Derry notched their second consecutive victory in the Allianz Football League Division 1 by defeating Tyrone. The game had added significance as it saw Derry pitted against Tyrone, the native county of their own manager, Mickey Harte.
Derry led by three points at halftime, leaving Tyrone with hope of a comeback. However, Tyrone’s second-half resurgence never materialized, with a series of bad wides.
Despite a strong wind blowing into Celtic Park, Derry struggled to convert their wind advantage into a significant lead in the first half. The teams had early goal-scoring opportunities, but neither capitalized.
Derry led 0-08 to 0-05 at halftime, but the game changed little when the second half began, dispelling the notion that the wind would dictate the outcome. Murphy continued to shine, while Tyrone struggled to find their footing.
Derry extended their lead to 0-12 to 0-05 by the 53rd minute, with Ethan Doherty adding a crucial point. Tyrone finally ended their scoring drought in the 57th minute with a point from Seanie O’Donnell, but Derry maintained possession in the closing minutes.
Conor Glass added a goal from 30 meters out, late on but the game as a contest was over long before this. Derry are now joint top in Division 1 with 4 points.
