Derry defeated by four goal Dublin in Croke Park final

Derry 0-11, Dublin 4-06

Wake up call or warning? That's the question most Oak Leaf fans will be asking after Derry wilted to second half Dublin pressure in the Division Two final in Croke Park on Sunday.

The destination of the trophy was only ever of secondary importance to both counties. For Derry this was about testing yourself in the lion's den and it was a mixed bag of which the scoreline only tells have the story. for one half, Derry were excellent, largely controlling the ball and limiting the Dubs to only potshots and four first half points.

That changed within seconds of the restart as Brian Fenton's lofted ball was punched to the net by Killian O'Gara. Moments later Derry lost Conor Glass to a slight hamstring pull and thereafter things started to unravel.

Further goals from a Paul Mannion penalty, John Small and Lorcan Dell, most manufactured by the genius of Con O'Callaghan who wrecked havoc when moved to full forward, guaranteed Dublin the trophy but it also gave the scoreboard a lopsided look.

The contradiction of the result was there was plenty here for Derry to be positive about. The Oak Leafers actually scored 11times to Dublin's 10 and the first half showed the template Derry need to follow. Once the game was broken down into an open shoot-out, Dessie Farrell's men prospered as they do against most team but that's the learning and this Derry team have already shown they are quick learners. Rory Gallagher will be frustrated, yes, but across two league matches against Dublin he won't be too disappointed at all.

After the sweeping changes and the relaxed nature of the Cork match, this was championship preparation territory for Gallagher but he was still without full backs Chrissy McKaigue and Eoin McEvoy while Lachlan Murray started on the bench after his Under 20 exertions against Fermanagh in midweek.

Ben McCarron was a surprise starter, the Steelstown player coming in to act as a focal point but with the exception of one half goal chance, the Brian Ogs man didn't have a lot to work with. For Dublin, Stephen Cluxton was again among the substitutes alongside Brian Howard and Paul Mannion but it was a strong looking 15 from Dessie Farrell.

Both counties went into the game with one eye on provincial championships and it showed at stages of a tactical, chess match of a half in which the Ulster champions looked the more assured and turned around two points to the good at 0-6 to 0-4.

Indeed it should have been more after a half in which both team prospered more of the opposition's kick-outs than their own. McCarron's could have hit the net eight minutes in but for an excellent block by Dublin Michael Fitzsimons while three minutes before the break Ethan Doherty sent Niall Loughlin through off their favoured inside left channel and again, but for a superb save by David O'Hanlon, Derry would have hit the net.

The opening 18 minutes saw only one Dublin point, Ciaran Kilkenny's fisted over seconds after being introduced as an eighth minute substitute for the injured Dean Rock, not a sight that any Dublin fans will want to see so close to championship.

by that stage Derry were 0-2 to no score up thanks to Shane McGuigan and a superb Conor Glass effort but as the half wore on Dublin began to get joy through the centre of Derry normally solid rearguard.

A Padraig McGrogan '45' and Niall Toner free had Derry 0-4 to 0-1 up by the 19th minute Killian O'Gara grabbed his side's second of the game but 0-4 to 0-1would soon become all square as John Small blazed over with a goal on before Odhran Lynch did superbly to deny Lahiff with an even better goal chance but only at the expense of the levelling point.

From there Derry rallied with Glass superbly catching a kick-out to send it back over the bar with interest before McCarron teed up McGuigan to leave Derry two ahead at the break.

The second half began in dramatic fashion with O'Gara's goal but it was probably the loss of Glass that impacted the game more as it robbed Derry of one of their best escape routes out of defence.

As the game opened up, so did Dublin and they could have had more goals than the four they finished with, Daire Newcombe somehow missing an opening goal from yards out.

Derry were always in the game though but were guilty of trying to force goals and too often getting turned over from dangerous attacks. As the clock ticked down O'Dell's goal put the gloss on Dubin's win but neither of these counties' 2023 is going to be defined by a Division Two final!

Derry scorers: Shane McGuigan (0-6, 3f), Conor Glass (0-1), Niall Toner (0-1, 1f), Padraig McGrogan (0-1, 1 '45'), Paul Cassidy (0-2),

Dublin scorers: Killian O'Gara (1-1), John Small (1-1), Paul Mannion (1-0, 1pen), Lorcan O'Dell (1-0),Tom Lahiff (0-1), Lee Gannon (0-1), Ciaran Kilkenny (0-1), Brian Fenton (0-1)

Derry: Odhran Lynch, Padraig McGrogan, Ben McCarron, Conor McCluskey, Padriag Cassidy, Gareth McKinless, Conor Doherty, Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Niall Toner, Paul Cassidy, Ethan Doherty, Benny Heron, Shane McGuigan, Niall Loughlin. (Subs) Lachlan Murray for B McCarron, 35mins; Shea Downey for C Glass (inj), 38mins; Niall O'Donnell for E Doherty (blood sub, 46-51mins); Matthew Downey for B Heron, 56mins; Eoin McEvoy for P McGrogan, 67mins; Niall O'Donnell for B Rogers, 73mins;

Dublin: David O'Hanlon, Michael Fitzsimons, David Byrne, Daire Newcombe, Cian Murphy, John Small, Lee Gannon, Brian Fenton, James McCarthy, Killian O'Gara, Con O'Callaghan, Sean Bulger, Colm Basquel, Dean Rock, Tom Lahiff. (Subs) Ciaran Kilkenny for D Rock (inj), 8mins; Lorcan O'Dell for C Basquel, 44mins; Paul Mannion for K O'Gara, 44mins; Niall Scully for T Lahiff, 54mins; Ross McGarry for S Bulger, 67mins

Yellow Cards: T Lahiff, 39mins;

Referee: Liam Devenney (Mayo)