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Down descend to Division Three

Derry 0-12 Down 0-9: Down slumped into Division Three following this defeat to rivals Derry at St Patrick's Park, Newcastle, …

Mon Apr 02 2007 - 01:00

Derry 0-12 Down 0-9:Down slumped into Division Three following this defeat to rivals Derry at St Patrick's Park, Newcastle, yesterday.

They can have no regrets about this defeat. In a poor game Derry were always the more compact, more direct side and they had a real scoring forward in Paddy Bradley.

The Glenullin man tormented and tortured the Down defence throughout and his total of eight points was just reward for a magical display.

Down looked good early in the game with Dan Gordon and Jack Lynch dominating midfield but once Enda Muldoon dropped back to assist Fergal Doherty and James Conway they more or less controlled things in this sector.

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Derry opened strongly with a point from Conleith Gilligan after a minute. Down settled and were level after four minutes when Aidan Carr pointed a free. Down immediately took control with Dan Gordon and Jack Lynch dominating midfield.

Benny Coulter was twice denied goals but he shot Down ahead after eight minutes with a point. Aidan Burns (two) and Carr from a free added to the lead as Down looked in control.

Derry came back strongly in the 10 minutes before the interval. Although they shot three wides from good positions they finished the half with two points from Paddy Bradley and one from Mark Lynch they trailed at half-time 0-6 to 0-5.

Derry restarted in brilliant fashion with two points from Bradley and one from Muldoon to take a two-point lead inside six minutes.

Down substitute John Boyle pointed a 45 but immediately Bradley, who was in brilliant form, slotted over two points while Muldoon added another.

Down managed to stay in contention with an Aidan Burns point but three missed chances were pivotal at that stage.

They continued to make a brave fight of it and came back with a Boyle point but the same player missed an easy free and with that went any chance of salvaging something from the game.

DERRY: B Gills; K McGuckin, K McCloy, R Murray; P Carton, SM Lockhart, G O'Kane, F Doherty, J Conway; B McGoldrick, C Gilligan (0-1, free), Paddy Bradley (0-8); M Lynch (0-1), E Muldoon (0-2), Paul Bradley.

DOWN: M McVeigh; D McCartan, D Cunningham, K McGuigan; E Henry, D Rooney, J Clarke; D Gordon, J Lynch; J McGovern, A Carr (0-2, one free), R Sexton; A Burns (0-3, one free), D Hughes, B Coulter (0-2). Subs: J Boyle (0-2) for McGovern; P Turley for Lynch; S Kearney for Sexton; S Toner for K McGuigan; M Walsh for Hughes.

Referee: M Higgins (Fermanagh)