Derry cruise past Meath to make it three wins from three

UNDER PRESSURE: Jason Scully of Meath is tackled by Conor Doherty, left, and Paul Cassidy of Derry during the Allianz Football League Division Two match at Derry GAA Centre of Excellence in Owenbeg, Derry. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Derry 2-15 Meath 1-07 

Derry made it three wins from three in Division Two with an 11-point dismantling of Meath in Owenbeg on Saturday night.

Ethan Doherty's goal only 45 seconds into the contest proved the prelude to the most emphatic of displays, Meath never looking capable of laying a glove on the Ulster champions who looked back to something like last season's best after indifferent performances in victories over Limerick and Louth.

The counties went into the encounter with identical early league records of two wins from two but there the similarities between the teams ended in a one sided first half. Doherty's opening goal arrived after only 45 seconds and was the signal for wave after wave of Derry attack that had the game all but over as a contest by the short whistle.

The home side did manage to amass a healthy 2-07 to Meath's measly return of 0-3 after Toner added a second major in first half injury time but the home side also passed up at least 1-05 in very scorable chances.

The Royals insistence of the long ball in played into Oak Leaf hands with every inevitable home turnover resulting in a scoreable chance at the opposite end of the field.

Doherty's goal was a 'Glen' special as club mate Conor Glass sent him away in the inside left channel. Doherty looked set to tap over but instead twisted and turned before firing home a low shot that Meath keeper Harry Hogan will be disappointed to have left squirm under his body.

That was added to by points from the impressive Padraig McGrogan and Shane McGuigan but when O'Reilly's opening point for Meath was quickly followed by another from Brian Conlan it suggested the Royals had got to grips with the game.

Not so though as Derry simply went through the gears again to out score Meath by 1-05 to 0-1 over the remaining 25 minutes , Paul Cassidy (2), Benny Heron, Ethan Doherty and McGrogan all on target.

Meath's only response in that time was an incredibly soft free which Donal Lenihan tapped over but Toner's lovely left footed finish, after taking a Conor Doherty pass in his stride, merely highlighted the considerable gulf between the two teams in the opening 35 plus minutes.

Colm O'Rourke's response to his team's first half was to introduce Daithi McGowan and Shane Crosby but any hope that it would immediately improve Meath's fortunes were dispelled inside a minute of the restart, Eoin McEvoy striding forward to send over a brilliant effort which increased the home lead to 2-08 to 0-03.

McGuigan tagged on another point when there was an opening for a goal but even five minutes into the second period the game had lost all semblance of intensity as Derry cut through the visitors at will, aided by Meath's inability to hold possession for any prolonged period.

Derry lost Chrissy McKaigue to a blood injury 15 minutes into the second period and Meath made hay during the temporary reshuffle when Jason Scully teeing up O'Reilly to score a goal from close range to bring it back to 2-09 to 1-04.

It proved only a footnote, Derry answering the goal with five successive points from Ethan Doherty, Benny Heron (2), Paul Cassidy and Shane McGuigan.

By that stage it was all academic. Derry had a third win from three and roll on to another massive encounter against Kildare in Newbridge next Sunday.

Scorers for Derry: Ethan Doherty (1-1), Niall Toner (1-0), Padraig McGrogan (0-2, 1 '45'), Shane McGuigan (0-3), Paul Cassidy (0-3), Benny Heron (0-2, 1m), Eoin McEvoy (0-1), Oisin McWilliams (0-1).

Scorers for Meath: Thomas O'Reilly (1-1), Brian Conlan (0-1), Donal Lenihan (0-2, 1f), Diarmuid Moriarty (0-1), Aaron Lynch (0-1, 1f), R Jones (0-1). 

Derry: O Lynch; C McKaigue, E McEvoy, C McCluskey; C Doherty, P McGrogan, P Cassidy; C Glass, B Rogers; N Toner, P Cassidy, E Doherty; B Heron, S McGuigan, N Loughlin.

Subs: O McWilliams for C McKaigue (blood sub), 49-54 mins; O McWilliams for C McKaigue, 57mins; S Downey for E Doherty, 61mins; M Downey for B Heron, 65mins; L Murray for N Loughlin, 68mins; P McNeil for C Glass, 68mins;

Meath: H Hogan; A O'Neill, M Flood, H O'Higgins; J O'Connor, D Keogan, C Hickey; R Jones, B Conlan; C O'Sullivan, J Scully, D Campion; J Morris, D Lenihan, T O'Reilly. 

Subs: S Crosby for C O'Sullivan (blood sub) 14-17mins; D McGowan for B Conlan, HT; S Crosby for D Campion, HT; D Moriarty for D Lenihan, 47mins; E Harkin for H O'Higgins, 53mins; A Lynch for T O'Reilly, 57mins.

Referee: L Devenney (Mayo).