LAST UPDATE | 15 Apr 2023
DERRY: 3-17
FERMANAGH: 2-8
DESPITE A FRANKLY baffling few moments in the second half when three goals flew in over a three minute period, Derry were entirely in control of their first defence of the Ulster Championship.
Not only did they set the pace of the encounter, but in manager Rory Gallagher, they had a figure who brought war from the first moments.
After spending some time on the sideline assessing the shape of the hosts, he began bellowing on the instruction to his players in that way of his.
“They have no sweeper,” he shouted, followed by another call to his players that, “Brandon Horan can’t run;” a reference to the Fermanagh midfielder who was marking Brendan Rogers.
After six minutes, Derry were o-4 to 0-0 up. Goalkeeper Odhran Lynch plays a high-wire act but he was excellent here in getting forward, while he potted the third point himself from play.
By the 13th minute they were 1-5 to 0-2 and around Brewster Park, it already felt like the good was gone out of the evening. The returning Chrissy McKaigue collected a short kickout, and eventually after a patient build-up Ethan Doherty set up Shane McGuigan in front of goal and he speared to the net.
The second goal, Lynch was involved again with a measured pass to Paul Cassidy. Fermanagh’s Cian McManus was lining up a typically robust shoulder but he didn’t catch the Bellaghy man square. He ran on through and despite losing his grip on the ball after a Ché Cullen tackle, still managed to squeeze the ball to the net.
With just 6,928 in attendance, there wasn’t too much to recommend this game as a contest but there was a flurry of excitement of sorts from the 44th minute on. Cian McManus had a shot half-blocked down and full-back Cullen, now roaming everywhere, latched onto the ball and drilled to the net.
Derry’s response was immediate and a quick kickout found McGuigan, onto Niall Toner and then Benny Heron who was upended in the penalty area by Declan McCusker. Up stepped McGuigan to roll to the net.
Incredibly, another high ball was sent in at the other end almost instantly and after it broke kindly to Cullen, he barrelled his way through a couple of challenges to find the net again.
At that point there was just seven points in it, but Derry hit the next four points to completely re-assert themselves once more.
Afterwards, the talk was of where are Derry at? Is this the defence of an Ulster title, or the first step on an assault on Sam Maguire.
Either way, manager Rory Gallagher didn’t see the visit to Brewster Park as something that would derail them.
“We started the game at a real good intensity,” he said.
“I suppose when you feel you’re better than the other team it’s important to do. Perhaps Fermanagh would have been coming to try to hang in the game, but we blew it open very early.
“We wanted to hit ground running and take the lead because it makes the game more on your terms. We knew they were going to target Gareth [McKinless], come out pushing and shoving at Shane [McGuigan] and players like that, Paul Cassidy and Ethan [Doherty], but the other players came up the field who maybe don’t get the same attention and it’s good to have boys in sync with what they need to do when that happens.”
With 11 different scorers, Derry’s game is growing and expanding. They are not the one-trick ponies they are sometimes portrayed as, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by Gallagher.
“Ah, listen, it’s not from the likes of yourselves the lazy analysis has come, it’s some pundits,” he told reporters.
“Naturally Shane (McGuigan) is a heavy scorer and a phenomenal free-taker, even today he scored heavily from play – over the last two years his scoring ratio from play is phenomenal, he’s a brilliant player, but he also brings other people into it.
“Look, everybody’s got to defend, everybody’s got to attack, when you’ve got the ball and when you don’t, that’s the flexible way football is now and you have to step up… It’s up to players to have the ability to do that and we think we can.”
Not for the first time, an opposition team to Derry was left making the mental calculations as to how far they are off the pace.
“They really emptied out on us at the start,” said Fermanagh manager Kieran Donnelly.
“They are an excellent team…That was a day of learning for our young side and we were brave at the start of the second half. As I said to the boys after the match that they could be proud of themselves because they kept at it and they had a few excellent scores, could have had a few more.
“But we have to regroup and approach the Tailteann Cup with positivity.”
Scorers for Fermanagh: Ché Cullen 2-0, Ultan Kelm 0-2, Ryan Lyons 0-2f, Ryan Jones, Aidan Breen, Declan McCusker 0-1 each, Sean McNally 0-1, ‘45’.
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 2-5 (1-0 pen, 2f), Paul Cassidy 1-2, Padraig Cassidy 0-2, Odhran Lynch, Padraig McGrogan, Conor McCluskey, Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Niall Toner, Ethan Doherty, Eoin McEvoy 0-1 each.
Fermanagh
1. Sean McNally (Teemore)
2. Luke Flanagan (Derrylin), 3. Ché Cullen (Belnaleck), 4. Cian McManus (Teemore)
5. Johnny Cassidy (Enniskillen Gaels), 6. Shane McGullion (Derrygonnelly), 7. Lee Cullen (Belnaleck)
8. Ryan Jones (Derrygonnelly), 9. Brandon Horan (Enniskillen Gaels)
10. Aidan Breen (Tempo), 11. Ryan Lyons (Erne Gaels), 12. Ronan McCaffrey (Teemore)
13. Ultan Kelm (Erne Gaels), 14. Darragh McGurn (Belnaleck), 15. Josh Largo Elis (Irvinestown)
Subs
17. Declan McCusker (Ederney) for Horan (HT)
18. Conor McShea (Enniskillen Gaels) for Breen (HT)
19. Conal Jones (Derrygonnelly) for McManus (54)
20. Garvan Jones (Derrygonnelly) for Lyons (62)
22. Fionan O’Brien (Devenish) for Largo Elis (69)
Derry
1. Odhran Lynch (Magherafelt)
2. Christopher McKaigue (Slaughtneil), 19. Eoin McEvoy (Magherafelt), 4. Conor McCluskey (Magherafelt)
6. Gareth McKinless (Ballinderry)
7. Padraig Cassidy (Slaughtneil), 3. Padraig McGrogan (Newbridge), 5. Conor Doherty (Newbridge)
8. Conor Glass (Glen), 9. Brendan Rogers (Slaughtneil)
10. Niall Toner (Lavey), 11. Paul Cassidy (Bellaghy), 12. Ethan Doherty (Glen)
14. Shane McGuigan (Slaughtneil), 15. Niall Loughlin (Greenlough)
Subs:
13. Benny Heron (Ballinascreen) for Glass (41)
17. Paul McNeil (Slaughtneil) for McEvoy (59)
22. Ben McCarron (Steelstown) for McKaigue (62)
23. Lachlan Murray (Desertmartin) for Loughlin (68)
24. Declan Cassidy (Bellaghy) for Toner (71)
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