Derry 3-8 Down 2-9:There is a big scalp in this Derry team. If they get everything right some team, somewhere, is going to pay. Yesterday though was about just getting by but, after pulling clear, they let Down back in before finally showing the resolve to progress.
This Mickey Moran team are a match for anyone. The mix of youth and experience is close to perfection from Seán Marty Lockhart right through to breakthrough forwards Eoin Bradley and Mark Lynch. Their inexperience makes the loss of Fergal Doherty, to a suspected broken ankle, all the more costly.
With 10 minutes remaining, the big midfielder fell awkwardly and was stretchered from the field. Enda Muldoon went into the centre but within five minutes Down rattled off 1-1 to leave a point between the sides.
This revival was sparked by Benny Coulter's canny ability to find space. Mostly he was pushed wide, managing to steal in for the first goal on 42 minutes, before creating the second with a deft centre for Ronan Sexton to finish.
At this point possession became paramount. Basically, Derry needed Fergal Doherty. But Lynch stepped into the role with some inspirational running that included the insurance point three minutes into injury-time.
"Losing Fergal Doherty . . ." Moran trailed off. "He is one of the most outstanding midfielders to date in the championship."
Moran was upset by the way referee Séamus McCormack handled the contest, especially the treatment of Paddy Bradley, who he felt was not awarded the frees he deserved and instead penalised harshly.
"I want a referee to go out and referee it absolutely," he continued. "He is going to make mistakes but as long as they are made on both sides. Today I thought the number of fouls they got and we didn't get, especially Paddy, made a big difference. It does in a championship game, especially if we have somebody like Paddy Bradley to kick frees."
Regardless, Bradley finished with 1-4 from play and was so outstanding that all three members of the Down full-back line failed in the shadowing process.
Muldoon finally looks to be regaining his high standards. He took Derry's first goal after seven minutes and kicked another point before fading somewhat. It mattered little as Bradley grabbed their second after some excellent fielding, while a Lynch point made it 2-4 to 0-5 at the turn.
Bradley's younger brother Eoin seemed to guarantee the result four minutes after the break with a sublime goal. Coulter was dispossessed en route by Kevin McCloy before possession was transferred to the younger Bradley. He left three players on the deck on a direct run before blasting home to make it 3-5 to 0-6.
Coulter to his credit held off Kevin McGuckin for a well-taken goal of his own soon after. But the Bradley family duel continued as this time Paddy stepped inside, then outside, two players for an excellent score.
DERRY: 1 B Gillis; 2 K McGuckin, 3 K McCloy, 4 M Kelly; 18 Francis McEldowney, 6 SM Lockhart, 7 P McFlynn; 8 F Doherty, 9 Patsy Bradley; 10 P Murphy, 11 E Bradley (1-0), 12 J McBride (0-1); 13 M Lynch (0-2), 14 P Bradley (1-4), E Muldoon (1-1). Subs: 17 G O'Kane for P McFlynn (46-48 mins), 21 Fergal McEldowney for P Murphy (52 mins), 26 G Donaghy for F Doherty (inj, 60 mins), 17 G O'Kane for M Kelly (68 mins).
Down: 1 M McVeigh; 2 M Cole, 3 A Scullion, 4 A Rice; 5 P Murphy (0-1), 6 A O'Pey, 7 D Rafferty; 8 A Molloy, 9 C McCrickard; 10 C Laverty, 11 A Rogers (0-2, one 45), 12 D Hughes (0-2); 21 R Murtagh (0-1), 14 B Coulter (1-2, 0-2 frees), 15 S Ward. Subs: 24 B Grant for A Rice (33 mins), 22 R Sexton (1-0) for C Laverty (half-time), 23 M Walsh for C McCrickard (43 mins), 18 J Clarke (0-1) for S Ward (51 mins).
Referee: S McCormack (Meath).
