Allianz Football League Division Two

Derry 1-31 Cork 0-14

By Michael Wilson at Find Insurance Celtic Park

Derry moved into pole position in the Division Two promotion after a superb second half display dismantled a previously unbeaten Cork team at Find Insurance Celtic Park.

Playing against the breeze in the opening half, Ciaran Meenagh’s men always had a measure of control, their dominance on both kick-outs proving the platform for a victory that takes Derry’s scoring to a remarkable 3-56 in their last two home fixtures.

Lachlan Murray brilliant goal with the final kick of the opening half provided a four point cushion at the break, but it was an unanswered 0-10 at the beginning of the second half which took the game away from a shell shocked Cork who must now regroup for a meeting with Kildare in two weeks’ time.

Derry welcomed back captain Conor Glass, keeper Shea McGuckin and Lachlan Murray after the trio all missed the 23 point victory over Offaly the previous week. Cork, meanwhile, were without captain Ian Maguire after the St. Finbarr’s player saw his two game ban for a red card in the victory over Meath reduced to one game, Sean Walsh the man to step in.

Cork played with the stiff breeze at their backs for the first 35 minutes and Steven Sherlock in particular made use of it with two huge two-point efforts, one of which from upwards of 60m.

The visitors’ problem, however, was the kick-out. Derry dominated the restarts at both ends, winning eight of the Rebels’ kick-outs, including a run of six from seven in the final six minutes of the half and it handed Derry enough possession to take a fully deserved 1-10 to 0-9 lead into the break.

Indeed, it could have been even better had the Oak Leafers taken another of three further goal chances, keeper Micheal Aodh Martin pulling off one breathtaking stop from Shane McGuigan while the excellent Padraig McGrogan and Gareth McKinless both passed up decent chances to net.

Two points in the opening minutes, one from Colm O’Callaghan and a fisted effort from Lachlan Murray, set the tone for an enjoyable half. Sherlock’s fist two pointer took Cork into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead, but Derry’s ability to hold possession and manipulate space was causing plenty of bother for the Rebel’s rearguard.

Two points from McGuigan and one from Paul Cassidy had it back to a one point game until O’Callaghan took it back out to 0-6 to 0-4, but Derry were in control despite playing into the wind.

Another Sherlock two-pointer provided some breathing space, but Cork attacks were becoming an exception rather than the rule as back to back Murray points had Derry back to 0-9 apiece by the half hour mark.

Niall Loughlin’s point edged Derry in front for the first time five minutes before half-time, but Meenagh’s men had saved their best for last as a sublime Glass pass dissected the Cork defence in the last attack of the half. The pass sent Murray away and he provided an emphatic finish, blasting into the top corner to send his team into half-time leading by four at 1-10 to 0-9.

All semblance of the opening half’s tight battle disappeared within minutes of the restart as Derry, now backed by the breeze ripped into the Cork kick-out, hitting 0-10 without reply.

Ironically, Cork substitute Ruairi Deane opened the second half scoring, but thereafter, the home side ran riot as Cassidy, McGuigan, Murray and Niall Toner all registered singles while Loughlin hit the home team’s first two-pointer of the afternoon as Derry led 1-20 to 0-10 on 46 minutes.

Dara Sheedy’s score stemmed the Oak Leaf tide, but the game had disappeared into the distance for Cork. Both sides ran their benches, McGuigan and sub Sean Kearney kept the Derry score ticking with another two pointer as Derry wheeled off toward a crucial victory.

The Division Two promotion race is far from done and score difference could yet prove critical, so this was a big statement from a Derry team on the rise.

Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 0-9 (2f, 1tp), Lachlan Murray 1-4, Paul Cassidy 0-4, Niall Loughlin 0-4 (1tp), Ethan Doherty 0-2, Niall Toner 0-2, Conor Doherty 0-1, Conor Glass 0-1, Padraig McGrogan 0-1, Sean Kearney 0-1, Dan Higgins 0-1, Shea McGuckin 0-1 (1 ’45’).

Scorers for Cork: Steven Sherlock 0-6 (2tp, 1 ’45’), Colm O’Callaghan 0-2, Darragh Cashman 0-2, Sean Walsh 0-1, Paul Walsh 0-1, Ruairi Deane 0-1, Dara Sheedy 0-1.

Derry: Shea McGuckin, Diarmuid Baker, Ruairi Forbes, Shea Downey, Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless, Padraig McGrogan, Conor Glass, Brendan Glass, Ethan Doherty, Niall Toner, Paul Cassidy, Niall Loughlin, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray.

Subs: Dan Higgins for B Rogers, 46mins; Sean Young for L Murray, 51mins; Sean Kearney for N Toner, 55mins; Martin Bradley for D Baker, 60mins; Conall Higgins for G McKinless, 62mins.

Cork: Micheal Aodh Martin, Maurice Shanley, Daniel O’Mahony, Sean Meehan, Matthew Taylor, Rory Maguire, Luke Fahy, Colm O’Callaghan, Sean Walsh, Paul Walsh, Conor Corbett, Sean McDonnell, Chris Og Jones, Dara Sheedy, Steven Sherlock.

Subs: Ruairi Deane for P Wash, HT; David Buckley for S McDonnell, 46mins; Cathail O’Mahoney for C Corbett, 46mins; Darragh Cashman for M Taylor, 51mins; Conor Cahalane for D Sheedy, 64mins.

Referee: Seamus Mulhare (Laois).