Derry make winning start against Cavan

Dr. McKenna Cup

Cavan 1-10 Derry 1-12

After building up a wind assisted 0-11 to 0-3 interval lead they failed to kill off the game in the second half and allowed a fit but limited Cavan team back into the game as they scored the opening five points of the second half.

Derry were looking to be in a bit of trouble until Paddy Bradley finished a Mark Lynch centre to the net ten minutes from time and this left them 1-11 to 0-8 in front.

The comfortable lead was then cut in half when Cavan Corner forward Michael Brennan blasted in a super goal from near the end line with two minutes to go.

Derry were quite impressive in the first half with the wind and rain in their backs and they dominated all over the field and all their eleven points came form play with Paddy Bradley and Conleth Gilligan prominent.

Gilligan on his return to the panel had a most impressive outing and scored five first half points from play his last two coming in injury time at the end of the half. New manager John Brennan will have mixed views on the display particularly after that dominant first half. However he will wonder why his charges let Cavan back into the game although it must be said that Cavan got some easy frees.

It was the old Derry failing of not hammering home their advantage and getting careless when in front. They had a stronger and more experienced team on duty than the Breffini men who lost two key players with injury. James Reilly had to retire after ten minutes and ace marksman Sean Johnston at half time. They brought on Gerard Pearson for the second half and the Lough Gowna man made a big impact with three points. His drive and experience helped the home team to carry the game to Derry and it took that Paddy Bradley goal to give Derry a rare win in this competition.

Bradley got his hand to the ball as the inexperienced sub keeper Davy Ward came off his line and the ball just made it over the line.

Derry took some time to find the range with the wind behind them and it fact it was Cavan from a Paddy Gumley free who took a sixth minute lead. After dropping a number of early efforts short Derry began to find the range as Barry McGoldrick who was excellent at centre half, Declan Mullan and Mark Lynch had they two in front after twelve minutes

Then Paddy Bradley and Conleth Gilligan began to outwit the home defence with their quick movement and by half time they had hit seven points between them with the other coming from half back Mickey Drumm.

Cavan Gradually reeled in Derry in the second half and it was 0-11 to 0-8 when Paddy Bradley got the goal. He was Derry's sole scorer in the second half as he also got the point five minutes after the all important goal.

Derry scorers Conleth Gilligan 0-5, Paddy Bradley 1-3, Mark Lynch, Declan Mullan, Michael Drumm and Barry McGoldrick 0-1 each.

Cavan scorers M. Brennan 1-1, G. Pearson 0-3, S. Johnston, P. Gumley, B. Reilly, P. Carroll T. Corr and K. Fannin 0-1 each.

Derry. D. Devlin, C. Mullan, K. McCloy, D. McBride, M. Drumm, B. McGoldrick, G. O'Kane, PJ McCloskey, J. Conway, D. Mullan, C. McGoldrick, M. Lynch, N. McNicholl, P. Bradley, C. Gilligan subs used R. Shivers, D. Brennan, B. McGuigan, N. Holly.

Cavan. J. Reilly, P. Carroll, E. Smith, D, O'Reilly, D. O'Dowd, A. Clarke, S. Jordan, C. Galligan, P. O'Reilly, K. Fannin, A. Reilly, R. Flanagan, P. Gumley, S. Johnston, M. Brennan. Subs used D. ward, B. Reilly, G. Pearson, J. McEnroe, T. Corr.

Referee S. McLaughlin Donegal.