Allianz Football League Division 2

DOWN 1-15 DERRY 1-7

By Stephen Doherty at Celtic Park

Down are at it again. The men from the Mournes backed up last week’s impressive win over Meath win an even more emphatic victory over Derry at Celtic Park.

Eamon Burns’ side were full value for their eight point win over a disappointing home side as Down’s forwards enjoyed a field day at Celtic Park with Darragh O’Hanlon, Ryan Johnston and Barry O’Hagan all weighing in heavily with scores.

Down blitzed Derry early on, and Damian Barton’s side never really recovered from that opening salvo. Conor Maginn’s 25th minute point handed Down a hugely unexpected 1-10 to 0-0 lead. It was no more than Eamon Burns’ side deserved.

Buoyed by last week’s long awaited success over Meath, the Mourne men played throughout the first half with new found confidence, producing a brand of slick football that Derry simply couldn’t handle. Ryan Johnston’s goal after 20 minutes typified their play and everything that was good about Down. An early ball fizzed into livewire Barry O’Hagan who won possession and fed the on-running Johnston. The Kilcoo man blazed a rapid trail to the Derry goal and drilled the ball past Thomas Mallon.

Caolan Mooney was also highly influential for the winners in the opening phases of the game too, bursting forward to convert Down’s second and third points of a very one-sided opening quarter. Barry O’Hagan was even better. The Clonduff marksman was simply unplayable with few Derry defenders able to lay a glove on him as he zipped one way then the next before dissecting the posts at regular intervals.

Derry flickered brightly just before half-time with Emmett McGuckin bagging his second goal in as many weeks, and captain Enda Lynn leading by example, but Down  were 1-11 to 1-3 up at the break.

Back to back O’Hanlon frees extended the Down lead to 10 points after the restart as the men in black and red shut and bolted the door on their opponents.

Down’s sizeable lead was always enough to ward off any thoughts Derry may have harboured for a fight back in the second half, as the Mourne men ran out comfortable winners. The winners face Kildare next with promotion very much now in their sights.

The losers have a fortnight to right a number of wrongs before a daunting visit to Tuam Stadium to face Galway.

Scorers for  Down: Darragh O’Hanlon 0-6 (1f), Ryan Johnston 1-1, Barry O’Hagan and Caolan Mooney 0-3 each, Joe Murphy and Conor Maginn 0-1 each.

Scorers for Derry: Emmett McGuckin 1-2, Conor McAtamney 0-2, Benny Heron, Mark Craig and James Kielt (f) 0-1 each.

DOWN: Michael Cunningham; Ryan McAleenan, Gerard McGovern, Darren O’Hagan; Darragh O’Hanlon, Brendan McArdle, Caolan Mooney; Aidan Carr, Peter Turley; Kevin McKernan, Conor Maginn, Joe Murphy; Shay Millar, Barry O’Hagan, Ryan Johnston.

Subs: Niall Donnelly for G McGovern (HT), Jerome Johnston for B O’Hagan (65), Alan Davidson for Johnston, Paul Devlin for J Murphy, Mark Poland for S Millar (70), Cathal Magee for C Maginn (70).

DERRY: Thomas Mallon; Niall Keenan, Conor Nevin, Conor McGrogan; Neil Forester, Oisin Duffin, Michael McEvoy; James Kielt, Conor McAtamney; Enda Lynn, Emmett McGuckin, Carlus McWilliams; Ryan Bell, Niall Loughlin, Benny Heron.

Subs: Barry Grant for R Bell (39), Mark Craig for O Duffin (49), Gavin O’Neill for C Nevin (55), Ciaran Mullan for C McCrogan (63).

REFEREE: Paddy Neilan (Roscommon).