Allianz FL D2: Derry win again

Allianz Football League Division Two

Derry 2-25 Offaly 0-8

By Michael Wilson at Find Insurance Celtic Park

Derry's bid for promotion back to Division One is gathering pace after they cruised to a third successive league victory thanks to a 23-point hammering of Offaly.

It proved a nightmare return to the Oak Leaf County for former manager Mickey Harte, along with his joint manager Declan Kelly.

After trailing by nine at half-time against Cork seven days previously, an understrength Offaly found themselves 20 points adrift of Ciaran Meenagh's rampant Derry team who appear to gathering momentum with every passing week.

Even minus captain Conor Glass, who was serving a one match suspension following his sending off against Kildare, the Oak Leafers still had far too much class for the visitors with first half goals from Niall Loughlin and Matthew Downey proving the foundation for an ultimately facile victory, the second half played at little more than training session pace.

Meenagh made four changes form the 15 that started last week's hard fought victory in Newrbidge, two enforced as keeper Ryan Scullion came in for his first start in the league following an injury to Shea McGuckin against Kildare while Jack Doherty came in for the suspended Conor Glass. Niall Toner and Matthew Doherty were the other Oak Leaf changes.

Offaly came into the game still seeking their first point but any hopes Mickey Harte had of a warm welcome back to the county he managed to the Division One title of 2024 were quickly dispelled. Indeed the game was all but over as a contest inside 20 minutes as Derry through the Faithful County.

Jack Doherty got the home side up and running inside the opening minute and within 90 seconds, Toner was bursting through a sparsely occupied Offaly defence to tee up Niall Loughlin for the game's opening goal.

Ethan Doherty tagged on a point before, with still only nine minutes on the clock, Matthew Downey set off on a mazy solo run that took him past three defenders and ended with the Lavey player's first goal for the Derry senior team.

Paul Cassidy, who grabbed a brace of two pointers in the opening half following his 'Goal of the Season' contender in Newbridge last week, rubbed salt into the wounds with his first before Jordan Hayes eventually got Offaly on the scoreboard 16 minutes in with a fisted effort to leave it 2-04 to 0-01.

Offaly efforts were being helped by a malfunctioning kick-out that had seen the visitors win only one of their first seven and rather than push on from that opening point, it was Derry who continued the onslaught.

Cassidy's second two-pointer was the first of three successive two-pointers as Shane McGuigan and the imperious Brendan Rogers added efforts of their own, with Conor Doherty and Downey then tagging on singles for 2-12 to 0-01.

Offally, who registered six wides and sent four short in the opening 35 minutes, saw Keith O'Neill double their tally and the same player grabbed their third of the half, but with Niall Loughlin bringing Derry's total of first half two-pointers to five, the Oak Leafers were already in cruise control at half-time, leading on a remarkable scoreline of 2-17 to 0-3.

Derry handed Slaughtneil's Ruairi O Mianain his National League debut for the second half with a McGuigan free and another Matthew Downey score ensuring it remained business as usual after the restart.

Offaly did improve and substitute Eoin Dunne was denied a goal with his first touch by an excellent Ryan Scullion save but the gap between the sides was always evident. Hayes did end 24 scoreless minutes with Offaly's opening score of the second half 23 minutes after the restart.

Harry Plunkett's late's 0-3, including a lovely two point effort that deserved a better stage, was at least a positive finale for Offaly on a night to forget. For Derry, it is onwards and upwards with Cork up next.

Scorers for Derry: Niall Loughlin 1-4 (1tp), Matthew Downey 1-2, Paul Cassidy 0-5 (2tp), Shane McGuigan 0-7 (2f, 1tp), Brendan Rogers 0-2 (1tp), Jack Doherty 0-1, Ethan Doherty 0-2, Niall Toner 0-1, Niall O'Donnell 0-1.

Scorers for Offaly: Harry Plunkett 0-3 (1tp), Jordan Hayes 0-2, Keith O'Neill 0-3.

Derry: Ryan Scullion, Diarmuid Baker, Ruairi Forbes, Shea Downey, Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless, Padraig McGrogan, Jack Doherty, Brendan Rogers, Ethan Doherty, Niall Toner, Paul Cassidy, Niall Loughlin, Shane McGuigan, Matthew Downey.

Subs: Ruairi O Mianain for G McKinless, HT; Sean Young for B Rogers, 42mins; Niall O'Donnell for C Doherty, 59mins; Mark Doherty for D Baker, 53mins; Charlie Diamond for S Downey, 60mins.

Offaly: Conor Melia, Shane O'Toole, David Dempsey, Darragh Flynn, Cormac Egan, Diarmuid Egan, Rory Egan, Jack McEvoy, Aaron Leavy, Marcus Dalton, Jordan Hayes, Keith O'Neill, Harry Plunkett, Niall Furlong, Lee Pearson.

Subs: Daire McDaid for D Dempsey, HT; Eoin Sawyer for D Flynn, 42mins; Eoin Dunne for M Dalton, 59mins; Conor Dunican for C Ryan, 53mins; Cathal Ryan for S O'Toole Greene, 66mins.

Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford).