'The overriding emotion is disappointment' - Derry win not enough for promotion
DERRY DISAPPOINTMENT: Derry manager Ciaran Meenagh. Pic: ©INPHO/Lorcan Doherty.
Division 2: Derry 1-20 Cavan 0-19
ON the face of it, Derry and Cavan’s league season was always going to be defined away from the 70 minutes this game would serve up.
The Oakleafers were odds on to bounce back from a disappointing day in Ardee with victory. Cavan were always going to face an uphill battle the Maiden City.
Cavan needed Louth to beat Kildare to ensure they beat the drop to Division Three. Louth did. Derry needed Tyrone to beat Cork to give them a chance of bouncing back from last year’s relegation. They didn’t.
This game was a story of inevitability. Eleven points from Shane McGuigan was one part. A second was a brilliant Niall Loughlin finish for the game’s only goal. It was a ground shot, with a hint of the Seanie O’Shea about it. Loughlin’s goal separated the teams at half-time, 1-9 to 0-9.
Cavan will rue to missed goal chances in the first half, both falling to Ciarán ‘Holla’ Brady. His first whizzed past the post. It was gilt-edged. The second was a shot blocked by Brendan Rogers.
Derry brought on Conor McCluskey at half-time and never looked in any ready danger. Yes, Dara McVeety, Oisin Brady and Ryan Donohoe all kicked two-pointers, but Derry always had a response.
That was the element of inevitability, with everyone – bar the 30 players on the pitch – tuned into events in Omagh and Newbridge. The game in Derry played out how it played out. Tame and irrelevant.
Kildare never looked like catching Louth. Tyrone led for a matter of seconds. It was Cork and Meath’s day the top.
“The overriding emotion is disappointment,” was Ciarán Meenagh first thoughts post-match. “In the short-term, in terms of winning the game, that's grand but we left ourselves in a hole after last week (losing to Louth).
“Things had to go our way elsewhere in a couple of games but that didn't work out. The overriding feeling is disappointment, but we'll have to take a look at it through a wider lens.
“The perspective of some of our performances, particularly after losing the first game against Meath, I thought was really positive, so we'll have to take a look at what the positives are too, build on those and get ourselves ready for the Ulster Championship now.” Cavan went three up after five minutes with points from Gearóid McKiernan, Conor brady and Tiernan Madden.
The Breffni men were dominant on kick-outs, winning six of the first eight, from both ends and settled into the game.
Derry shot back into contention with Loughlin’s eighth-minute goal. Ethan Doherty’s fist pass went to ground, and he pulled on the ball, with the shot going low and beyond Liam Brady’s dive to level matters.
A Lachlan Murray run a point put Derry ahead with McGuigan kicking a two-point free for a 1-3 to 0-4.
Derry were lucky at the other end when ‘Holla’ Brady failed to take either of his excellent goal chances.
A fisted McGuigan point had Derry six up before McKiernan (twice) and Oisin Brady pointed to leave Loughlin’s goal separating the teams at the break, 1-9 to 0-9.
After a wasteful spell at the start of the second half, Cavan hit the first score from Oisin Brady after a spell of turnovers. Derry had a goal chance, but Loughlin blazed over in the 43rd minute.
Derry then pushed five up with scores from Ethan Doherty and Lachlan Murray by the 50th minute.
Murray and McGuigan (2) added quickfire points and Derry went eight points ahead with 15 minutes to go.
Oisin Brady and Ryan Donohoe replied with two pointers to leave four between the sides before McGuigan’s tenth point of the game.
Ethan Doherty added a third with Forbes kicking over before McVeety’s two pointer gave Cavan a glimmer again.
Sean Young added a first ever point in Derry colours as they eased their way to victory.
S McGuigan 0-11 (2tpf, 2f), N Loughlin 1-1, L Murray, E Doherty 0-3 each, R Forbes, S Young 0-1 each.
G McKiernan 0-5 (3f), O Brady 0-4 (1tp), D McVeety 0-3 (tp), R Donohoe (tp), P Lynch (tpf), T Madden 0-2 each, Conor Brady 0-1.
S McGuckin; R Forbes, P McGrogan B Rogers; D Baker, G McKinless; R Ó Mianáin; C Glass, D Higgins; E Doherty, S McGuigan, P Cassidy; N Loughlin, M Downey, L Murray.
C McCluskey for Downey (HT), N Toner for Ó Mianáin (48), S Young for Cassidy (58), N O'Donnell for Higgins (65), S Kearney for Forbes (68).
L Brady; E Clarke, B O'Connell, Cormac Brady; N Carolan, J McLoughlin, Ciarán Brady (Arva); R Donohoe, G McKiernan; T Madden, Conor Brady O Brady; E Shehu, D McVeety, P Lynch.
G Smith for Shehu (48), P Corrigan for Cormac Brady (57), F Shehu for O Brady (61), R Tobin for Carolan (68), C McGovern for Lynch (68).
T Murphy (Galway).
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