All-Ireland SFC Qualifying round 2B: Derry 1-16 Wexford 0-10
IN THE build-up to Saturday’s All-Ireland Qualifier against Wexford, star forward Eoin Bradley was singing the praises of Derry’s defensive system.
“If you can keep the opposition to maybe 10 points, you’ll go far,” said the Glenullin man.
“For the first time in a while, we’ve got good shape and balance to the team.”
Well, they kept Wexford to 10 points in Owenbeg on Saturday afternoon – and there is definitely a good shape and balance about this Derry team. The fact the team’s key forwards are buying into Brian McIver’s defensive-minded system speaks volumes.
Saturday was as close to a cakewalk as you’ll get in the Qualifiers. Derry simply outclassed Wexford in most areas of the field.
“We prepared for this game as well as we did for the Donegal game and we got a very good result,” said the Derry boss.
What pleased McIver most was the players’ understanding of Derry’s new system of play: “This squad is now in a position to make [positional] changes [during games]. Niall Holly went into
full-back, Chrissy [McKaigue] went into the middle of the field. A year ago, we wouldn’t have been able to make those swaps.”
Despite their narrow loss to Donegal in the Ulster semi-finals, Derry seemed to carry all the positives of that performance into Saturday’s potentially tricky round 2B Qualifier.
McIver added: “We know how dangerous Qualifier games are as they can take on a life of their own. If you’re not mentally right, you can so easily get turned over and we’re well aware of last year’s experience [when Derry exited to Longford].
“We were a wee bit edgy in the first 10 minutes, but the goal settled us down and we started to play a lot of good football.”
The home side’s heavily fortified rearguard meant another ‘Longford’ performance was never going to happen. Played in front of almost 4,000 spectators, Derry pressed home their advantage a few minutes before the break when they left Wexford punch-drunk by bagging a quick-fire 1-2.
In the 31st minute, helpless Wexford midfielder Brian Malone put the ball in his own net after an excellent move involving ‘Skinner’ Bradley, Fergal Doherty and Cailean O’Boyle. Bradley’s high ball broke to Doherty, who did well to fist it across to O’Boyle. The big Lavey man palmed the ball onto Wexford’s crossbar from close range and the rebound came off Malone, who was trying desperately to defend his own goal.
A few minutes later, Wexford 'keeper Anthony Masterson made a point-blank save to deny Bradley, but Benny Heron converted the resultant 45 and, in their next attack, Danny Heavron stole forward from his sweeper’s role to give the home side a commanding 1-8 to 0-4 interval lead.
The only danger to Derry’s lead throughout Saturday’s clash was Wexford’s brilliant corner-forward Ciarán Lyng. Tracked by the diligent Brendan Rogers, the St Martin’s clubman did superbly well with the little space he had to work in, scoring three fine points from play, the best of which came in the 57th minute.
Although a Lyng conversion opened the scoring in the second half, Derry rattled off the next three scores – Heron (free), Mark Lynch and Liam McGoldrick – to put this game beyond Wexford’s tenuous reach.
“We were very hopeful coming up here,” said Wexford boss David Power afterwards.
“We had a good win against Down, but we also knew Derry were up in Division One this year and we’re after having a tough League campaign.”
Derry could easily have done more damage on the scoreboard in the final quarter and perhaps showed that there are still improvements to be made in how they attack.
“This is a team that could do with a timeout every so often, just to say to them: ‘Look, there is space – kick it in’, but they’ve been able to mix their game up too,” said McIver.
But the signs are encouraging. For starters, Bradley and O’Boyle look a genuine attacking threat for the Oak Leafers. Man-of-the-match O’Boyle has never looked sharper in a Derry jersey. He bagged three points from play and dovetailed brilliantly at times with Bradley inside.
On O’Boyle’s excellent display, the Derry manager said: “He’s playing really, really well. I was very tempted to take Eoin Bradley off because he had a match during the week [for Glenavon] – but I want him and Cailean to start playing together and there are wee signs that’s starting to happen, which is a big plus for us.”
Heron and Heavron picked their moments when to leave their sentry positions to support Derry’s counter-attack on Saturday. Chrissy McKaigue and Niall Holly have the legs for midfield, while Fergal Doherty’s game intelligence hasn’t dimmed with the creeping years.
At the back, Seán Leo McGoldrick must have had the most touches of the ball on Saturday afternoon and there appears to be a sufficient number of man-markers in Derry’s ranks. But before giddy optimism takes flight in the north-west, Saturday’s opposition were disappointing.
Wexford managed just five points from play and their kick-out strategy was easily solved by the likes of Doherty, O’Boyle and Lynch.
The Wexford manager had no complaints with the outcome, but was justifiably frustrated with some refereeing decisions. He was particularly peeved by Doherty’s heavy hit on Brian Malone in the 18th minute that yielded a yellow card for the Derry midfielder.
“We train two or three times a week and the least we deserve is some consistency from the referee,” said Power.
“But at the end of the day, we lost the game because Derry were the better team. We’re not going to argue with that, but I don’t think they were nine points better than us.
“I thought the tackle on Brian Malone [by Doherty] was horrendous. That was on purpose. I thought that tackle was an absolute disgrace.”
Power added: “The goal was probably the winning of the game for Derry because I thought, in the first 20-25 minutes, we were going well. That goal changed things and they got a few more points and, instead of being a point or two down, we were seven points down.”
Derry move forward with a certain swagger – and will fear nobody in the Qualifiers.
Derry: T Mallon; O Duffy, C McKaigue, D McBride; L McGoldrick (0-1), B Rogers, SL McGoldrick; N Holly, F Doherty; B Heron (0-2, 0-1 ’45, 0-1 free), M Lynch (0-6, 0-4 frees), E Lynn (0-1); D Heavron (0-1), E Bradley (0-1, free), C Boyle (0-3) Subs: T O’Brien for F Doherty (61), K McKaigue for B Rogers (62), C McAtamney (0-1) for E Lynn (66), C Murphy for E Bradley (69); Yellow cards: F Doherty (18), B Rogers (58), D McBride (58), C McKaigue (59).
Wexford: A Masterson; R Tierney, N Rossiter, J Wadding; S Donohue, G Molloy, A Flynn (0-1); S Byrne, B Malone (1-0 own goal); T Rossiter, B Brosnan (0-3, frees), K Butler; C Lyng (0-5, 0-2 frees),
M O’Regan, K O’Grady; Subs: J Breen for J Wadding (h/t), E Nolan (0-1) for S Byrne (h/t), C Kehoe for B Malone (h/t), P Byrne for M O’Regan (63), J Turbritt for K O’Grady (63); Yellow cards: A Flynn (12), B Brosnan (27).
Referee: F Kelly (Longford).
