Derry take huge step to top tier with dramatic win over Dublin
4 March 2023; Ethan Doherty of Derry during the Allianz Football League Division 2 match between Derry and Dublin at Celtic Park in Derry. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Brendan Rogers was Derry’s hero this evening as he claimed a famous win for the county over Dublin with the penultimate kick of the game.
Derry had been five points behind at the interval and only went ahead for the first time in the 69th minute through replacement Lachlan Murray. A Cormac Costello free had squared matters before midfielder Rogers cut through a tired Dublin cover to the raptures of Celtic Park.
It means they now have one foot in Division 1 next season and Dublin will have to pick up at least two points against Louth or Meath in their remaining games to join them there in 2024.
Up 0-8 to 0-3 at half-time, Dublin were brought within touching distance when Derry scrambled a goal in the 45th minute. Half-time substitute Gareth McKinless’ injection of pace put the Dublin rearguard on the backfoot and while Niall Loughlin couldn’t make clean contact with McKinless’ squared ball Niall Toner reacted quickest to the loose ball.
Derry tied up the game in the 56th minute and did a further two times, the latter after Dublin had moved into a two-point lead. Three consecutives scores, two of them Shane McGuigan frees, pushed them ahead going into additional time.
A first Derry season game in Celtic Park since 2020, the stadium sold out on the morning of the game as the home support anticipated a major scalp and a fifth consecutive league game to boot. One senior Derry fan said he couldn’t remember a crowd as big filling the city stadium. Local media were just as exercised in recalling a similar attendance to the 12,000 on site.
Hill 16 on tour certainly played their part and they had the most to cheer in the first half as Dublin served up a masterclass in patient build-up. It certainly helped that Derry chose not to engage until they crossed the 20-metre line but they were so happy to wait it out for scores.
While their conversion rate was just over 50%, Derry’s was an abysmal 22% – their only scores of the period coming from Pádraig Cassidy and a McGuigan free. Dublin were comfortable in filling their flanks and timing their tackles as Derry tried in vain to attack diagonally with ball in hand.
Dublin led 0-4 to 0-2 after the first quarter before Brian Fenton, availing of some slack Derry defending, picked off a brace of points. In contrast, Cormac Costello at the other end was putting his body on the line to block Pádraig McGrogan.
Derry did have a goal chance in the 26th minute when Mick Fitzsimons fell and Niall Loughlin was one-on-one with David O’Hanlon only to telegraph his shot and sent it straight at the Dublin goalkeeper.
S. McGuigan (0-3, frees); N. Toner (1-0); Paul Cassidy (0-2); E. Doherty, N. Loughlin (free), C. Doherty, O. McWilliams, L. Murray, B. Rogers (0-1 each).
C. Costello (0-3, 1 free); B. Fenton, L. Gannon, C. Kilkenny (0-2 each); J. McCarthy, J. Small, T. Lahiff, C. Basquel (0-1 each).
O. Lynch; E. McEvoy, C. McKaigue, C. McCluskey; C. Doherty, P. McGrogan, Pádraig Cassidy; C. Glass, B. Rogers; B. Heron, E. Doherty, N. Toner; N. Loughlin, S. McGuigan, Paul Cassidy.
G. McKinless for Pádraig Cassidy (h-t); O. McWilliams for B. Heron (50); L. Murray for N. Toner (60); S. Downey for E. McEvoy (66); N. Toner for N. Loughlin (70+2).
D. O’Hanlon; M. Fitzsimons, D. Byrne, E. Murchan; J. Small, L. Gannon, D. Newcombe; B. Fenton, J. McCarthy; T. Lahiff, C. O’Callaghan, C. Kilkenny; L. O’Dell, D. Rock, C. Costello.
N. Scully for L. O’Dell (43); C. Basquel for T. Lahiff (54); S. Lowry for D. Rock (58); B. Howard for J. McCarthy (64).
M. Fitzsimons (35+5, second yellow).
S. Hurson (Tyrone).
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