Derry hurling boss Johnny McGarvey says one more win should guarantee top three finish after Donegal win!

Derry continued their perfect start to life in Division 2B with a second successive win when they defeated Donegal 2-20 to 0-19 in O'Donnell Park on Saturday, a victory that represents a major step toward finishing among the division's top three teams who will form the hurling’s new third tier next season alongside the counties finishing third to sixth in the current Division 2A.

Derry's eyes are centred on capturing the league title but a top three finish is undoubtedly their first objective and having seen off last season's Nicky Rackard finalists thanks to goals from Dara Mooney and Cahal Murray, McGarvey admitted the Oak Leafers have put themselves in a strong position.

"Realistically three wins will probably guarantee you your place in the division above next season," he explained, "We have two home games to come so look, we are over the moon to be where we are. Like I said, we expected to have to dig it out there today, (we) probably expected to play a bit better in the first half but we expected to have to come here and have to fight for it.

"It was a tough, tough game. It took us a long time to get going. I don't know what it was; we warmed up fairly well but it was 20 minutes before we were near anything like the sort of level that we would expect ourselves to be at.

"We got it back to a draw at half-time and we were very fortunate. I'd say Donegal were very disappointed at half-time that it was back level but in the second half, look, we set the tone in the first couple of minutes of the second half. We scored eight or nine points unanswered, held them scoreless for about 21 or 22 minutes and that was the big difference. We got those five or six points and it took us home at the end."

Derry's second half display was all the more impressive given they were missing Sean Cassidy and Christy McNaughton with a few of McGarvey's 'young guns' again showing they are finding their feet at county level.

"At the end of the day that's a seven point win and we probably passed up two really good goal chances at the end so, look, we have serious character," added the Derry manager, "We have serious leaders throughout the team. Even the young lads, like Aimon Duffin there at corner back, that was his second start. He was brilliant last week against Tyrone ands he was brilliant again today.

"We struggled a bit on our puck out, our goalkeeper gave us an outlet there in the second half and the lads up front - Dara Mooney, Cahal Murray - were outstanding; really, really good. I am delighted for them. We have leaders there for situations like we were in there at half-time."

Derry's second half display, one in which they held Donegal scoreless for 21 minutes and tagged on seven unanswered scores at the opposite end, was in stark contrast to an opening half in which they never hit top gear. Indeed the Oak Leafers hit ten first half wides and saw six shots short or blocked as they struggled to live with Donegal's intensity in the opening quarter especially.

However Mooney's 20th minute opening goal, superbly created by 'Man of the Match' Cahal Murray, was the catalyst for an improved Derry display and after hauling themselves level at 0-12 to 1-09 by half-time, they never looked back in the second half.

"I think we had something like 16 misses between wides and ones that dropped short or were either blocked - 26 shots and only 10 scores," reflected the Derry manager, "That was a concern but we were also getting outplayed.

"Your shooting is one thing, but like we were shooting off the back foot, we were shooting from the sidelines - it just wasn't good enough. It wasn't where we'd expect to be. It is not the standards we set for ourselves.

"But look, we dug ourselves out of it. Donegal played very, very well in the first half. They were probably a bit more intense early on than what we were which is nearly a bigger disappointment than our shooting but we don't expect to be running out 10 point winners every time we go out. We expect to have to dig a result out and I was very proud of the boys today.

"I thought they were brilliant. I thought our full forward line just gave us outlets all day for the ball. When we were struggling everywhere else, when the ball went up they got it.

Donegal scorers: Gerard Gilmore (0-9, 5f, 1 '65'), Stephen Gillespie (0-1), Liam McKinney (0-3), Conor Gartland (0-1), Josh McGee Cronolly (0-2), Sean Ward (0-1), Cormac Finn (0-1), Luke White (0-1, 1f).

Derry scorers: Cahal Murray (1-3), Dara Mooney (1-2), Cormac O'Doherty (0-5, 3f), Ruairi O Mianain (0-2), Corey O'Reilly (0-2), Darragh McGilligan (0-2), John Mullan (0-1), Padhraig Nelis (0-1), Callum O'Kane (0-1), Paul Cleary (0-1).

Donegal: Luke White, Ciaran Bradley, Steven McBride, Stephen Gillespie, Ciaran Curran, Gavin Browne, Jack O'Loughlin, Brian McIntyre, Peter Kelly, Conor Gartland, Ryan Hilferty, Gerard Gilmore, Seam Ward, Liam McKinney, Josh McGee Cronolly. (Subs) Cormac Finn for P Kelly, 42mins; Bernard Lafferty forr Hilferty, 47mins; Oisin Grant for S Ward, 55mins; Oisin Marley for B McIntyre, 56mins;Cathal O'Brien for J O'Loughlin, 69mins.

Derry: Eoin Mulholland, Aimon Duffin, Mark Craig, Paddy Kelly, James Friel, Richie Mullan, Meehaul McGrath, Cormac O'Doherty, Ruairi O Mianain, Corey O'Reilly, John Mullan, Callum O'Kane, Dara Mooney, Cahal Murray, Paul Cleary. (Subs) Darragh McGilligan for J Mullan, 52mins; Padhraig Nelis for P Cleary, 56mins; Niall Farren for J Friel, 65mins; Thomas Brady for M McGrath, 67mins;

Referee: Ciaran McCloskey