Derry 0-12 Donegal 0-06
Mickey Harte's love affair with the Dr McKenna Cup was rekindled at stormy O’Neills Healy Park, where his 13th title saw him claim his first piece of silverware as Derry manager.
It was the perfect conclusion to a strong pre-season ahead of their return to Division 1 and an Allianz Football League opener away to Kerry next weekend.
The second coming of Jim McGuinness hasn’t been bad either, with some new talent unearthed and a familiar style of football making a reappearance.
Three players were sent off in the second half as the Oak Leafers held on while playing into a strong breeze to claim an impressive victory following a highly competitive encounter.
Donegal went ahead in the eighth minute, goalkeeper Gavin Mulreany driving a 47 metre free into the breeze and sweetly between the posts, after their packed defence frustrated Derry’s strong press as they pushed forward with a driving wind in their backs.
With conditions challenging both sides, play was fractured and scrappy, turnovers and unforced errors ensuring that the game struggled to develop.
Shane McGuigan stroked over a levelling free on 12 minutes, but the holders were soon on the back foot as Caolan McGonagle surged forward from deep and the incisive runs of wings backs Ryan McHugh and Peadar Mogan caused problems.
The only clear-cut goal chance of the first half fell to newcomer Domhnall MacGiolla Bhride, but he slipped at the crucial moment as he attempted to collect Mogan’s pass.
Declan Cassidy fired the Oak Leafs ahead for the first time in the 19th minute, and McGuigan’s accuracy from placed balls saw them open out a 0-5 to 0-2 lead, with McHugh on target at the other end.
Paddy McBrearty’s free narrowed the gap, and McGuinness would have been delighted to reach the halfway stage with just a two points deficit, 0-5 to 0-3, after playing into the stiff breeze.
Derry’s movement was slick as they held possession and prised open the opposition defence, with McGuigan providing the final pass for Paul Cassidy to split the posts.
All-Star McGuigan put four between the sides with another free within five minutes of the restart, and with another All-Star, Conor McCluskey, pressing strongly, they went further ahead through substitute Niall Toner
The experience of Brendan Rogers helped the Ulster champions dominate possession as they moved with cohesion and purpose, but they lacked the cutting edge to fully reward their efforts.
Substitute Daire O Baoill scored with his first touch to give Donegal some much-needed respite.
Both sides were reduced to 14 players late in the third quarter as tempers frayed. Derry lost Rogers to a straight red card following an incident involving O Baoill on 50 minutes, and as a brief melee erupted, Donegal captain McBrearty also saw red.
It was Donegal who reacted more positively to the series of incidents, with 'keeper Mulreany landing a monster free from 58 metres, and they exploited the extra space to gain ground and stretch their north-west neighbours.
But Derry’s well organised cover restricted the damage, and McGuigan made light of the gusting wind to maintain his accuracy from frees, and sending his side into the final five minutes with a five points cushion.
And the outlook worsened for Donegal when full forward Oisin Gallen picked up a second booking.
There was no way back as the men in red and whiteclosed ranks with clever use of the spare man, although they did need a smart save late on from Odhran Lynch to deny O Baoill.
Derry: O Lynch; D Baker, E McEvoy, C McKaigue; C McCluskey, G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Doherty (0-01), B Rogers; D Gilmore, D Cassidy (0-01), P Cassidy (0-01); N Loughlin (0-01), S McGuigan (0-06, 6f), C Murphy (0-01).
Subs: N Toner for McEvoy (h-t), S Downey for McCluskey (69)
Donegal: G Mulreany (0-02, 2f); M Curran, D MacGiolla Bhride, K McGettigan; R McHugh (0-01), C McGonagle, P Mogan (0-01); O Caulfield, C Thompson; O Doherty, S O’Donnell, C Moore; P McBrearty (0-01, f), O Gallen, J Brennan.
Subs: D O Baoill (0-01) for Caulfield (48), R Frain for Brennan (53) S McGlynn for Doherty (58) J McKelvey for O’Donnell (58), S McMenamin for Curran (69)
Referee: C Curran (Down).
