Gaelic Games Dr McKenna Cup Quarter-final: Derry saw off the challenge of Queen's at Lavey yesterday with a powerful second-half display in a game that was more one-sided than the scoreline might suggest.
While the students pushed Derry hard in the first half, after the break it was one-way traffic and after Padraig Murphy's 45th-minute goal, which saw Derry lead by 1-10 to 0-5, there was only ever one winner.
Derry manager Mickey Moran was delighted with the way his side had dispatched the Queen's challenge - especially as his panel was down to the bare bones because of university call-ups, injuries and illness.
In the early part of the match Queen's matched Derry and when Brian Mallon pointed his third free of the game on 16 minutes the sides were level at four points each.
Derry did manage to stretch into a 0-8 to 0-5 half-time lead thanks to the free-taking accuracy of Paul Bradley and Paddy Bradley, but with Conan O'Brien and Kevin McGourty showing well in midfield Queen's could have been much closer had they shown less profligacy in attack.
The introduction of regular midfielder Patsy Bradley - who had attended a family funeral earlier in the morning - shortly after half-time signalled a change in the pattern of the game. Murphy's well-taken goal set Derry on the road.
The Queen's attack huffed and puffed but the game was effectively over and Dara Tierney's late goal only served to take the lop-sided look off the scoreline as Derry progressed to a semi-final meeting with Fermanagh at Omagh this Sunday.
DERRY: B Gillis; K McGuckin, K McCloy, C McWilliams; P Wilson, M Kelly, P Kelly; S Kelly, J McBride; Paul Murphy, C Gilligan (0-1), Paul Bradley (0-6, one free); Padraig Murphy (1-1), Paddy Bradley (0-4 all frees), E Burke (0-1) Subs: Patsy Bradley for S Kelly, D Scullion for McCloy
QUEEN'S: M Dunne; M Rooney, D McCartan, R O'Neill (0-1); M Drumm, G O'Kane, J Turley; Conan O'Brien, K McGourty; J Haughey, B Mallon (0-4 all frees), C Moran (0-1); K Shields (1-1), R Gallagher, E Devlin Subs: K Gunn for Gallagher, A, Carr (0-1) for Rooney, P Courtney for Turley, D Tierney for Shields, C Mackle for Carr
Referee: G Walsh (Antrim).
