Derry exit Christy Ring Cup as Offaly underline favourites tag

Derry 1-12, Offaly 0-32

Derry’s interest in the 2020 Christy Ring Cup was ended by an Eoghan Cahill inspired Offaly, the midfielder hitting 0-17 as the Faithful County underlined their championship favourites’ tag in emphatic fashion in Paric Esler, Newry on Saturday.

Cahill was superb, punishing Derry indiscretions with 12 frees in a match winning contribution that had Michael Fennelly's charges in control from the first whistle. The frustration for Derry and John McEvoy was the space they afforded their opponents, especially in a luke warm opening half that saw Derry turn around 10 points down at 0-16 to 0-6.

The half-time introduction of Slaughtneil's Jerome McGuigan, coupled with Derry abandoning a sweeper system, offered a glimpse of what might have been as the ~Oak Leafers outscored Offaly 1-03 to 0-2 at the start of the second period. however the wind was taken from the Derry sails with a second harsh red cards in as many games, John Mullan this time the recipient after he was adjudged to have stuck with the hurl as he chased Colm Gath back towards goal.

It looked a booking at worse but Antrim referee Colum Cunning thought red and Mullan was gone, leaving Derry facing a mountain they were never going to scale despite a vastly improved second half display.

For Offaly, they remain the side no one will want to face in the semi-finals and it would be a huge shock of Fennelly's side aren't raising the trophy come the end of the championship.

It took the Faithful County all of 10 seconds to serve warning of the task facing the Oak Leafers as Liam Langton took possession from the throw in and split the points with consummate ease.

Derry were operating with Richie Mullan again in the sweeping role and Brian Og McGilligan dropping back to pick up the towering figure of Offaly full forward, Oisin Kelly. Indeed the Fathful County had a physical edge on Derry in most areas and made a mockery of the fact they were playing their first game since March 5th with stick work and passing of the highest order.

It left Derry chasing shadows at times and while there was no shortage of heart or endeavour on the part of McEvoy's team, Offaly looked a different level.

Central to that was the impressive Cahill, patrolling the middle and helping himself to six first half points, including three from play. Fennelly's team denied Derry any meaningful possession and looked capable of scoring every time they had the ball.

In contrast, that lack of possession meant Derry were snatching at opportunities with the ball inside failing to stick. Derry's reluctance to push three men inside was giving Offaly a free man in the half-back line and they revelled with it, building attack after attack.

Cahill's first point of the afternoon gave Offaly a 0-2 to no score lead inside the first 90 seconds but a Cormac O'Doherty free halved the deficit on two minutes. By the time Derry scored again, Offaly had registered five more as Peter Geraghty, Langton, Cahill (2) and Kelly registered scores to make it five different scorers in the opening 10 minutes.

A nother O'Doherty free broke the Offaly sequence and the Slaughtneil man, who finished with eight frees, scored another shortly after it took a superb double Sean Kelly save from Gath and Peter Geraghty to ensure the Derry goal wasn't breached as they went in 10 points behind.

The half-time introduction of McGuigan sparked Dery into life and suddenly they were matching Offaly's physicality with the more direct ball into McGuigan causing all sorts of problems for Offaly.

O'Doherty, Conor Kelly and McGuigan all scored points as Offaly looked rattled for the first time in the contest. It got even better for Derry when Richie Mullan found the net. Oisin Kelly was done for over carrying allowing Derry to launch another long ball towards the edge of the Offaly square. With players battling, the ball broke to Mullan who pulled on a lovely shot which flex into the corner for 1-09 to 0-18.

It was a hint of light for Derry but it didn't last long as Mullan's red card hit them hard and handed the free man that the tactical switch had negated straight back to Offaly.

Offaly re-assumed control and eventually cantered over the line despite a spirited finale from a Derry side that never allowed heads to drop. It was a tough defeat but better days lie ahead.

Derry scorers: Cormac O'Doherty (0-8, 8f), Richie Mullan (1-0), F Bradley (0-2), Conor Kelly (0-1), Jerome McGuigan (0-1),

Offaly scorers: Eoghan Cahill (0-17, 12f, 1 '65'), Liam Langton (0-3), Peter Geraghty (0-2), Colm Gath (0-2), Oisin Kelly (0-2), David Nally (0-1), Jason Sampson (0-1), Ben Conneely (0-1), Sean Cleary (0-1), Thomas Geraghty (0-1), Brian Duignan (0-1)

Derry: Sean Kelly, Paddy Kelly, Brian Og McGilligan, John Mullan, Sean Cassidy, Eamon McGill, Mark Craig, Conor Kelly, Eoghan Cassidy, Fintan Bradley, Mark McGuigan. Se McGuigan, Richie Mullan, Cormac O'Doherty, Paul Cleary. (Subs) Sean Cassidy for P Cleary, 28mins; Jerome McGuigan for Se McGuigan, HT; Patrick Turner for F Bradley, 48mins; Chris Henry for M McGuigan, 57mins; Thomas Brady for E McGill, 60mins;

Yellow cards: E McGill, 17mins; M Craig, 43mins; J Mullan, 45mins

Red Card: J Mullan, 42mins

Offaly: Stephen Corcoran, Damien Egan, Ben Connneely, Paddy Delaney, Dan Doughan, Cillian Kiely, David King, Eoghan Cahill, David Nally, Shane Kinsella, Jason Sampson, Peter Geraghty, Colm Gath, Oisin Kelly, Liam Langton. (Subs) Thomas Geraghty for S Kinsella, 46mins; Brian Duignan for P Geraghty, 53mins; Ciaran Burke for D Doughan, 58mins; Sean Cleary for O Kelly, 65mins; Aidan Treacy for D Nally, 66mins;

Yellow cards: C Kiely, 54mins;

Referee: Colum Cunning (Antrim)