DERRY STORMED TO the top of Division 2 of the football league in Celtic Park when they pulverised a sorry Cork team.
1-31 is phenomenal shooting from a side that have long been accused of being over-reliant on Shane McGuigan, but produced 12 different scorers here.
Derry manager Ciaran Meenagh wasn’t getting carried away with things, labelling the second half as something of a ‘turkey shoot’ after the first ten minutes post the interval.
With Louth in Ardee to come in a fortnight, and then at home to Cavan on the final day of the league, it seems certain that the 2024 Division 1 champions will be back in the top flight in 2027.
Cork actually started brightly here with Stephen Sherlock landing two massive two-pointers in the opening half. Cork had won the toss and elected to play with the familiar whipping wind coming in from the Foyle river.
Gradually, Derry came back into it and by the half hour mark had drawn level with two points from Lachlan Murray after they had snatched a couple of Micheál Aodh Martin kickouts.
Sean Walsh gets a shot away ahead of Shea Downey. Lorcan Doherty / INPHO
Lorcan Doherty / INPHO / INPHO
Just before half-time, Derry received a major boost. Martin sent one of his kickouts long and as it was about to bounce into Colm O’Callaghan’s hands, his direct opponent Conor Glass used his body to shield the ball, the possession drifting to Ruairí Forbes instead.
Forbes used his running power to bring it up the pitch and when Niall Loughlin fisted the ball to Glass, now on the edge of the two-point arc, he bided his time until Lachlan Murray made a run in behind. The pass was sumptuous and Murray’s finish to the net was emphatic.
It left Derry 1-10 to 0-9 in front at the break.
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In the second half, Cork were completely out of ideas. 0-21 to 0-5 is some scoring for a half of football, and that summed up the encounter.
The suspended Ian Maguire was at home and played a league game for St Finbarr’s on Sunday morning. They will need him for the next game at home against Kildare, before the long trip to Tyrone for the final day of the league.
Derry have gone from a team that could not win in 2025, to one that are now playing with a swagger. The powerful running from the whole team throughout was a factor and in Ruairí Forbes, they have a natural successor to Brendan Rogers in his early day.
Further back-up with Eoin McEvoy and James Sargeant will also be arriving when they have their injuries cleared up for championship. They may have become the forgotten team for a spell, but they are most definitely cooking again.
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Derry hammer Cork by 20 points to go top of Division 2 table
Derry 1-31 (1-2-27)
Cork 0-14 (0-2-10)
DERRY STORMED TO the top of Division 2 of the football league in Celtic Park when they pulverised a sorry Cork team.
1-31 is phenomenal shooting from a side that have long been accused of being over-reliant on Shane McGuigan, but produced 12 different scorers here.
Derry manager Ciaran Meenagh wasn’t getting carried away with things, labelling the second half as something of a ‘turkey shoot’ after the first ten minutes post the interval.
With Louth in Ardee to come in a fortnight, and then at home to Cavan on the final day of the league, it seems certain that the 2024 Division 1 champions will be back in the top flight in 2027.
Cork actually started brightly here with Stephen Sherlock landing two massive two-pointers in the opening half. Cork had won the toss and elected to play with the familiar whipping wind coming in from the Foyle river.
Gradually, Derry came back into it and by the half hour mark had drawn level with two points from Lachlan Murray after they had snatched a couple of Micheál Aodh Martin kickouts.
Just before half-time, Derry received a major boost. Martin sent one of his kickouts long and as it was about to bounce into Colm O’Callaghan’s hands, his direct opponent Conor Glass used his body to shield the ball, the possession drifting to Ruairí Forbes instead.
Forbes used his running power to bring it up the pitch and when Niall Loughlin fisted the ball to Glass, now on the edge of the two-point arc, he bided his time until Lachlan Murray made a run in behind. The pass was sumptuous and Murray’s finish to the net was emphatic.
It left Derry 1-10 to 0-9 in front at the break.
In the second half, Cork were completely out of ideas. 0-21 to 0-5 is some scoring for a half of football, and that summed up the encounter.
The suspended Ian Maguire was at home and played a league game for St Finbarr’s on Sunday morning. They will need him for the next game at home against Kildare, before the long trip to Tyrone for the final day of the league.
Derry have gone from a team that could not win in 2025, to one that are now playing with a swagger. The powerful running from the whole team throughout was a factor and in Ruairí Forbes, they have a natural successor to Brendan Rogers in his early day.
Further back-up with Eoin McEvoy and James Sargeant will also be arriving when they have their injuries cleared up for championship. They may have become the forgotten team for a spell, but they are most definitely cooking again.
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 0-9 (0-2f, 1 2pt play), Lachlan Murray 1-4, Niall Loughlin 0-4 (1 2pt play), Paul Cassidy 0-4, Ethan Doherty, Niall Toner 0-2 each, Conor Glass, Conor Doherty, Padraig McGrogan, Sean Kearney, Dan Higgins 0-1 each, Shea McGuckin 0-1 (0-1 ’45)
Scorers for Cork: Stephen Sherlock 0-6 (2 2pt play, 0-1 ’45), Colm O’Callaghan, Darragh Cashman 0-2 each, Seán Walsh, Paul Walsh, Dara Sheedy, Ruairí Deane 0-1 each.
Derry
16. Shea McGuckin (Magherafelt)
2. Diarmuid Baker (Steelstown), 3. Ruairi Forbes (Ballinderry), 4. Shea Downey (St Brigid’s)
5. Conor Doherty (Newbridge), 6. Gareth McKinless (Ballinderry), 7. Padraig McGrogan (Newbridge)
8. Conor Glass (Glen), 9. Brendan Rogers (Slaughtneil)
10. Ethan Doherty (Glen), 11. Niall Toner (Lavey), 12. Paul Cassidy (Bellaghy)
13. Niall Loughlin (Greenlough), 14. Shane McGuigan (Slaughtneil), 15. Lachlan Murray (Desertmartin)
Subs:
Cork
1. Micheál Aodh Martin (Nemo Rangers)
2. Maurice Shanley (Clonakilty), 3. Daniel O’Mahony (Knocknagree), 4. Seán Meehan (Kiskeam)
5. Matthew Taylor (Mallow), 6. Rory Maguire (Castlehaven), 7. Luke Fahy (Ballincollig)
8. Colm O’Callaghan (Éire Óg), 9. Sean Walsh (Mitchelstown)
10. Paul Walsh (Kanturk) 14. Dara Sheedy (Bantry Blues) 12. Seán McDonnell (Mallow)
13. Chris Óg Jones (Uíbh Laoire) 24. Conor Corbett (Clyda Rovers) 15. Stephen Sherlock (St Finbarr’s)
Subs:
Referee: Séamus Mulhare (Laois)
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