Rampant Derry into Christy Ring Cup final after Wicklow victory

Derry 2-30, Wicklow 1-13

Derry hurlers will meet London in what will be the Oak Leafers' fourth Christy Ring Cup final in five years after a season's best display brushed aside previously unbeaten Wicklow in Celtic Park on Saturday.

Johnny McGarvey's men - for whom captain Cormac O'Doherty hit 1-13 in a brilliant individual display - were in charge from the throw-in and had one foot in the final by half-time when they led 1-13 to 0-7 despite having faced into the breeze.

An Eamon Conway point seven seconds after the restart confirmed there would be no second half drop off and while Wicklow battled right to the final whistle, this was Derry at their best as they chase a championship that has eluded the county for two decades.

And on this form they can approach the final in confident mood. O'Doherty was superb but so too was every player in red and white with Mark Craig doing a superb marking job to keep Wicklow dangerman Padraig Doyle scoreless from play, although the big full forward did smash a late free into the Derry net for a consolation goal.

The game was long gone by then though and while the result saw Derry hit 30 points for a second week running, the full-back and half-back lines were just as impressive as the forwards, with Patrick Turner continuing to enhance a reputation that grows from game to game.

The half-back line of Ruairi O Mianain, Richie Mullan and James Friel were the platform for Derry's early control with John Mullan knitting things together brilliantly and providing plenty of ammunition for the likes of Cahal Murray, Christy McNaughton and Shea Cassidy.

The outcome was harsh on a Wicklow team who finish level with London on seven points but miss out on the final on score difference after London's 4-20 to 1-13 victory over Tyrone in Ruislip. Jonathan O'Neill's team missed out on promotion from Division Three this season but defied pre-championship predictions to record victories over Tyrone, Donegal and Meath. But Derry proved a bridge too far and this one defeat proved very costly.

The scenario was strikingly simple for both counties going into the game, win and reach the championship final and Derry's start said everything about their desire to end a 20 year wait for the trophy. With Ryan McGill unable to shrug off the shoulder injury picked up against Tyrone, there was a return to the starting 15 for Murray and McNaughton and it took only two minutes for the home side to hit the front when O'Doherty split the posts with the opening salvo of his first half 1-05.

Four of those came from frees, including that opener, and while Wicklow's top scorer Doyle answered in kind from a soft free, Wicklow had already registered three wides in the opening six minutes – and nine by half-time – as Derry took a firm grip.

A second O'Doherty free was followed by the Oak Leafers' first from play when Thomas Brady took a lovely catch before firing over. Another O'Doherty free was this time followed by O'Mianain's first as Derry led 0-5 to 0-1 eleven minutes in.

Ronan McMahon stemmed the tide with Wicklow's first score for eight minutes but Derry should have had a goal when O'Doherty's clever flick sent Brady clear only for the Kevin Lynch's man to slip as he tried to gather the sliothar.

Three more Derry points took the home tally out to 0-8 but points from Seanie Germaine and a huge Padraig Horan free had it back to 0-8 to 0-4 by the 24th minute.

Then Derry struck. A lovely Eamon Conway pass picked out Shea Cassidy who fed O'Doherty. The Slaughtneil man's control was superb but his first shot was met by an equally brilliant block by Andrew Kavanagh, only for it to break perfectly back to the Derry captain who this time made no mistake despite Ben Kearney's valiant efforts on the line.

Seven ahead would become nine by half-time and with the wind to come for the home side, Derry's 1-13 to 0-07 interval lead already looked ominous for Wicklow.

And so it proved. Conway hit two points inside a minute upon the restart and from there it was only ever about the margin of victory. Wicklow handed their hosts nothing easy but could do little to halt the Oak Leafers' charge. Indeed only an excellent Conor McNally save after some sublime Cahal Murray stick work stopped a second Derry goal but all the while McGarvey's men were continuing to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

Wicklow's woes were compounded by a 54th minute red card for Ronan McMahon but the contest was already well over by that stage.

Doyle's injury time free which found the Derry net looked to be the final say but as if to emphasis the gulf in class on the day, Derry went straight up the pitch where two Oak Leaf substitutes combined, Darragh Cartin finding the marauding Aimon Duffin who fired home his first championship goal for Derry in style.

The goal summed up the day for Derry. Champagne hurling in the sun and one step closer a prize 20 years in the chasing.

Derry scorers: Cormac O'Doherty (1-13, 9f, 2 '65'), Aimon Duffin (1-0), Ruairi O Mianain (0-3), Eamon Conway (0-4), Richie Mullan (0-2), Shea Cassidy (0-2), John Mullan (0-2), Christy McNaughton (0-1), James Friel (0-1), Darragh Cartin (0-1), Thomas Brady (0-1).

Wicklow scorers: Padraig Doyle (1-5, 5f, 1 '65'), Padraig Doran (0-3, 4f), Seanie Germaine (0-2), Jack Phelan (0-1), Luke Evans (0-1), Ronan McMahon (0-1).

Derry: Sean Kelly, Sean Cassidy, Mark Craig, Patrick Turner, Ruairi O Mianain, Richie Mullan, James Friel, Meehaul McGrath, Eamon Conway, Thomas Brady, John Mullan, Cormac O'Doherty, Cahal Murray, Christy McNaughton, Shea Cassidy. (Subs) Deaghlan Foley for Thomas Brady, 39mins; Callum O'Kane for C McNaughton, 55mins; Darragh Cartin for S Cassidy, 60mins; Aimon Duffin for M McGrath, 63mins; Sean F Quinn for R Mullan, 65mins.

Wicklow: Conor McNally, Ben Kearney, Andrew Kavanagh, Ian Clancy, Tommy Collins, Padraig Doran, Sam O'Dowd, Luke Evans, John Toomey, Jack Phelan, Marc Lennon, Ronan McMahon, Eoin McCormack, Padraig Doyle, Seanie Germaine. (Subs) Warren Kavanagh for J Toomey, HT; Davey Maloney for E McCormack, 43mins; Dan Redmond for M Lennon, 49mins; Rian Waters for I Clancy, 54mins; James McGing for S Germaine, 63mins.

Referee: Matthew Farrell (Roscommon)