Scoreless second half sinks the Saffrons

Dr McKenna Cup – Section C

Derry 2-16 Antrim 0-07

When Antrim went in at half time just two points in arrears in Wednesday evening’s McKenna Cup opener against Derry at Owenbeg, things looked promising for Mark Doran’s new team, but all was to change in the second period when they failed to raise a single flag and Derry, despite not scoring until the 43^rd minute, took full advantage of Antrim’s scoring woes to race to an emphatic win.

The ironic thing was that Antrim had plenty of chances during the third quarter, four of them in the five minutes after the break but none of them were turned into scores. The Antrim chances all turned out to be from awkward positions on the wing while Derry took the direct route more often than not and as the Saffron’s defence tired the chances came thick and fast.

When the home side eventually broke their second half duck on 43 minutes with a Loughlin Murray point the scores began to flow and after right half back Shea Downey fisted over from close range Paul Cassidy fired home the first goal of the game in the 47^th minute after good movement straight through the middle. Four more followed in the next ten minutes before goal number two came in injury time following an unfortunate slip by goalkeeper John McNabb.

Derry started the game in a more positive fashion and were three points clear after five minutes, two them from Loughlin Murray and one from Conor Doherty. The signs were getting a little worrying for Antrim at this stage but an excellent point from play by Marc Jordan and one from a Pat Shivers free got them going as they closed the gap to the minimum by the eighth minute.

Derry went straight up the field from the kick-out and after a series of good moves Niall Loughlin got through to fire over a point to put two between the sides again, but Paddy McBride came back with one for the Saffrons to close the gap to 0-04 to 0-03.

A brilliant 2pointer from Paul Cassidy made it double scores for the Oak Leaf men and it looked like they were taking control but the visitors dug-in and points from a Dominic McEnhill and Pat Shivers frees kept the gap at two. Points from Mark Doherty and Ethan Doherty in the 26^th and 28^th minutes stretched the Derry lead to four again, but Antrim finished the half on a high when goalkeeper McNabb swung over a 2pointer time to leave just two between the sides at the short whistle.

The Saffrons will take on Donegal in their next game on Sunday in Cargin which will give Mark Doran another chance to run his eye over his squad. The Down man must have been pleased the way they competed in the first half of this game but the second half ask a lot more questions that it answered.

Derry: R Scullion; C McCluskey 0-1, P McGrogan 0-1, D Baker; S Downey 0-1, G McKinless, M Doherty 0-1; C Doherty 0-1, P Cassidy 1-2 (1tp); J Doherty, M Downey, E Doherty 0-1; N Toner 0-1, N Loughlin 0-1, L Murray 0-3. Subs: C McAteer 0-1 for Downey (HT), S Kearney 0-2 for J Loughlin (36), S Young for J Doherty (36), R O Mianain 1-0 for S Downey (48), R Mulholland for Baker (52), D Baker for McCluskey (58)

Antrim: J McNabb 0-2 (1tp); J Morgan, K McCann, J McAuley; G O’Neill, E McCabe, M Jordan 0-1; J Carron, P Finnegan; P McBride 0-1, C Small, T McFerran; P Shivers 0-2, D McEnhill 0-1 (f), A McErlain. Subs: S O’Neill for Morgan (26), O Doherty for McFerran (HT), T McCann for Small (41), T Shivers for McErlain (50), R Hagan for G O’Neill (50), P Bradley for McEnhill (50), K Small for Carron (50)

Referee: E Mallon (Armagh)

Below – Antrim manager Mark Doran