Gifted goals costs Derry victory

Antrim 3-7 Derry 0-15

Derry did have the chance to level the game in the dying seconds but Charlie Kielt's free from a difficult angle drifted wide.

The defeat leaves Derry with an uphill struggle to make progress in the competition and given the possession they had manager Damien Cassidy will be annoyed at a victory virtually thrown away.

For a opening game of the season the action was fast and furious with the crowd of around one thousand getting real value for money. The second half may have dipped a bit in the scoring stakes but I was on a knife edge until the final whistle.

The concession of three goals underlines once again that Derry have problems at the back and in particular their full back line. Like Antrim they were experimenting and it may be a bit early to judge but there is no doubt this is an area that the Derry management will be concentrating on.

Derry started with Barry McGuigan, Gerard O'Kane, Fergal Doherty, Patsy Bradley, and Eoin Bradley from last year's championship team while Antrim had James Loughery, John Finucane, Tony Scullion, Michael McCann and Paddy Cunningham. Winning manager Liam Bradley will have a glow of satisfaction at getting one over on his native county and in particular his son Eoin and two nephews John and Gerard O'Kane who were on the Derry team.

The injury bug struck early for Derry when big half forward Andrew McCartney from Ballymaguigan was forced to go off injured after just thirteen minutes. Declan Mullan who made an excellent debut in the half forward line also had to go off as a precautionary measure after picking up a slight leg injury.

The new experimental rules especially the fist pass did cause some confusion and both managers felt that these experiments were just putting further pressure on referees.

Derry dominated most of the first half and with thirteen minutes gone led by 0-6 to 0-1 with Eoin Bradley getting five of them. Paddy Cunningham had opened the scoring for Antrim after twenty seconds but then it became all Derry as Eoin Bradley tore the home defence apart with five points in a row.

Patsy Bradley and Fergal Doherty had been bossing midfield until Antrim brought Michael McCann back from the half forwrad line and replaced Ahoghill player Neil O'Connell with the powerful Dara Edwards. Still there seemed little danger of an upset as Derry led by 0-10 to 0-4 coming up to half time. Then in quick succession poor passes out of defence set up Michael McCann and Michael McGill for first class gift goals. This left Antrim level at half time against the run of play.

The second half was more evenly balanced but fortune favoured the home team again when a shot from Michael Magill was well saved by Derry keeper Michael Magill and the ball fell kindly to sub Cairan Close who stroked it to the net.

Derry piled on the pressure in a desperate attempt to save the day but when Kielt's free drifted wide the last chance was gone.

Antrim looked the sharper and fitter team while Derry looked a bit sluggish and spilled possession far too easily but this game will have brought them on.

Antrim scorers Paddy Cunningham 0-5, 0-2 frees, Michael Magill, Michael McCann and Cairan Close 1-0 each, Dara Edwards and Eoin O'Neill 0-1 each.

Derry scorers Eoin Bradley 0-7, 0-4freesm Raymond Wilkinson 0-3, Declan Mullan 0-2, Paul Bradley 0-1free, Kevin O'Neill and Fergal Doherty 0-1 each.

Antrim. J. Finucane, A. Douglas, P. Doherty, D. Gault, T. Scullion, K. McQuillan, J. Loughery, B. Hassan, N. O'Connell, B. Herron, E. O'Neill, M. McCann, P. Cunningham, M. Magill, G. O'Boyle. Subs D. Edwards for N. O'Connell, K. Brady for B. Hassan, C. Close for C. O'Neill, P. Carey for K. McQuillan.

Derry Martin Dunne, John O'Kane, Gavin McLaughlin, Barry McGuigan, Charlie Kielt, Gerard O'Kane, Liam Hinphey, Fergal Doherty, Patsy Bradley, Andrew McCartney, Raymond Wilkinson, Declan Mullan, Eoin Bradley, Kevin O'Neill, Paul Bradley. Subs Brian Mullan for A. McCartney, Michael McGoldrick for B. McGuigan, Enda Lynn for D. Mullan, Joe Diver for K. O'Neill, Seamus Bradley for Paul Bradley.

Referee Mr. L. Smyth Down