Allianz Football League Division Two round four
Kildare 0-7 Derry 2-15
A FEW measures of this match: goalkeeper Mark Donnellan was by far the star performer for the hosts, saving them from utter humiliation by denying many more goals in a game they still lost by triple scores, and a 14-point margin.
Derry full-forward Shane McGuigan, with his tally of 1-7, scored more than the 20 Lilywhite players put together, who managed only two points from play between them.
Early in the second half, the press box chat turned to Leinster Schools Cup rugby, such was Derry’s dominance, as they built on a nine-point half-time lead, 1-8 to 0-3, racked up against the breeze, with Niall Loughlin bagging the goal.
Kildare, who shot eight first-half wides in an eventual total of 13 off target, might have been expected to come out firing when the teams turned around.
Instead, Derry rattled off the first five scores of the second half, including a fabulous finish fired to the net by McGuigan in the 43rd minute, to make it 2-12 to 0-3.
Kildare did at last open their second-half account after 20 minutes, and won the final quarter by four points to three, but that will of no consolation whatsoever after this embarrassing trouncing.
The game had began with a false dawn, with two of the players brought into the team combining for a very early Kildare goal chance: Alex Beirne robbed Brendan Rogers and sent Neil Flynn on a direct run, but his low shot was parried by Odhran Lynch and Conor Glass cleared the rebound.
The sides were level at a point apiece, both from frees, in the 12th minute, but after that Derry opened their legs and showed their class.
Derry’s energy and effort levels are off the scale. Fifteen behind the ball when out of possession, they transition so quickly to having at least five up in attack, with backs and midfielders powering forward too.
Full-back Eoin McEvoy provided the assists for Shane McGuigan’s first and second points from play and in between those wing-back Conor Doherty supplied Niall Toner to score.
When Padraig McGrogan took his turn to go forward he fizzed a kick-pass into Benny Heron, who gathered it and shot in one movement, but goalkeeper Mark Donnellan somehow half-blocked it over the bar.
Kildare had the Maynooth man to thank again for keeping out an improvised ground-shot from Paul Cassidy, whose shooting sights were otherwise awry.
The Lilywhites had to go long, but even when they did Lynch raced out of his goal as quick as you could say ‘Jack Robinson’ and made the corner-forward fumbled possession around midfield.
The men in red and white broke like lightning and Loughlin side-stepped away from marker and keeper to roll to the net.
Glenn Ryan sent on Daniel Flynn – who is working in England during the week – for Robinson in response to that goal, but he immediately had Chrissy McKaigue for company and Derry continued their dominance.
Indeed the Oak Leafers stretched their advantage by three points, while Kildare kicked more wides, and it might even have been a bigger gap but Heron kicked over on the turn after a Paul Cassidy fisted effort came back to him off the woodwork.
A Neil Flynn free made it 0-3 to 1-8 but there was no stopping Derry.
McGuigan ran through to unleash a left-footed rocket finish and the excellent McEvoy popped up again, this time fisting a score from a narrow angle.
Donnellan made more smart saves from Loughlin and Paul Cassidy, but Derry had done more than enough damage, and moved above Dublin at the top of the table on scoring difference.
The Dubs are next up, at Celtic Park on Saturday evening, but on this form the Oak Leafers will be favourites to seal promotion to the top flight.
Kildare: M Donnellan; M O’Grady (capt.), S Ryan, R Houlihan; D Hylan, K Flynn, P McDermott (0-1); K Feely, K O’Callaghan; E Doyle, B McCormack, A Beirne (0-1); N Flynn (0-2 frees), D Kirwan (0-3 frees), J Robinson
Subs: D Flynn for Robinson (30); J Sargent for Malone (h-t); S O’Sullivan for N Flynn (h-t); P Cribbin for Beirne (44); B Coffey for McCormack (54)
Derry: O Lynch; C McKaigue, E McEvoy (0-1), C McCluskey; C Doherty, P McGrogan, Padraig Cassidy; C Glass, B Rogers; N Toner (0-2, 0-1 free), Paul Cassidy, E Doherty (0-3); B Heron (0-2), S McGuigan (1-7, 0-4 frees, 0-1 mark), N Loughlin (1-0)
Subs: S Downey for McGrogan (55); O McWilliams for Heron (59); C McGuckian for Padraig Casssidy (64); P McNeill for McEvoy (65); B McCarron for Toner (68)
Referee: B Judge (Sligo)
