Shane McGuigan inspires Derry to impressive win over Cavan

The Oak Leafers raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead after nine minutes

Derry's Shane McGuigan was in inspired form. Picture: INPHO/John McVitty

Cavan 2-11 Derry 1-16

Derry made hay in the sunshine in Cavan to cement their place in the Division 3 promotional play-offs.

Although his side were all about qualified for the play-offs before their visit to Kingspan Breffni, Derry boss Rory Gallagher says there was never any chance of his side going down the gears:

“I’m very happy. Once we won last weekend, it was always about the semi-final but there was no question of us taking it easy.

“We want to play as much football as possible and it wouldn’t be the right signal to take the foot of the gas after winning two games fairly handy. That was the right message to send out.”

Derry demonstrated their class at the start of both halves; going five points to no score in front inside the opening nine minutes and then hitting Cavan for six unanswered points immediately after the interval.

Cavan boss Mickey Graham admitted his side’s comatose reaction to the starter’s gun cost the blues dearly:

“There was a bit of a pattern there,” Graham sighed, “in that we couldn’t get our hands on the ball in those periods.

“We gradually settled into the game and the lads began to take the right option and we were happy where we were at half-time."

Cavan got up and running when Gearóid McKiernan leaped to beat two Derry challenges and perfectly fist Martin Reilly’s sideline kick to the net in the 25th minute.

Derry went up through the gears again to brilliantly build on their 1-7 to 1-6 half-time lead.

With Shane McGuigan firing on all cylinders, the table toppers stormed into a seven-point lead after 53 minutes to seemingly leave Cavan playing just for pride.

Cavan grabbed a second goal in the 65th minute and continued on the front foot but top scorer McGuigan settled the issue in the 72nd minute with a brilliant free to seal the win.

Scorers for Cavan: G McKiernan (1-3, 3f); M Reilly (1-0); R Galligan (1f, 1 '45), L Fortune (0-2 each); N Murray, O Kiernan (0-1 each).

Scorers for Derry: S McGuigan (0-8, ’45, 3f); N Loughlin (1-3, f, ’45); E Bradley (0-3); C Glass, B Heron (0-1 each).

CAVAN: R Galligan; K Clarke, P Faulkner, C Conroy; C Reilly, O Kiernan, L Fortune; C Brady, K Brady; M Reilly, G McKiernan, C McGovern; N Murray, P Lynch, C Madden.

Subs: M Argue for N Murray (h-t); C Smith for C McGovern (h-t); T E Donohoe for C Conroy (49); T Galligan for P Lynch (52); C Timoney (0-1) for C Madden (52); S Murray for K Brady (53); O Pierson for TD Donohoe (inj, 75).

DERRY: O Lynch; C McKaigue, B Rogers, P McGrogan; P McNeil, G McKinless, C Doherty; C Glass, E Bradley; E Doherty, N Loughlin, C McFaul; B Heron, S McGuigan, P Cassidy.

Subs: M McEvoy for B Rogers (inj, 59); O McWilliams for B Heron (61); B McCarron for P McGrogan (63); J Doherty for P Cassidy (69); S Downey for N Loughlin (73).

Ref: P Hughes (Armagh).