Dominant Dublin Dismantle Derry in Convincing Croke Park Victory

Picture Courtesy Mark McDonagh

DUBLIN 3-20

DERRY 2-12

Dublin cruised to their third victory of the season as they crushed Derry by eleven points in their one-sided Allianz National Football League Division 1 Round 4 encounter at Croke Park on Saturday night.

In what was a repeat of last year’s thrilling decider, the hosts, apart from a shaky five-minute period, dominated the first-half with a 22nd minute goal by Niall Scully helping prompt a deserved 1-10 to 0-6 interval lead.

They continued to dominate upon the restart with goals early in the final quarter from Conor Tyrell and substitute Lorcan O’Dell completing a most convincing of victories.

It was an enterprising start by the hosts with Seán Bugler, so influential in earlier wins against Mayo and Kerry, opening the scoring off his right foot within forty seconds.

He repeated the trick in the 2nd minute, this time off his left boot, before Derry opened their own scoring through Paul Cassidy soon after.

A well-taken Luke Breathnach score restored Dublin’s two-point advantage in the 6th minute but the hosts gradually fell foul of the adopted rules at both ends of the pitch, with Shane McGuigan exacting full punishment when converting both placed balls.

Dublin gradually began to control matters with Conor Tyrell catching the eye in defence and points in quick succession from Breathnach and Bugler brought their deficit down to a single point by the end of the first quarter.

It wasn’t long before Breathnach matched Bugler’s three-point tally when levelling matters in the 22nd minute and from their next attack that featured a strong run down the middle by Eoghan O’Donnell, Scully was on hand to lob Neil McNicholl from fourteen yards.

The procession towards the away goal continued unabated with Scully, Bugler and Evan Comerford all adding to Dublin’s tally before Brian Howard popped over the score of the half as he secured possession in defence before eventually unleashing a trademark strike with the outside of the boot.

That proved the final score of the half with the struggling visitors held scoreless for twenty minutes, reflecting their difficulties in generating chances from open play.

After, almost inevitably, Bugler had increased Dublin’s lead in the 37th minute, a prolonged period of possession should have yielded a second goal but Kevin Lahiff shot too straight at McNicholl, who saved comfortably.

That miss seemed an irrelevance of sorts, given Dublin’s supremacy and they continued to extend their advantage as the half evolved courtesy of points from Breathnach and Cian Murphy.

The momentum changed briefly in the 45th minute as Derry ended a barren period of thirty minutes in an emphatic manner asBrendan Rogers put the finishing touches to a well-worked move.

A point followed from Cahir McMonagle as the gap was suddenly at a more manageable six points but the introduction off the bench of Con O’Callaghan helped settle the hosts.

The Cuala star took only five minutes to open his account and with Bugler weaving through for his sixth point from play, Dublin’s equilibrium was very much restored.

A fortuitous goal by Tyrrell in the 54th minute re-enforced that impression and while there may have been a degree of luck attached to the first two Dublin goals, O’Dell’s cracking strike left no argument as he effectively settled the issue from ten yards.

Dublin took their foot off the gas from that point as they conceded a second goal to Conor Glass in the 64th minute with an injury suffered by Bugler a disappointing footnote to an excellent display.

Scorers – Dublin:S Bugler 0-6; N Scully 1-2; L Breathnach, C O’Callaghan (1 2pt) 0-4 each; C Tyrrell, L O’Dell 1-0 each; C Murphy 0-2; E Comerford, B Howard 0-1 apiece.Derry:S McGuigan 0-7 (3f, 2 2f); P Cassidy 0-3 (1 2pt); CGlass,B Rogers1-0 each;D Cassidy, C McMonagle 0-1 apiece.

Dublin:E Comerford;D Byrne, T Clancy, C Tyrrell; A Gavin, S MacMahon, C Murphy; B Howard, T Lahiff; S Bugler, N Scully, K Lahiff; N O’Callaghan, E O’Donnell, L Breathnach. Subs:C O’Callaghan for O’Donnell (45), L O’Dell forNO’Callaghan (45),S Lowry for K Lahiff (52), D Keogh forBugler(56), P Ó Cofaigh Byrne for Breathnach (56).

Derry:N McNicholl;D Baker, E McEvoy, M Bradley; D Cassidy, B Rogers, C Doherty; C Glass, A Tohill; E Doherty, P Cassidy, C McMonagle; B McCarron, S McGuigan, N Toner. Subs:C McGrogan for Toner (22),L Murray for C McGrogan (41), P McGrogan for Cassidy (44),N Loughlin for McCarron (53),M Doherty for C McMonagle (60).

Referee:Noel Mooney (Cavan).