Derry 2-12
Tyrone 2-11

Derry lifted the Barrett Sports Lighting Dr McKenna Cup title on Saturday night after a hugely entertaining tussle with Tyrone at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh.

It was the second time in a month that the Oak Leaf County got the better of their neighbours by a single point.

The Oak Leaf County withstood a spirited Tyrone fightback in the Allianz National Football League four weeks ago and the pattern was almost identical in Armagh, with Tyrone coming up just short despite hitting 2-9 after the interval.

If anyone was under the illusions that a final of a relatively minor competition such as this might reduce the tempo and the temperature, those doubts were dispelled before the ball was thrown in with Gerard O'Kane booked by referee Jimmy White after a skirmish with Tyrone's Sean Cavanagh.

John Brennan's side, bidding to bounce back from a heavy home league defeat to Laois six days previously, started in style and had opened up an eight-point lead at the interval (1-7 to 0-2).

Derry had four points on the board before Tyrone troubled the umpires, and Enda Muldoon finished to the net to extend the lead to eight at the change of ends.

But if Derry held sway in the first half, the third quarter belonged to Tyrone with Cavanagh hitting a goal and a point and Owen Mulligan and Martin Penrose also on target as they nosed a point in front (1-8 to 1-7).

Brennan's men hit back with a goal from corner back Ciaran Mullan and points Eoin and Paddy Bradley helped them into a 2-12 to 1-10 lead.

Again, though, Tyrone grasped the impetus and a goal from sub Stephen O'Neill gave them hope in injury time and Penrose cut the gap to one with his fourth point of the game.

The clock ran out on Mickey Harte's side and Derry held on for their first McKenna Cup title since 1999, but there was plenty of encouragement for Tyrone too from their second half display, which saw the return to action of both Justin and Joe McMahon after injury.

Derry: D Devlin, C Mullan (1-1), K McCloy, D McBride, B McCallion, A McAlynn, G O'Kane, PJ McCloskey, J Conway, M Donaghy (0-1), SL McGoldrick (0-1), E Bradley (0-1), C McGoldrick, P Bradley (0-6, 5 frees), E Muldoon (1-2, 1 free). Subs: B McGuigan for McCallion (4 mins), M Drumm for McGuigan (55), C McGoldrick for Conway (58), B McAlarey for Drumm (62), D Mullan for C McGoldrick (66).

Tyrone: P McConnell, A McCrory, D McCaul, PJ Quinn, C McCarron, R McMenamin, M Swift, C Gormley, A Cassidy, K Hughes, B McGuigan, S Cavanagh (1-5, 4 frees), O Mulligan (0-2), M Penrose (0-4, 2 frees), M Donnelly. Subs: D Harte for Quinn (25 mins), Justin McMahon for McCrory (half-time), S O'Neill (1-0) for Donnelly (56), Joe McMahon for McCarron (64).

Referee: J White (Donegal). Tweet

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