Derry dismantled All-Ireland champions Tyrone in devastating fashion in a chaotic Ulster quarter-final in Omagh.
Tyrone finished with 13 players, the straight red dismissal of Brian Kennedy after 26 minutes being the key moment in a gripping first round tie.
The loss of Kennedy followed by Shane McGuigan’s penalty three minutes later were decisive in Derry’s emphatic win.
Derry’s 1-18 to 0-10 triumph rekindled memories of their surprise 2006 triumph over the then All-Ireland champions.
Conor McKenna was also sent off for Tyrone for two yellow cards in the 66th minute but the game was already long over as a contest.
Derry will next play Monaghan in the Ulster semi-final while Tyrone will somehow try to regroup from a flat performance for the qualifiers.
Ponderous Tyrone off the pace
The Derry players and fans, who travelled in greater numbers than usual, were tuned in to this right from the off while Tyrone were flat, off the pace and ponderous.
It was not as if 2006 hadn’t been mentioned in the build-up.
On that occasion, Tyrone hosted Derry in Omagh as the then All-Ireland champions were held scoreless in the first half, trailing 0-6 to 0-0 at half time, before falling to a shock 0-5 to 1-8 defeat.
The ambush had been mentioned again in recent weeks yet Tyrone were not able to raise their game to match the hunger, urgency and speed of their opponents.
Tyrone were destroyed in the middle third with Derry winning the majority of second balls and streaming forward to pick Tyrone off when their attacks inevitably broke down.
Derry’s impressive form in Division Two, albeit without gaining promotion, signposted a team very much on the up and they came to Healy Park ready to finally nail a Division One team.
They duly delivered, and were well worth their 1-8 to 0-4 interval lead.
McGuigan tucks away penalty superbly
Shane McGuigan hadn’t been in the game prior to tucking away the penalty superbly, but Derry had a great supporting cast with Conor Doherty, the excellent Gareth McKinless, Ethan Doherty and Benny Heron all scoring from play before the two big first-half moments.
Tyrone were in crisis mode when Brian Kennedy was given a straight red card for recklessly kicking out at McKinless. Joint managers Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher did not engage with him as he made the lonely walk to the dug out and it was clear from the body language what they thought.
The Derry fans had not even sat down again by the time they won a penalty two minutes later.
Doherty’s clever hand pass over Peter Harte’s head left the Errigal Ciaran man exposed and he fouled Paul Cassidy in the square.
McGuigan drilled the penalty low to the left corner of Morgan’s net.
A brilliant point from Darren McCurry from far out on the wing was Tyrone’s only point from play in the first half.
After a sluggish start to their preliminary round win over Fermanagh, it was expected Tyrone would be sharp and fully of intensity on this occasion but instead it was Derry who had all the bite.
McShane replaced at half-time
Tyrone had to try something after the break and another ineffective game from Cathal McShane saw him replaced with Darragh Canavan and Mickey O’Neill brought in to try and inject some new life into the flailing outgoing champions.
McCurry was their sole bright spot with 0-4 while Derry’s support cast were superb.
It was felt McGuigan would have to shoot the lights out for Derry to win, but that theory proved plain wrong.
He still finished with 1-4 but the accuracy of Niall Loughlin, who scored 0-7 including six from placed balls, and the scores from the two Dohertys and Heron were massive in the first half.
The industry of McKinless, who blocked and disrupted and supported, was huge although he was subdued somewhat when Conor Meyler moved on to him in the second half.
Derry’s full-forward line finished with 1-13 as they kept picking Tyrone off at will.
As the chants of ‘Derry, Derry’ rang out around Healy Park, Tyrone were in meltdown with McKenna picking up a second yellow and several other Tyrone players getting booked for petulance as they saw their grip on the Ulster title end.
Whether they can keep any grip on their All-Ireland crown will depend on how they can regroup and regather themselves in the coming weeks.
For Derry, this is a win that will live long in the memories of their supporters.
It will also instil confidence in a group of players who will be listening intently to manager Rory Gallagher and believing that after this sensational result, a first Ulster title since 1998 is really possible.
Tyrone: N Morgan (0-1, ’45’); M McKernan, R McNamee (0-1), P Hampsey; R Brennan, F Burns, N Sludden; C Kilpatrick, B Kennedy; C Meyler, P Harte, K McGeary; D McCurry (0-4, 2f), C McShane (0-2, 2f), C McKenna.
Subs: M O’Neill for Burns (HT), D Canavan (0-2, 1f, one mark) for McShane (HT), B McDonnell for Brennan (55), C Munroe for Sludden (66), M Conroy for McGeary (69)
Derry: O Lynch; C McKaigue, B Rogers, C McCluskey; C Doherty (0-2), G McKinless (0-1), P McGrogan; C Glass, N Toner; P Cassidy, S Downey, E Doherty (0-1); B Heron (0-2), S McGuigan (1-4, 2f), N Loughlin (0-7, 5f, one ’45’)
Subs: E Bradley (0-1, mark) for Toner (55), Padraig Cassidy for Paul Cassidy (64), P McNeill for Downey (69), B McCarron for E Doherty (69)
Referee: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon)
