Derry hurlers superb as Donegal beaten in Christy Ring Cup

Derry's Cathair McGilligan drives forward against Donegal in Find Insurance Celtic Park. (Photo - Tom Heaney, nwpresspics)

Christy Ring Cup, Group Stage

Second half goals from Deaghlan Foley and Dian Collins helped Derry hurlers to a crucial Christy Ring Cup victory over Donegal at Find Insurance Celtic Park on Saturday.

It was season's best stuff from Johnny McGarvey's team whose were superb from start to finish, pulling away after half-time to come home with 10 points to spare against a very good Donegal team. It was exactly the response McGarvey will have hoped for after last week's disappointment in Wicklow with Cormac O'Doherty, Cathair McGilligan and Patrick Turner superb on a team of excellent performances.

Derry's Cathair McGilligan receives his 'Player of the Match' award following Saturday's Christy Ring Cup victory over Donegal from Oak Leaf manager Johnny McGarvey, representing award sponsors, Paul McGarvey Building Contracts.

There was only one point between the sides at half-time but Derry turned the screw in a pivotal 21 minute period from the 39th to 60th minute which saw the Oak Leafers outscore Donegal by 2-05 to 0-1 and take the game completely away from Mickey McCann's team.

The result keeps alive Derry's hope of finishing in the group's top two and qualifying for the Croke Park final with now another huge match in Meath in two weeks' time.

The Oak Leafers suffered a blow midweek when they lost the influential Eamon Conway to an ACL while Donegal remained without Conor Gartland, though they were able to welcome back Gerard Gilmore who missed their five point defeat in Kerry seven days previously.

Derry meanwhile were still smarting from that controversial defeat to Wicklow in Aughrim and started like a side with a point to prove, captain O'Doherty firing them ahead with a free inside 45 seconds. There was a welcome bite to Derry's play, a fact perhaps reflected in four first half bookings for the home side whose championship campaign was on the line.

Meehaul McGrath and Cathair McGilligan close on Donegal's Josh Cronolly McGee. (Photo - Tom Heaney, nwpresspics)

Gilmore had uncharacteristically missed two chances before levelling with a fifth minute point and from there until half-time there was never more than three points between two evenly matched teams. Deaghlan Foley grabbed two excellent scores either side of a Shea Cassidy goal chance that the Slaughtneil man manufactured himself before his shot was saved well by Luke White.

Gilmore's first free of the afternoon slowed Derry's march but only long enough for O'Doherty to produce a brilliant reverse pass to Cassidy who pointed for 0-4 to 0-2 by the end of the first quarter.

Richie Ryan had goal on his mind when he stretched to reach Brian McIntyre's long ball but instead knocked it over the bar before Declan Coulter then brought Mickey McCann's men level. Two more O'Doherty points were answered by Liam McKinney who finished the half with four scores for Donegal. O'Doherty and Gilmore then swapped frees ahead of a lovely run and point from Conor Coyle for 0-8 to 0-6.

That became a three point lead thanks to Collins but two McKinney scores and another from Coulter had the Tir Chonaill men level at 0-9 apiece coming into first half injury time.

GOAL: Deaghlan Foley was excellent as Derry defeat Donegal in Find Insurance Celtic Park. Photo: George Sweeney. DER2209GS – 006

O'Doherty and Thomas Brady forged Derry two in front for the sixth time in the half, but they were indebted to superb blocks from Patrick Turner and O'Doherty to stop Donegal goals as a McKinney free left only one between at 0-11 to 0-10 at the break.

O'Doherty started the second half as he had the first, by splitting the Donegal posts inside a minute, but there precious little daylight between the team as the game reached 39 minutes with Derry 0-13 to 0-12 ahead.

Then the game's pivotal score and not for the first time, Derry keeper Sean Kelly was key. The No. 1's laser like puck-puts had already proved a formidable weapon and when he this time looked up to find the impressive Foley with another guided missile of a pass, the forward was away. Collins did well to take the covering Donegal defenders away, leaving Foely clear to fire an emphatic finish into the net.

And if that blow had Donegal reeling, just minutes later Collins landed the knock-out punch on a debut to remember for the young Lavey forward. It was largely his own work too as he brilliantly gathered before shaking off a couple of defenders and finishing superbly for 2-14 to 0-13.

Some wayward Donegal shooting wasn't helping the visitors' cause but Derry had found another gear as O'Doherty (2), Thomas Brady, Eunan Boylan, Conor Melaugh, Meehaul McGrath, Shea Cassidy, the excellent Darragh McGilligan and Sean Marty Quinn all added to a Derry scoring spread that saw 10 players hit the target.

This was Derry's best display of the season, but it's a standard they'll now need to maintain in a competition in which every point will be critical.

Derry scorers: Cormac O'Doherty 0-8 (3f), Deaghlan Foley 1-2, Shea Cassidy 0-2, Conor Coyle 0-2, Rian Collins 1-1, Thomas Brady 0-2, Darragh McGilligan 0-3, Eunan Boylan 0-1, Conor Melaugh 0-1, Meehaul McGrath 0-1.

Donegal: Dan Donnelly 1-0, Liam McKinney 0-6 (4f), Gerard Gilmore 0-3 (2f), Richie Ryan 0-1, Declan Coulter 0-2, Ronan McDermott 0-1, John Kealy 0-1, Luke White 0-1 (1f), Caolan O'Neill 0-1.

Derry: Sean Kelly, Jamie Lee McGlade, Patrick Turner, Cathair McGilligan, Eamon Cassidy, Meehaul McGrath, Conor Coyle, Rian Collins, Thomas Brady, Darragh McGilligan, Fintan Bradley, Joseph Mulholland, Cormac O'Doherty, Shea Cassidy, Deaghlan Foley. (Subs) Eunan Boylan for F Bradley, 28min; Conor Melaugh for J Mulholland, 56mins; Tiernan Melaugh for E Cassidy, 64mins; Ryan McGarvey for T Brady, 66mins; Sean Quinn for D Foley, 67mins.

Donegal: Luke White, Oisin Kelly, Ciaran Bradley, Steven McBride, Conor O'Grady, Kevin Kealy, Gavin Browne, Liam McKinney, Brian McIntyre, Declan Coulter, Ronan McDermott, Gerard Gilmore, Peter Kelly, Richie Ryan, Josh Cronolly McGee. (Subs) Ryan Hilferty for G Browne, 29mins; John Kealy for P Kelly (inj), 32mins; Dan Donnelly for S McBride, 51mins; Conor Diver for B McIntyre, 51mins; Caolan O'Neill for G Gilmore, 67mins.

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