Derry ensured the Division Four title remains a two horse race after recording a comfortable five point victory over Wicklow at Glen on Sunday.
First half goals from Christopher McKaigue and Christopher Bradley provided Damian McErlain's team with a cushion they rarely looked like losing against the Garden County who lacked the attacking prowess to take advantage of a number of promising openings.
The victory takes Derry top on points difference from Leitim with both counties having taken maximum eight points from their fixtures to date and a four points gap now opening up to Wicklow and Limerick in third and fourth.
Even a late red card for Derry's Ciaran McFaul, the game's stand-out performer, couldn't derail the home side's charge toward another two points with a real possibility the promotion places could already be decided before the top two meet on March 16th in Celtic Park.
Ironically, Wicklow started in promising fashion, early points from Jamie Snell and Stephen Duffy taking them to a 0-2 to 0-1 lead after six scoreless minutes from throw in.
Derry were using Declan Hughes in an unfamiliar full forward role with Shane McGuigan and Ryan Dougan supporting and the Lavey player did well to provide a useful outlet for Oak Leaf attacks.
McFaul however, was the key and his probing passes opened up Wicklow on 13 minutes for the game's first goal. The Glen playmaker picked out Dougan with a lovely ball and he in turn found the run of McGuigan whose powerful surge took him clear of the covering defenders before squaring to leave McKaigue with a simple fist into an unguarded goal.
Wicklow did respond well through points from the impressive Conor McGraynor and Duffy but when Derry needed a response, they invariably found it as McFaul and Emmet Bradley hit points on their home pitch to reinstate that two points lead at 1-03 to 0-4.
The killer blow though was the second goal and it was one Wicklow goalkeeper Mark Jackson will have nightmares about as the alert Christopher Bradley seized on the keeper's poor kick-out to roll the ball back into an empty net from 20 yards.
Jackson made some amends with a well struck '45' in first half stoppage time but Derry's 2-03 to 0-05 half-time lead was ominous for the visitors.
And so it proved as John Evans' men never quite got the second half goal they needed to reignite their chances. They had opportunities, a melee two minutes after the break seeing Derry scramble the ball off their own line on at least two occasions.
Derry though always had another gear when needed and every time a Wicklow score would suggest revival, the home side doused the optimism with a score of their own to run out comfortable winners.
Derry: Thomas Mallon, Karl McKaigue, Brendan Rogers, Paul McNeill; Jason Rocks, Eamonn McGill, Michael McEvoy; Christopher McKaigue (1-00), Ciaran McFaul (0-02); Emmett Bradley (0-04, 0-02f), Shane McGuigan, Padraig Cassidy (0-01); Christopher Bradley (1-00), Ryan Dougan, Declan Hughes.
Subs: Ryan Bell (0-01) for D Hughes, 49mins; Patrick Coney for J Rocks, 59mins; Conor McAtamney for R Dougan, 59mins;
Wicklow: Mark Jackson (0-02, 0-01f, 0-01 '45); Oisin Manning, Ross O Brien, Jamie Snell (0-01); David Devereaux, Shane Mooney, Darragh Fitzgerald; Padraig's O Toile, Dean Healy; Darren Hayden, Mark Kenny (0-01), Theo Smith; Chris O'Brien, Stephen Duffy (0-02, 0-02f), Conor McGraynor (0-03, 0-02f).
Subs: Patrick Connor for S Duffy, 41mins; Conor Healy for T Smith, 48mins; Gearoid Murphy for C O'Brien, 48mins; James Stafford for D Devereaux, 61mins; Eoin Murtagh for S Mooney, 64mins;
Referee: Niall McKenna (Monaghan)
There are now four teams locked on two points in the bottom half of Division 4, though as this is the basement none of them have to worry about relegation.
They won’t have to worry about promotion to Division 3 either unless there is a remarkable turn of events over the last three weekends of the League’s regular season. Derry and Leitrim are top with four wins from four.
Antrim and Waterford got their first wins of the season over London and Wexford respectively and now all of those four teams have one win from four outings.
The Saffrons got the better of the Exiles, who were on the back of their own first win of the season over Wexford the last day out, on a 1-13 to 1-08 scoreline at Corrigan Park. Ryan Murray got Antrim’s goal coming up to half-time.
There are now four teams locked on two points in the bottom half of Division 4, though as this is the basement none of them have to worry about relegation.
They won’t have to worry about promotion to Division 3 either unless there is a remarkable turn of events over the last three weekends of the League’s regular season. Derry and Leitrim are top with four wins from four.
Antrim and Waterford got their first wins of the season over London and Wexford respectively and now all of those four teams have one win from four outings.
The Saffrons got the better of the Exiles, who were on the back of their own first win of the season over Wexford the last day out, on a 1-13 to 1-08 scoreline at Corrigan Park. Ryan Murray got Antrim’s goal coming up to half-time.
Wexford’s leaky defence – their scoring difference is now the second worse in all four divisions on minus 25 – cost them again as they went down on the bizarre scoreline of 5-04 to 0-12 to Waterford at home.
