Dublin's fitness too much for Derry side

Dublin 1-11 Derry 0-7

Fast forward ten months and with both teams unrecognisable from that game, Dublin's extra power and pace that run Derry ragged in the last fifteen minutes and score 1-6 without reply and Derry did not score for the last half hour.

The introduction of Bernard Brogan and Brendan McManamon ignited the Dubs and with Derry outplayed in what was thought to be their strongest sector of midfield, Dublin simply overpowered Damien Cassidy's men.

Derry were so badly hit by injuries that they had to draft in Kevin McCloy and Lee Moore to make up the eight substitutes and with so many key men missing they simply did not have the strength in depth to cope with the powerful home team.

The injury situation was made even worse when sub Seamus Bradley was forced to retire with a serious looking knee injury. From their win over Tyrone a week earlier Derry had to start without the suspended Eoin Bradley and the injured Raymond Wilkinson and this left them very weak in the front line.

However if Damien Cassidy can glean anything form the evening it was the display of debutant Adrian McLaughlin from Craigbane, the tall 21-year-old scored a brilliant point and was the only real threat in a disjointed Derry attack. He showed poise and confidence and will no doubt get further chances to show his potential.

Joe Diver tried hard in the half forward division but all to often he did not make best use of hard won possession.

In the tight confines of Parnell Park Derry never looked like getting anywhere near the twenty points they scored last year. Ross McConnell and Eamonn Fennell bossed the midfield exchanges for most of the match with fat too many of keeper Barry Gillis kick outs landing in that sector.

The defence did well for most of the game and with midfield swamped by Dublin players they were under severe pressure but Gerard O'Kane, James Kielt, Dermot McBride and sub Michael McGoldrick could not have done more.

Mark Lynch started well at centre half but took a heavy knock and this impeded his progress and he ended up at full forward.

For the next outing away to Kerry there will be a much stronger Derry team on view and that will be a good measure of their progress. All Ireland champions Kerry have lost their opening two games and will be desperate for a win in that game.

Parnell Park was just about three quarters full for what was expected to be a football treat but early indications were that Dublin's packed defence were simply not going to let Derry have a sight of goal even at the expense of giving away frees. Five of Derry's miserable tally of seven points came from placed balls with the forwards managing only two scores from play.

Teams at this stage of the year can have a varying degree of fitness and in the final quarter it was obvious that Dublin had much more staying power and a stronger subs bench and that is what won it for them in the end. Over the hour Dublin shot eleven wides to nine from Derry but in truth many of the Dublin wides were more glaring.

Derry played the same style as they did in defeating Tyrone but this time there was no Eoin Bradley or Raymond Wilkinson showing for the ball. Young Caolan O'Boyle struggled at full forward and Enda Lynn failed to make any impression as did Andrew McCartney who was replaced after half an hour. James Kielt was not at his best on the frees and a couple of them would have been better suited to Mark Lynch's right boot.

It's not the end of the world for Derry and Damien Cassidy will continue to experiment during the remaining five league games hoping to pick up enough points to stay in the top division.

Derry gave a solid enough first half performance coming from three points down to lad at one stage by two but in the second period the dominance of McConnell and Fennell at midfield gave Dublin a winning platform.

Before a crowd of eight thousand Dublin took a fourth minute lead with a good point from Eamonn Fennell but after Diver was fouled Lynch put Derry level after Diver was fouled. Kevin McManamon and Ross McConnell had Dublin 0-3 to 0-1 up by the 10th minute even though the Derry defence was holding well. When Michael McCauley added the winner's fourth point in the 11th minute it looked bad for Derry.

It was Derry's tactic of running at the Dublin defence that won frees for Lynch and Kielt to reduce the gap to a point.

After sixteen minutes Adrain McLaughlin hooked over a brilliant levelling score and at this stage Derry were going well and took the lead with another James Kielt free. Kielt then had a point ruled out after over holding the ball and as the game went into overtime at the end of the half James Kielt gave Derry a 0-6 to 0-4 interval lead and things looked good at this stage for the visitors.

On the resumption Blaine Kelly hit Dublin's first score for 25 minutes but Derry responded quickly when McLaughlin set up James Kielt to restore the two point lead.

The standard of play was getting worse as the game progressed but by the three quarter stage Dublin had drawn level through Eamonn Fennell and sub Bernard Brogan from a free.

Derry were now on the back foot but by no means out of the game. Dublin got their noses in front eleven minutes from the end with a good Brendan McManamon score which was quickly followed by a point from sub Dara Nelson.

A rather soft free in the 63rd minute allowed Bernard Brogan to open up a three point gap and at this stage Derry were in total disarray.

As Dublin attacked in waves Kevin mcManamon cut through a tiring Derry defence to lash in an excellent goal and the game was as good as over. Brogan finished the contest with his third score of a most forgettable game.

Dublin scorers: Kevin McManamon 1-1, Bernard Brogan 0-3, 0-2 (frees), Eamonn Fennell 0-2, Blaine Kelly, Dara Nelson, Michael McCauley, Brendan McMenamon and Ross McConnell 0-1 each.

Derry scorers: James Kielt 0-4, 0-3 (frees), Mark Lynch 0-2 (frees) and Adrain Mclaughlin 0-1.

Dublin: M. Savage, P. Conlon, R. O'Carroll, M. Fitzimmons, P. Griffin, C. O'Sullivan, J. Brogan, E. Fennell, R. McConnell, A. Hubbard, M. McCauley, K. Bonner, T. Diamond, B. Kelly, K. McManamon. Subs B. McManamon for T. Diamond, D. Kelly for A. Hubbard, B. Brogan for D. Kelly and . Kelly for K. McManamon.

Derry: Barry Gillis, Brian Og McAlary, Gerard O'Kane, Dermot McBride, Charlie Kielt, Mark Lynch, Liam Hinphey, Fergal Doherty, Patsy Bradley, Joe Diver, James Kielt, Andrew McCartney, Enda Lynn, Caolan O'Boyle, Adrain McLaughlin. Subs Michael McGoldrick for B. McAlary, Mark Craig for A. McCartney, Seamus Bradley fro E. Lynn, Brian Mullan for C. O'Boyle and Lee Moore for S. Bradley.

Referee: P. Hughes Armagh.