Dungannon took another confident step on the road to promotion with an eight-try mauling of City of Derry in last night's All-Ireland League Division Two tie at Stevenson Park.

Keith Walker went in for the first of four first-half tries after just six minutes, and although Derry did gain some respite with and Ian McGregor penalty, it was a case of total domination by the Tyrone side's excellent pack throughout the opening period.

Wingers Roger Cowan and Jonathan Davis both went in for tries, and skipper Charlie Simpson added a fourth just before the break, with David Humphreys kicking a penalty and two conversions.

The outstanding Stephen Bell added to the mounting tally with a delightful chip-and-run effort soon after the restart, followed almost immediately by a Jonathan Hastings try.

Derry did manage to lift the siege to go in for two tries of their own, from prop Jarlath Carey and a brilliant break-way score from winger Stephen Simms. But the home side was determined to finish on a high, and late tries from Alistair Clarke and Bell, with his second, emphatically ended Derry's three-match run.

Dungannon: A Hood; R Cowan, A Clarke, A Redpath, J Davis; D Humphreys, S Bell; J Fitzpatrick, M Patton, G Leslie, C Simpson, K Walker, P Curry, A Hughes, J Hastings. Replacements: A Clarke for Hughes, A Blair for Humphreys, S Brady for Fitzpatrick, R Stafford for Hastings.

City Of Derry: A Tosh; J Moore, M Tamati, S Lindsay, S Simms; I MacGregor, S Smyth; P Gault, R Millar, J Carey, O Laverty, R Roulston, N Stewart, A Irwin, K Graham. Replacements: S Brown for Moore, M Black for Stewart, B McConway for Gault.

Referee: B Stirling (Ulster Branch).