​Frustration as City of Derry slip to first league defeat of season against Academy

​Yet it was the need for that same fightback that ultimately let the 'Green & Black' down after a false start by the home side saw the visitors race into a 24-0 lead inside the game's opening half hour.

Stephen Corr's first try since returning form injury ensured Derry were on the scoreboard at 24-7 at half-time with further tries by Corr, Davy Graham and Simon Logue putting the home team 26-24 up with minutes remaining, only for a late Academy breakaway try to break home hearts and sum up a disappointing afternoon. Even two bonus points in defeat couldn't temper the outlook for Head Coach Neil Beddow who admitted he struggled to find a reason for Derry's poor start to the game.

"It was very frustrating. Academy were 24-0 up after half an hour without having to earn a lot of their points," explained the Derry Head Coach, "We were really disappointed with the first half, really disappointed.

"I just couldn't put my finger on it at half-time, I'm not sure why we had played the way we did. There was nothing really that I could pinpoint that was costing us. Again, it was just individual errors. So it was really frustrating, probably the most frustrated I have have since I came back to the club in terms of not getting the result that we were capable of. We certainly had enough ball to do so and probably should have done so with the last play of the game."

Beddow admitted that after fighting their way back to lead in the closing stages Derry should have seen the game out, especially after missing a late penalty prior to Academy's winning try but said it was the slow start that ultimately cost his team the points.

"Yeah, there could have been a rustiness among the group with new individuals coming in, new connections within the team maybe not happening within those opening 30 minutes," he added, "But in the second half we dominated territory and we dominated the ball. We just left ourselves too much to do with being 24-0 after only 30 minutes.

"It is very much one that got away and I'm not saying it will stop our momentum but it was frustrating in that sense.The positivity was still there afterwards with how we played second half. I just wish we hadn't given ourselves such a mountain to climb ultimately.

"Listen, we will take the two points and look to push on again. We have 12 points from three league games and last year we had zero points after three league games so we have to remain positive."

Indeed Beddow said his squad's reaction to the poor start should bode well if lessons are learned ahead of next week's trip to Randalstown.

"A few comments were made after the game that had that start happened to us a couple of years back, when Academy went 24-0 up, then those 24 points may have turned into 44 so I take how the players responded as a real positive from the game," he added.

"Again, our Seconds fielded and defeated Donegal Town and there's a real vibe about the club again that comes from having 30, 40 or 50 players around the club on a Saturday. That's all really encouraging but it can't take away the frustration of not getting the result.

"Had we held on for those last couple of minutes we would have been top on 15 points but we're not, we're sitting on 12 so we move on to this Saturday against Randalstown."