Derry 1-15; Tyrone 1-12
Derry finally brought a long winless run in competitive football to an end with a gritty three-point Division 2 victory over Tyrone at Celtic Park on Saturday evening.
In a bruising and low-scoring Ulster derby, Ciarán Meenagh’s side delivered their strongest spell of the season in the closing quarter, outscoring Tyrone 0-5 to 0-1 to secure a deserved win that lifts them above their neighbors in the early league standings.
Early points from Conor Doherty and Lachlan Murray set the tone for Derry, though Tyrone quickly responded through Mattie Donnelly and Ethan Jordan to keep the contest finely balanced. The lead changed hands several times before Brendan Rogers’s two-point effort injected momentum into the home performance.
The key moment of the first half arrived when Doherty won a superb kick-out and Ethan Doherty released captain Conor Glass through the centre. Glass showed great composure to fire a sublime finish beyond Niall Morgan for a crucial goal.
That advantage was wiped out just before the break when Jordan’s quick-thinking free picked out Ciaran Daly, who found the net via the underside of the crossbar. A black card for Murray following an off-the-ball incident meant Derry began the second half both a point and a man down.
Despite that setback, the Oak Leafers controlled long periods after the restart. Shane McGuigan’s accuracy from frees kept the scoreboard ticking, while Tyrone briefly edged ahead through a disputed Michael McKernan two-pointer.
Derry found inspiration once more through Rogers, whose huge two-point score swung the lead back their way, and late points from McGuigan and substitute Conor McAteer sealed the victory.
Tyrone pressed desperately for a late goal, but Padraig McGrogan’s heroic block in the dying moments ensured Derry claimed their first league win since the 2024 Division 1 final.
Derry: S McGuckin; D Baker, R Forbes, C McCluskey; C Doherty (0-2), G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Glass, B Rogers (0-3, 1tp); E Doherty, M Downey (0-1), P Cassidy (1-1); N Loughlin (0-1), S McGuigan (0-4, 0-3f), L Murray (0-2, 0-1f) Subs: N Toner for Downey (47), C McAteer (0-1) for Loughlin (58), S Young for Murray (62), J Doherty for Cassidy (67).
Tyrone: N Morgan; C Quinn, A Clarke, J Clarke; B Cullen (0-1), M McKernan (0-2, 1tp), R Cassidy; B Kennedy, C O’Neill (0-2, 1tp); D Canavan (0-1), C Kilpatrick, C Daly (1-0); E McElholm (0-1), M Donnelly (0-1), E Jordan (0-4, 0-3f, 1 ’45) Subs: P Teague for Kennedy (53), M Óg McGleenan for O’Neill (55), L McGarrity for Jordan (60), B Burns for McKernan (62).
Ref: P Neilan (Roscommon).
GAA RESULTS JAN 31 - FEB 1
Allianz FL Division 1
Donegal 1-22 Kerry 1-18
Mayo 1-18 Dublin 2-9
Roscommon 3-16 Monaghan 1-16
Galway 3-12 Armagh 0-20
Allianz FL Division 2
Kildare 3-17 Offaly 0-17
Derry 1-15 Tyrone 1-12
Cork 1-17 Louth 1-12
Meath 2-17 Cavan 1-18
Allianz FL Division 3
Down 0-18 Limerick 1-14
Wexford 0-23 Laois 0-9
Westmeath 2-19 Clare 1-17
Sligo 1-19 Fermanagh 0-15
Allianz FL Division 4
Leitrim 1-16 Waterford 2-8
London 0-19 Longford 2-8
Tipperary 1-13 Antrim 1-9
Carlow 1-15 Wicklow 2-9
Allianz HL Division 1A
Tipperary 5-24 Offaly 1-18
Waterford 1-21 Limerick 0-20
Cork 2-20 Galway 1-21
Allianz HL Division 1B
Clare 2-30 Antrim 1-19
Dublin 2-19 Kildare 0-11
Wexford 0-27 Down 0-25
Allianz HL Division 2
Laois 0-25 Derry 0-15
London 0-19 Mayo 1-16
Westmeath 1-17 Kerry 2-11
Allianz HL Division 3
Wicklow 2-26 Armagh 0-10
Donegal 2-35 Fermanagh 0-9
Tyrone 2-18 Louth 0-16
Allianz HL Division 4
Sligo 2-20 Leitrim 0-18
Longford 1-14 Cavan 1-12
Monaghan 1-23 Lancashire 2-16
Ladies NFL Division 1
Cork 1-10 Galway 2-5
Armagh 0-13 Kildare 0-9
Ladies NFL Division 2
Mayo 5-14 Wexford 0-7
Donegal 2-10 Monaghan 0-13
Cavan 1-15 Tipperary 1-9
Tyrone 4-15 Westmeath 6-6
Ladies NFL Division 3
Louth 1-7 Clare 0-6
Fermanagh 4-8 Roscommon 3-11
Down 2-14 Laois 1-14
Antrim 4-16 Limerick 1-4
Ladies NFL Division 4
Carlow 0-14 Wicklow 3-2
Longford 0-10 Derry 0-4
Leitrim 5-10 Sligo 2-7
Offaly 5-19 Kilkenny 0-2
