Updated: February 4th, 2025

Allianz NHL: Gerald Bradley goals sets Derry hurlers on way to victory over Tyrone

Game recap

By Michael Wilson (from Derry Journal) https://www.derryjournal.com/sport/gaa/gerald-bradley-goals-sets-derry-hurlers-on-way-to-victory-over-tyrone-4960514

Tyrone 0-14 Derry 1-13

Gerald Bradley’s first half goal sent Derry hurlers on the road to a hard fought, but crucial opening day National League victory over Tyrone in terrible conditions at Healy Park on Saturday.

Johnny McGarvey’s men defeated the Red Hands three times last season – twice in the old Division 2B and once in the Christy Ring Cup – but failed to reach the heights of those victories in a disjointed match in which each team performed better against the considerable elements.

But, in a division which includes Kerry, Meath, Kildare and Down, consolidation was always going to be McGarvey’s first port of call and to that end this was mission accomplished with a few notable bright sparks thrown in; like the performance of Lavey’s Ryan McGill at midfield.

The Erin’s Own man covered almost every inch of the sodden Healy Park surface, helping himself to a crucial point and knitting together much of Derry’s positive play on a difficult day.

And they need him to as well because Oak Leaf plans were dealt a major blow pre-match with the loss of Cormac O’Doherty, Ruairi O Mianain and Paddy Kelly, the influential trio replaced in the starting line-up by Bradley, Callum O’Kane and Shea Cassidy. Coupled with the wind and driving rain Derry would be facing in the opening half, it was a far from a hospitable environment in which to open the season.

Yet for all those difficulties in the build-up, Derry’s first half had an assuredness that probably deserved more than the eventual two point lead they brought into the half-time break, Bradley’s excellent 20th minute goal the difference between the teams at 1-06 to 0-07.

The goal was a highlight but this was once again an Oak Leafers’ display built on a defence which smothered almost every attack the Red Hands could throw at them before the short whistle. Indeed of Tyrone’s seven first half points – every one scored by the impressive Aidy Kelly – all but one was a free, a statistic in stark contrast to Derry’s tally of 1-05, all of which came from play bar a Bradley free.

That changed second half when Tyrone grabbed a bigger foothold but when Derry were rocking and needed settling, Christy McNaughton was the man who calmed Oak Leaf nerves with three fine second half scores, including a huge 73rd minute effort from inside his own half which finally put the seal on a victory which was as critical as it was hard fought.

It was Tyrone who got things underway amidst an Omagh snow storm, Kelly hitting two frees either side of Derry’s opener from John Mullan, after which a fine effort from Jack Cassidy tied the team at two points apiece.

Shea Cassidy and Bradley (f) had fired Derry into a two point lead by the 13th minute but it took only two further minutes for Kelly to wipe that advantage out, only for John Mullan to again edge Derry in front at 0-5 to 0-4 on 18 minutes.

Mullan was then the play a crucial role in the game’s only goal, his superb pass picking out Bradley who applied a finish worthy of the pass for a four point Derry lead.

Tyrone’s response was impressive, albeit predictable, as three more Kelly frees brought the deficit back to one as we entered first half injury time, a period during which McNaughton’s first of the day sent Derry into half-time two up at 1-06 to 0-7.

With the elements now behind them, most would have expected Derry to push on but they never found any momentum after the break and were indebted to that miserly back line on more than one occasion. Indeed Richie Kelly had already plucked one off the line by the time Shea Cassidy pointed with two McNaughton scores – one a free, one a sublime effort from the right – took Derry’s lead out to a commanding 1-09 to 0-7.

However, having taken until the 26th minute to score from play, Aidan Woods became only Tyrone’s second scorer of the afternoon with a point on 53 minutes and thereafter the Red Hands held the upper hand.

Kelly continued to be their main source of scores although Michael Little and substitute Mark McCann joining the Red Hands’ list, the latter’s late double making Derry sweat more than they should have been. However with McGill and McNaughton hitting the target late on, Derry always just held the edge.

So job done, but with Down to come next Saturday, Derry will need to move up a gear for that clash at Owenbeg.

Teams and scorers

Derry scorers: John Mullan (0-2), Jack Cassidy (0-1), Shea Cassidy (0-3), Gerald Bradley (1-1, 1f), Christy McNaughton (0-5, 2f), Ryan McGill (0-1)

Tyrone scorers: Aidy Kelly (0-10, 9f), Aidan Woods (0-1), Michael Little (0-1), Mark McCann (0-2).

Tyrone: N Morgan; A Clarke, P Teague, N Devlin; M McKernan, F Burns, S O’Hare; B Kennedy, L Gray; S O’Donnell, K McGeary, C Daly; D McCurry, M Donnelly, R Cassidy.

Derry: Sean Kelly, Padhraig Neilis, Mark Craig, Callum O’Kane, Sean Cassidy, Richie Mullan, Thomas Brady, Meehaul McGrath, Ryan McGill, Jack Cassidy, Gerald Bradley , Corey O’Reilly, John Mullan, Christy McNaughton, Shea Cassidy. (Subs) Sean Marty Quinn for C O’Reilly, 48mins; James Friel for C O’Kane, 51mins; Eamon Conway for J Cassidy, 56mins; Aimon Duffin for P Nelis, 63mins;Eamon Cassidy for J Mullan, 65mins.

Tyrone: Conall Molloy, Dean Rafferty, Fionn Devlin, Ronan Molloy, Cian McGuigan, Cormac Munroe, Tiernan Morgan, Seamus Sweeney, Michael Little, Aidan Walsh, Aidy Kelly, Ciaran Magill, Branan Molloy, Kiefer Morgan, Rory Weir (Subs) Ben Gormley for R Weir, 37mins; Fionn Corry for T Morgan, 66mins; Mark McCann for K Morgan, 66mins; Francis Hurson for B Molloy, 70mins.

Referee: Ciaran McCloskey (Antrim)

Match reaction

Derry Senior Hurling manager Johnny McGarvey gave his reaction after the game