Derry run out of steam in final quarter

National Football League Division One

Kerry 0-15 Derry 1-9

Midway through the second half they were on level terms and by no means out of the game but Kerry crowded the middle of the field with big men and the pressure was all on the Derry defence in the final quarter as the team lost its shape and in the end they had no answer to the more direct play of the winners who were picking up their first points of the campaign.

Derry failed to take advantage of the first half breeze and just led at the interval by 1-6 to 0-6. In the second half they were out scored by 0-9 to 0-3 and looked heavy legged as the home team simply powered past them.

There was often a lack of cohesion in Derry's play with a lot of short passing and a failure to get the quick ball through to the front men particularly in the first half when Eoin Bradley was skinning the Kerry defence time after time.

In the second period the All Ireland champions with a new look team packed their defensive areas and midfield, they then played the long ball into man of the match Kieran Donaghy who gave Kevin McCloy a difficult afternoon.

In the closing stages Derry did have chances to salvage something from the game but the failure of referee O'Conmaha to give Brian Mullan a blatant free in front of goals and Fergal Doherty over running the ball when clean through represented the Oak Leaf men's last chance in a poor game.

The pitch was slippery in the early stages and a swirling wind made conditions difficult but in the early stages.

Derry's lack of concentration in two brief spells in each half proved to be the losing of the game. They were leading by 0-4 to 0-2 by the twelfth minute but three minutes later they were 0-4 to 0-2 in arrears. Between the 50th and 53rd minutes they shipped another four and while the winners were able to follow up their scores with other quick efforts Derry's attempts seemed more sporadic.

With just two points from three games Derry will need to win at least two more to stay up but with Mayo at home on Saturday they are expected to bounce back.

In the first half Eoin Bradley gave Kerry full back Tommy Griffin a real roasting and it was the Glenullin man who was fouled in the first minute and brother Paddy put Derry ahead. Derry had most of the possession at this stage but they had recorded three wides before Brian Mullan set up Eoin Bradley for a second Derry score with a real quality effort.

Paddy Bradley missed an 11th minute free and then Kerry got on a roll with four quick points from Kieran Donaghy twice, Killian Young and O'Callaghan. Derry's response was instant, Patsy Bradley played in Eoin Bradley and he cut through the home defence and with an excellent finish put Derry 1-2 to 0-4 in front.

Donaghy was then fouled by McCloy and Colm Cooper levelled the game from the resultant free. Fifteen minutes from the interval Eoin Bradley was again fouled and brother Paddy sent over.

Derry stretched their lead to two points when Aidy McLaughlin disposed Declan O'Sullivan and cut through for a fine score. Colm Cooper cut the gap back to one from a free and after Gerard O'Kane had hit a superb long range point his team then hit a spate of wides .

In the 34th minute Fergal Doherty hit over a splendid long range score and he came close to a major when the home Keeper deflected his powerful shot against the bar. Paddy Bradley was then narrowly wide with the last move of the half.

Derry took a long time coming out for the second half but it was Kerry who struck first with a brilliant David Moran point in the opening seconds. Colm Cooper and Paddy Bradley exchanged frees to keep the gap at two points and nine minutes in Bradley did it again when Scanlon over held the ball. With 26 minutes left Derry just managed another score while Kerry hit seven.

Cooper hit over two frees midway through the half and then David Moran equalised in the 53rd, thirty seconds later a superb score from Declan O'Sullivan put the now dominant Kerry 0-12 to 1-8 in front.

With nine minutes left the rampant David Moran opened up a two point gap and as Derry brought in some fresh legs it was obvious that the game was getting beyond them at this stage.

Colm Cooper set up Kieran Donaghy for an easy score and with five minutes left Paddy Bradley gave Derry a glimmer of hope with a free after Brian Mullan had been fouled. Just prior to that Mullan was denied a blatant free and to add insult to injury Kerry got an easy one when Kevin McCloy was adjudged to have fouled Donaghy but it was probably the other way around. Sheehan's free from that award effectively sealed the game.

Kerry scorers: Colm Coopr 0-5frees, Kieran Donaghy and David Moran 0-3 each, Dermot O'Callaghan, Declan O'Sullivan, Killian Young 0-1 each, Brian Sheehan 0-1free.

Derry scorers: Paddy Bradley 0-5 frees, Eoin Bradley 1-1, Aidy McLaughlin, Gerard O'Kane and Fergal Doherty 0-1 each.

Kerry B. Kealy, P.Reidy, T. Griffin, T. O'Sullivan, A. O'Connell, A. O'Mahoney, K. Young, S. Scanlon, M. Quirke, D. O'Callaghan, D. Moran, Darren O'Sullivan, Colm Cooper, Kieran Donaghy, Declan O'Sullivan. Subs used Anthony Maher, Brian Sheehan, Marc O'Se and K. O'Leary.

Derry. Barry Gillis, Michael McGoldrick, Kevin McCloy, Dermot McBride, Charlie Kielt. Mark Lynch, Gerard O'Kane, Fergal Doherty, Patsy Bradley, Brian Mullan, Barry McGuigan, Adrain McLaughlin, Paddy Bradley, Eoin Bradley, Raymond Wilkinson. Subs used Sean Leo McGoldrick, Joe Diver, James Kielt, Martin Dunne.

Referee: Geroid O'Conmaha Galway.