Brilliant Derry dismantle poor Meath team to win by 11 in Division Two clash

Derry 2-15, Meath 1-07

As far as statements of intent go, this was about as emphatic as they come as Derry laid bare their promotion credentials with an 11 point dismantling of a shell shocked Meath in Owenbeg on Saturday evening.

Indifferent displays against Limerick and Louth had still reaped four points but this was Derry at last year's level, albeit against a hugely disappointing Meath outfit who never threatened to lay a glove on the Ulster champions who had a scoring spread of eight players.

Padraig McGrogan, Brendan Rogers, Paul Cassidy and Ethan Doherty were all superb for the Oak Leafers but there were few who weren't in a match that became a training session in the second half.

Ethan Doherty's goal only 45 seconds into the contest proved the prelude but really Derry could have scored as many as they wished, Meath's somewhat naive game-plan constantly handing their hosts back possession with long passes played in hope rather than expectation.

Derry made one change from the side that defeated Louth in Ardee, Padraig Cassidy in for Lachlan Murray while Colm O'Rourke named Thomas O''Reilly and Brian Conlan to replace the injured Shane Walsh and midfielder Dathi McGowan.

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 with Derry leading by 10 points.

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 scorable chance at the opposite end of the field.

Doherty 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 the 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.

Derry scorers: 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).

Meath scorers: 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: Odhran Lynch, Chrissy McKaigue, Eoin McEvoy, Conor McCluskey, Conor Doherty, Padraig McGrogan, Padraig Cassidy, Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Niall Toner, Paul Cassidy, Ethan Doherty, Benny Heron, Shane McGuigan, Niall Loughlin. (Subs) Oisin McWilliams for C McKaigue (blood sub), 49-54 mins; Oisin McWilliams for C McKaigue, 57mins; Shea Downey for E Doherty, 61mins; Mathew Downey for B Heron, 65mins; Lachlan Murray for N Loughlin, 68mins; Paul McNeil for C Glass, 68mins;

Meath: Harry Hogan, Adam O'Neill, Michael Flood, Harry O'Higgins, Jack O'Connor, Donal Keogan, Cathal Hickey, Ronan Jones, Brian Conlan, Cillian O'Sullivan, Jason Scully, Darragh Campion, Jordan Morris, Donal Lenihan, Thomas O'Reilly. (Subs) Shane Crosby for C O'Sullivan (blood sub) 14-17mins; Daithi McGowan for B Conlan, HT; Shane Crosby for D Campion, HT; Diarmuid Moriarty for D Lenihan, 47mins; Eoin Harkin for H O'Higgins, 53mins; Aaron Lynch for T O'Reilly, 57mins;

Yellow Cards: J .Morris, 64mins

Referee: Liam Devenney (Mayo)