Dr McKenna Cup: Tyrone beat Derry 2-13 to 1-07 for sixth straight success

Peter Hagan of Derry attempts to escape the attention of Tyrone pair Ronan O'Neill and Mark Bradley

Tyrone beat Derry 2-13 to 1-07 in the Dr McKenna Cup Final to secure a sixth straight success in the competition.

Colm Cavanagh and Peter Harte grabbed a goal in either half for Tyrone, with Niall Loughlin finding the net late on for the Oak Leafers at Pairc Esler.

Tyrone led 1-7 to 0-2 at half-time, then Harte netted a penalty in the 58th minute after Ronan O'Neill was fouled.

The Red Hands hit 1-6 without reply in the second half, including Cavanagh's goal after 17 minutes.

Struggling Derry failed to score from play for 41 minutes but Loughlin hit an injury-time consolation goal.

Close contest in 2016

Derry pushed Tyrone all the way in last year's decider before losing after extra-time but this was a totally different contest.

Damian Barton's side did lead by 0-2 to 0-1 after six minutes following points from Emmett McGuckin and a Mark Lynch free, but failed to score again in the opening half.

They were competitive early on but hit five wides and Tyrone grew in authority, Cavanagh's goal putting them 1-2 to 0-2 in front.

It was a rare collector's item for Cavanagh, getting on the end of Padraig McNulty's unselfish pass to bury the ball from close range left-footed past Thomas Mallon.

Tyrone's Mattie Donnelly and Mark Lynch of Derry in action at Pairc Esler

Within seconds, Derry went down the pitch and almost equalised but had no luck as Ryan Bell's thunderous shot crashed off the cross bar.

Man-of-the-match Mattie Donnelly made a rare foray forward from his defensive role to score, with Mark Bradley and Ronan O'Neill each scoring a brace from play as Mickey Harte's side coasted to an eight-point interval lead.

Tyrone introduced Sean Cavanagh for the start of the second half for his goalscoring brother.

Conor Meyler pointed after 20 seconds, but Derry rallied with three of the next four points, two frees from James Kielt and a long-range point from Bell.

That reduced the deficit to 1-9 to 0-5, but that was as good as it got.

Tyrone take control

Donnelly re-established Tyrone's momentum with another confident point and Cahir McCullagh and Niall Sludden picked off easy scores as the intensity fizzled out of the contest.

A late Tyrone penalty from Harte put even further distance between the sides as he buried inside Derry's left-hand post to make it 2-12 to 0-6 with a long 12 minutes for the Oak Leafers still to play.

Loughlin's injury-time strike put some respectability on the scoreboard.

Tyrone: N Morgan; A McCrory, J McMahon, P Hampsey; C McCarron, M Donnelly (0-2), P Harte (1-2, pen, 2f); C Cavanagh (1-0), P McNulty; D McClure (0-1), N Sludden (0-1), C Meyler (0-1); M Bradley (0-2), C McCullagh (0-1), R O'Neill (0-2)

Subs: S Cavanagh for C Cavanagh (HT), D McCurry for Bradley (HT), C McCann (0-1) for McCullagh (44), R McHugh for Harte (59), C McShane for Sludden (59)

Derry: T Mallon; N Keenan, C Nevin, R Murphy; N Forrester, O Duffin, P Hagan; C McAtamney, M McEvoy; E Lynn, J Kielt (0-3, 3f), N Loughlin (1-0); M Lynch (0-2, 2f), R Bell (0-1), E McGuckin (0-1)

Subs: M Warnock for Hagan (HT), P Coney for McEvoy (44), M Craig for Duffin (51), G O'Neill for McAtamney (51), B Grant for Kielt (58), C McGroogan for Murphy (61)

Referee: Sean Laverty (Antrim)