Old guard of O'Callaghan and Kilkenny inspire Dublin to a nervy win to finish second
Derry 0-20
IN THE END Derry were desperately trying to win the ball back having given everything to the cause.
But Dublin could count on their old warhorses of Ciaran Kilkenny and Con O'Callaghan to drag whatever is left of the glory days into a home draw for next weekend's preliminary quarter-final of the All-Ireland football championship.
Across the first three minutes, Derry barely got to feel the weight of the football at all. In that time, Dublin went 0-4 to 0-0 up. From the throw-in, Peader ÓCofaigh-Byrne caught it over the head of Conor Glass. Con O'Callaghan was waiting on the sideline across from the stand and joined in unmarked to run it in and punch over.
Dublin broke the Derry kickout and Killian McGinnis, with his paternal connections to Derry, pointed.
While Ciaran McFaul caught the next kickout, a free was given to Dublin and Cormac Costello opened his account into the goals where Dublin fans had set up a mini Hill 16. At this signal, they opened their throats with a lusty strain of 'You boys in blue.'
And on the next McKinless restart, Paddy Small was played in. The goal beckoned and he drilled his shot too high.
They could have gone even further ahead with a Costello shot dropped short and then Stephen Cluxton dropped a '45' short, and from this play Conor Glass opened Derry's scoring on six minutes.
Eventually, Derry got to grips with the assignment. ÓCofaigh-Byrne was winning anything that was coming his way and in Ciaran Kilkenny, Stephen Cluxton was spoiled for kickout options, losing only one of his first half restarts which broke to Conor Doherty.
Peader ÓCofaigh-Byrne claims a kickout. Evan Logan / INPHO Evan Logan / INPHO / INPHO
How Derry came back was through a manic workrate from Conor Glass, Doherty and the half-forward line of Ethan Doherty, Paul Cassidy and Ciaran McFaul. Elsewhere, Brendan Rogers produced a couple of huge turnovers and found his stride in his marking job against O'Callaghan.
Above all though, they had their accuracy to thank with Shane McGuigan finding his mark for three two-points frees in the first half to add to his point from play and two single frees.
The final play of the half was McGuigan landing his third two-point free. Glass had been fouled deep in the Derry half, the Dublin swarm did not retreat in time and referee Brendan Cawley brought the ball up.
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The successful kick left the sides tied at 0-13 each at the break with Cawley getting a hot reception from the Dubs fans on the terrace backing into the changing rooms.
From the throw-in again, Dublin repeated the dose with ÓCofaigh-Byrne fielding and O'Callaghan pointing. Dublin had a strong patch then that 0-7 in the first 11 minutes of the second half.
Their dominance was helped by the amount of possession they could rely on. If ÓCofaigh-Byrne wasn't the target, then Kilkenny and Brian Howard were offering up themselves to Stephen Cluxton.
Sean Bugler forced himself into the game with two points and when Dublin looked as if a Derry tackle was dislodging the ball, Kilkenny would arrive to put out the fire instantly.
David Byrne takes the ball out of defence. Evan Logan / INPHO Evan Logan / INPHO / INPHO
While Derry needed a big moment or two, they slipped five points into arrears with less than 20 minutes on the clock. In this closing period they outscored Dublin 0-5 to 0-2, but crucially they had a Shane McGuigan two-point effort hit the post, while Rogers and Lachlan Murray – with two minutes left, skewed their close-in shots for goal wide.
Having said that, Dublin had an effort from Sean Bugler heading for goal with five minutes left, only for Ruairí Forbes to clear it off the line.
Sean Bugler has a shot for goal. Evan Logan / INPHO Evan Logan / INPHO / INPHO
At the very end, Dublin played a little keep-ball. Cian Murphy had it in his hands when the clock hit 70 minutes. He booted it out out of the ground and in the direction of the Quayside shopping centre.
Proper championship. But it's only beginning now.
Scorers for Dublin: Con O'Callaghan 0-4, Cormac Costello 0-4 (1 free, 1 x2 point free), Killian McGinnis 0-3, Sean Bugler and Paddy Small 0-2 each, Stephen Cluxton 0-2, (1x 2 point free), Lee Gannon 0-2, John Small, Ciaran Kilkenny 0-1 each.
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 0-10 (3 x2 point frees, 0-3 frees), Ethan Doherty 0-3, Niall Loughlin 0-2 (1x mark), Conor Glass 0-2, Brendan Rogers, Paul Cassidy, Niall Toner 0-1 each.
Dublin
1. Stephen Cluxton (Parnells)
2. Sean MacMahon (Raheny), 3. Theo Clancy (Kilmacud), 4. David Byrne (Naomh Olaf)
5. Brian Howard (Raheny), 6. John Small (Ballymun), 19. Lee Gannon (Whitehall)
8. Peader ÓCofaigh-Byrne (Cuala), 9. Killian McGinnis (Skerries)
10. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock), 11. Sean Bugler (St Oliver Plunkett/Eoghan Ruadh), 12. Niall Scully (Templeogue Synge Street)
13. Paddy Small (Ballymun), 25. Con O'Callaghan (Cuala), 15. Cormac Costello (Whitehall)
Subs:
23. Eoin Murchan (Na Fianna) for Clancy (49 mins)
24. Cian Murphy (Thomas Davis) for McGinnis (49 mins)
22. Ross McGarry (Ballyboden) for Scully (54 mins)
20. Tom Lahiff (St Jude's) for Gannon (60 mins)
18. Nathan Doran (Clontarf) for Paddy Small (68 mins)
Derry
16. Ben McKinless (Ballinderry)
2. Diarmuid Baker (Steelstown), 3. Eoin McEvoy (Magherafelt), 4. Patrick McGurk (Lavey)
5. Conor Doherty (Newbridge), 6. Brendan Rogers (Slaughtneil), 7. Padraig McGrogan (Newbridge)
8. Conor Glass (Glen), 9. Dan Higgins (Magherafelt)
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10. Ethan Doherty (Glen), 11. Paul Cassidy (Bellaghy), 12. Ciaran McFaul (Glen)
13. Shane McGuigan (Slaughtneil), 14. Niall Loughlin (Greenlough), 15. Niall Toner (Lavey)
Subs:
23. Lachlan Murray (Desertmartin) for Toner (45 mins)
17. Conor McCluskey (Magherafelt) for McGurk (51 mins)
18. Ryan Mulholland (Lavey) for McFaul (59 mins)
22. Ruairí Forbes (Ballinderry) for Cassidy (63 mins)
24. Cahir McMonagle (Steelstown) for Loughlin (68 mins)
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)
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