skip to main content

Derry defeat Dublin in stoppage time

Updated / Saturday, 4 Mar 2023 21:32
Brendan Rogers was Derry's hero on the night
Brendan Rogers was Derry's hero on the night

Brendan Rogers was the Derry hero after he kicked a dramatic 75th-minute winning point to inflict Dublin's first Division 2 defeat of the season in front of 12,000 fans at Celtic Park.

The dramatic finale also saw Michael Fitzsimons dismissed on a second yellow card as Derry fought back from a poor second half to claim the victory that made it five from five and outright top spot in the table for Rory Gallagher's men.

The result means Derry only need a point next week to be promoted and it would take a brave man to back against them on this display, with every man in red and white standing up in a second half to remember

Derry named the same 15 that cantered to an easy victory in Newbridge six days earlier, while for Dublin there was a first start for Eoin Murchan and the welcome sight of Brian Howard among the substitutes, his first appearance of 2023.

Not that it looked like Dessie Farrell's men would need their All Star after a first half which the visitors dominated against a strangely passive Oak Leaf 15, whose first half lacked its normal aggression.

The tone was set only 49 seconds in, when Cormac Costello took possession and split the posts inside the opening minute.

The score was illustrative of a low Derry block which was meeting Dublin too deep, allowing men too far inside the scoring zone before they were being engaged, and with Brian Fenton bossing the game, Dublin should have been further ahead than their 0-07 to 0-02 half-time lead.

Dublin mirrored Derry's defensive shape but crucially engaged further up the field, while they visitors kick-outs into space were finding blue too easily compared to a home kick-out that invariably became contested ball.

The flip side to that was Derry left an easy 1-06 behind them despite never hitting anything like top gear.

Niall Loughlin's 25th minute chance, finding himself clear on goal after giving Michael Fitzsimons the slip should have been the game's opening goal but the Derry forward shot too close to David O'Hanlon.

Dublin though missed chances too, James McCarthy seeing a fifth-minute effort rolled across a vacated net before being cleared to safety.

As it was, another effort from Costello, fisting Fenton's long-range effort on to the bar and over, Lee Gannon, Con O'Callaghan and two from the imperious Fenton were just reward.

Derry's only first-half scores were points from Paul Cassidy and a Shane McGuigan free, the latter of which came on 15 minutes as the Oak Leafers turned around four down at 0-02 to 0-06.

Rory Gallagher's reaction to his team's first half display was to introduce Gareth McKinless for a first appearance since their league, the half-back replacing Padraig Cassidy at the break and the second half saw an instant increase in the home side's intensity.

Despite Tom Lahiff opening the scoring with a fisted point, scores from Ethan Doherty and Loughlin (free) signalled Derry's improved approach.

Dublin were not about to roll over, as illustrated by Lee Gannon's second point of the day, but McKinless had added both pace and aggression and his influence was critical as Derry grabbed the goal that brought them back into the game.

Brendan Rogers started the move, handing off to McGuigan who spotted McKinless on his outside. Little looked on until McKinless hit the afterburners, burning a path along the inside right before picking out Niall Loughlin in front of goal. The Greenlough man just couldn't get his shot away but as the ball broke, Niall Toner was on it in a flash to crash home a crucial Derry to bring it back to 1-04 to 0-09.

The goal changed the complexion of the game. Suddenly the pendulum had swung toward the home side and Derry had the bit between their teeth.

A huge Conor Doherty point and another from Paul Cassidy brought Derry level but Dublin have been down this road before and answered with a Ciaran Kilkenny point to edge back in front.

Substitute Oisin McWilliams showed his class with a superb score to tie proceedings but when Dublin responded through points from Colm Basquel and Kilkenny, Dublin looked to have broken the Derry resolve.

Derry had other ideas.

Two McGuigan frees levelled again before another sub, Lachlan Murray, kicked a wonder point to put Derry ahead for the first time on 69minutes.

With four added minutes the 12,000 crowd was assured drama and once Cormac Costello levelled via a free they had it.

First, Michael Fitzsimons was dismissed on a second yellow and then, with the stage set for a hero, step forward Brendan Rogers to kick Derry to victory and possibly Division 1 football next season.

Derry scorers: Niall Toner (1-0), Shane McGuigan (0-3, 3f), Paul Cassidy (0-2), Ethan Doherty (0-1), Niall Loughlin (0-1, 1f), Conor Doherty (0-1), Oisin McWilliams (0-1), Lachlan Murray (0-1), B Rogers (0-1)

Dublin scorers: Cormac Costello (0-2), Lee Gannon (0-2), Con O'Callaghan (0-1), Brian Fenton (0-2), John Small (0-1), Tom Lahiff (0-1), Ciaran Kilkenny (0-2), Colm Basquel (0-1),

Derry: Odhran Lynch, Chrissy McKaigue, Eoin McEvoy, Conor McCluskey, Conor Doherty, Padraig McGrogan, Padraig Cassidy, Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Niall Toner, Paul Cassidy, Ethan Doherty, Benny Heron, Shane McGuigan, Niall Loughlin.

Subs: Gareth McKinless for E Doherty (blood sub), 35-HTmins; Gareth McKinless for Padraig Cassidy, HT; Oisin McWilliams for B Heron, 50mins; Lachlan Murray for N Toner, 58mins; Shea Downey for E McEvoy, 65mins; Niall Toner for N Loughlin, 73mins;

Yellow cards: G McKinless, 44mins;

Dublin: David O'Hanlon, Daire Newcombe, Michael Fitzsimons, Lee Gannon, James McCarthy, John Small, David Byrne, Brian Fenton, Tom Lahiff, Ciaran Kilkenny, Eoin Murchan, Lorcan O'Dell, Cormac Costello, Dean Rock, Con O'Gallaghan.

Subs: Niall Scully for L O'Dell, 43mins; Colm Basquel for T Lahiff, 54mins; Sean Lowry for D Rock, 57mins; Brain Howard for J McCarthy, 64mins;

Yellow cards: T Lahiff, 44mins; M Fitzsimons, 58 & 74mins;

Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone)

More stories on

Read Next