Tyrone 0-10 Derry 1-18: Awesome Oak Leaf County stun the All-Ireland champions in Omagh
All-Ireland champions Tyrone were stunned in Ulster Senior Football Championship quarter-final, as Derry ran out 11-point winners. Ben McDonnell and Conor McKenna were sent off for the Red Hands, as a Shane McGuigan penalty set Rory Gallagher's charges on their way.
Last Updated: 02/05/22 7:27am
Derry stunned All-Ireland champions Tyrone in the Ulster Championship quarter-final, winning 1-18 to 0-10 at Healy Park.
Similar to 2006, the Oak Leaf County came to Omagh and upset the Sam Maguire Cup holders.
Rory Gallagher's team were fully deserving of their victory. They got their tactics spot-on, and dominated their hosts all over the field.
While they were left to rue missed chances in their narrow defeat to Donegal in 2021, Derry left nothing to chance as they ran out comprehensive winners.
Tyrone finished with 13 men on the park, with Ben Kennedy and Conor McKenna getting shown red cards.
The Red Hands now face five weeks of soul-searching, as they prepare for the All-Ireland qualifiers where Mayo and Armagh are among their potential opponents.
It was clear from the early stages this was a game that Rory Gallagher had been planning for. The Oak Leaf County frustrated the All-Ireland champions at every turn.
Two excellently-taken scores from Conor Doherty were the pick of the bunch, as they bullied their hosts to storm into a 0-7 to 0-4 lead.
Tyrone were then rocked in the 27th minute, when Brian Kennedy was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Derry's Gareth McKinless.
Their task was made all the more daunting shortly afterwards, when Paul Cassidy was brought down for a penalty, just when he was about to pull the trigger.
Shane McGuigan stepped up to beat Niall Morgan, and the Slaughtneil sharp-shooter added a further point to make it 1-8 to 0-4 at half-time.
It was no more than the Oak Leaf County deserved, after forcing 12 first-half turnovers and scoring from nine of their 15 shots.
Fourteen-man Tyrone had a mountain to climb, and try as they might, they were not able to make any dents in the Derry lead.
The Red Hands were forced to take risks due to their numerical disadvantage, and continually got caught on the break. McGuigan and Niall Loughlin punished them dearly on each foray forward.
Tyrone's woes were compounded when Conor McKenna was sent off for the second game in succession, getting a second yellow card for throwing the ball at an opponent in frustration.
Derry ultimately ran out comfortable 11-point winners, and the margin did not flatter them in the slightest.
Buoyed by their first win in the province since 2015, they march on to the semi-final where they will face Monaghan.
Following years of steady progress in the National League, the Oak Leaf County can now begin to dream of delivering in the championship.
Tyrone: Niall Morgan (0-1, 0-1 '45); Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee (0-1), Pádraig Hampsey; Rory Brennan, Frank Burns, Niall Sludden; Conn Kilpatrick, Brian Kennedy; Conor Meyler, Peter Harte, Kieran McGeary; Darren McCurry (0-4, 0-2f), Cathal McShane (0-2, 0-2f), Conor McKenna.
Subs: Michael O'Neill for Frank Burns (ht), Darragh Canavan (0-2, 0-1f, 0-1m) for Cathal McShane (ht), Ben McDonnell for Rory Brennan (56), Michael Conroy for Kieran McGeary (70).
Derry: Odhran Lynch; Christopher McKaigue, Brendan Rogers, Conor McCluskey; Conor Doherty (0-2), Gareth McKinless (0-1), Padraig McGrogan; Conor Glass, Niall Toner; Paul Cassidy, Shea Downey, Ethan Doherty (0-1); Benny Heron (0-2), Shane McGuigan (1-3, 1-0p, 0-2f), Niall Loughlin (0-7, 0-5f, 0-1 '45).
Subs: Emmett Bradley (0-1, 0-1m) for Niall Toner (55), Padraig Cassidy for Paul Cassidy (64), Paul McNeill for Shea Downey (70), Ben McCarron for Ethan Doherty (70).
