Mickey Harte hails Derry effort after win over Tyrone
Oakleafers enjoy 1-12, 0-9 victory over old rivals at Celic Park
Mickey Harte admitted it was ‘a hard day’s work’ for his team as Derry maintained their 100% start to life back in Division One with a win over Tyrone.
The Derry boss watched his team struggle to impose themselves in the first half with a strong wind at their backs, and were forced to dig deep to prevail after the break, although 10 Tyrone wides helped them to stay in front throughout. It was never expected to be easy for Derry, and Harte admitted that the conditions made it even more difficult.
“It was and we had the hurricane in the first half and we didn't really make a lot of it on the score-board,” he said.
“We knew there was a real battle on but the idea was to widen the gap before we allowed them close it and that had to happen, which was good because that meant that we got the momentum and it took the energy out of them. They had serious energy in the first half and they were the ones who were battling so hard.
"They could have been in a better position but for big (Odhran) Lynchy making a big save, we would have been in dire straits there but we still felt being three points up if we managed our game right we could get a result out of it, but it was a hard day’s work.”
With the wind as strong as it was throughout, it was suggested that Derry would need to have a sizeable lead heading into the break, with a Tyrone fightback inevitable.
“Absolutely,” Harte agreed. “We maybe could have been six or seven points up to justify the strength of the breeze. The secret is if you can get a few scores and widen the gap that meant that they had to chase the game more and that's out it panned out.
“Once they had to chase the game, maybe take chances, use the breeze to carry the ball, but it wasn't accurate so it left that they weren't chipping away at our lead and then our players got more energy out of that and that's just the way it is.
“If you can stretch the lead instead of condensing it when you're against a hurricane then that gives you the extra energy.”
It has taken six games for Derry to find the net under Harte, and after having one disallowed midway through the second half, Conor Glass finally got one which counted, a strike which ended Tyrone’s resistance.
“There was several shots at goal, we hit the crossbar as well but thankfully we got a good goal,” Harte reflected. £It was good to get a goal in the end even if I’m not sure of Conor meant it. We ended up getting a goal -a rare goal – but a good goal.”
It is now maximum points from the opening two games against Kerry and Tyrone in Division One, a return which Harte is understandably delighted with at this early stage of the season.
“It's important to have early points because they're always harder to get as the season goes on,” he said. “It doesn't guarantee you anything but it leaves you a wee bit of breathing space, so let’s hope we can add to it.
The only downside to the victory was the second half injury to goalkeeper Odhran Lynch, which could mean a race against time to be fit for Derry’s next game against Monaghan at Celtic Park in just two weeks’ time.
"He had a bit of an injury over the last 10 or 12 days,” Harte revealed. “He was passed fit to play by the medics but it must have come back on him and Ryan Scullion got a bit of experience at this level, which is good."