
The Oak Leafers opened the scoring in the fourth minute and were in front from then until the end. The closest Tyrone got to them was being a point behind on four brief occasions, for several first half minutes.
Each time, though, Derry responded with a quick score of their own, most of those from open play, the result of direct running, co-ordinated movement, and sheer desire.
It might have been different had Meyler not been denied a goal on the quarter-hour by a strong hand from Oran Lynch, but such was Derry's determination and drive that they always looked likely winners.
They led by 0-7 to 0-4 when Kennedy had his moment of madness. McKinless niggled at him after he caught a Tyrone kick-out, but to kick his opponent's rear was the height of stupidity.
A minute later, teenager Ethan Doherty ran again at the Tyrone rearguard, hand-passed to Paul Cassidy, and the Bellaghy man was brought down by Morgan.
McGuigan netted that 27th minute spot-kick and the Red Hands were heading out on their posterior.
Behind by 1-8 to 0-4 at the break, Tyrone sent on Michael O'Neill and Darragh Canavan for Frank Burns and Cathal McShane.
Canavan did at least offer some scoring threat, and pointed a mark after a plunging catch, while McCurry scored a beauty from a cute kick-pass by Meyler, but Derry were never in any danger of being caught themselves.
Indeed the visitors reeled off five of the last six scores as they eased to an extraordinary triumph.
There had never been five consecutive victories in this rivalry, so with Tyrone having won the last four, they were seeking a place in the history books.
Derry tore up that script and threw it in the red faces of the Red Hands.
The wonder was that the 'stewards to end of match positions' announcement didn't come much, much earlier than it did.
Now, the All-Ireland champions anxiously await the qualifiers draw, while Derry stride confidently into the second Ulster semi-final against Monaghan.
Tyrone: N Morgan (0-1 '45'); M McKernan, R McNamee (0-1), P Hampsey (capt.); R Brennan, F Burns, P Harte; C Kilpatrick, B Kennedy; C Meyler, C McKenna, K McGeary, N Sludden; D McCurry (0-4, 0-2 frees), C McShane (0-2).
Substitutes: M O'Neill for Burns (h-t); D Canavan (0-2, 0-1 free, 0-1 mark) for McShane (h-t); B McDonnell for Brennan (56); C Monroe for Sludden (67); M Conroy for McGeary (69).
Yellow cards: McKenna (25); Kilpatrick (58); McNamee (67).
Red cards: Kennedy (26); McKenna (66, second yellow).
Derry: O Lynch; C McKaigue (capt.), B Rogers, C McCluskey; C Doherty (0-2), S Downey, P McGrogan; C Glass, G McKinless (0-1); Paul Cassidy, S Downey, E Doherty (0-1); B Heron (0-2), S McGuigan (1-4, 1-0 penalty, 0-2 frees), N Loughlin (0-7, 0-5 frees, 0-1 mark).
Substitutes: E Bradley (0-1 mark) for Toner (55); Padraig Cassidy for Paul Cassidy (64); L Murray for Heron (67); P McNeill for Downey (70); B McCarron for E Doherty (70).
Yellow cards: Toner (52); Rogers (57); E Bradley (58).
Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).
Attendance: 10,155.
