Anything but neighbourly: Derry's Seamus Bradley charges at Conor Gormley of Tyrone

Derry got their NFL campaign off to a perfect start with a derby win over Tyrone. In front of a crowd of 6,000, this was a typical north-west derby, feisty and always interesting. In the end, Derry's finishing was the difference with James Kielt and Eoin Bradley in free-scoring form, while Raymond Wilkinson's predatory second-half goal gave them daylight.

It was centre-back Mark Lynch who hit the game's opening point, and the Oak Leafers followed up with points from Andrew McCartney and James Kielt. Newcomer Kyle Coney finally got Tyrone off the mark, but that was quickly cancelled out by Wilkinson. However the Red Hands were gradually getting themselves on top at midfield and they reeled off four points in the space of five minutes to go ahead.

With Gerard O'Kane a driving force at full-back, the Oak Leafers pushed on, and a string of scores from Eoin Bradley, Lynch, James Kielt and Wilkinson, had them four points to the good. Things got even better when they reeled off the first three points of the second half.

Tyrone boss Mickey Harte gave vent to his concern by making a treble substitution but it was Derry substitute Brian Mullan who drove the long ball into the danger area for Wilkinson's goal in the 57th minute.

The Red Hands roared back with Colm Cavanagh's goal the highlight but their wastefulness had cost them.

Derry B Gillis; B Og McAlary, G O'Kane (0-1), D McBride; C Kielt (0-1), M Lynch (0-2), L Hinphey; F Doherty, P Bradley; C O'Boyle, J Kielt (0-6, frees), A Mc Cartney (0-1), S Bradley, E Bradley (0-4, 0-2 frees, 0-1 '45), R Wilkinson (1-2) Subs D Mullan (0-1) for O'Boyle, 32 mins; B Mullan for S Bradley, 48 mins; J Diver for P Bradley, 53 mins; E Lynn for McCartney, 67 mins B McGuigan for Wilkinson, 68 mins

Tyrone J Curran; M Swift, Justin McMahon, Joe McMahon; D Carlin, C Gormley, R McNabb; A Cassidy (0-1), K Hughes; K Coney (0-1), B McGuigan, E McGinley; C Cavanagh (1-0), M Penrose (0-4, 0-3 frees), T McGuigan (0-4, 0-2 frees) Subs E McCusker (0-1) for Coney, 47 mins; S O'Neill for McNabb, 47 mins; R McMenamin for Justin McMahon, 47 mins; D Harte for Swift, 64 mins

Referee P McEnaney (Monaghan)