Derry disappointed at Brewster Park

The winners outscored Derry 1-02 to 0-02 between the 16th and 32nd minutes to lead 1-05 to 0-03 at half time and then added four unanswered points to lead 1-09 to 0-03 ten minutes into the second period.

James Kielt enjoyed a productive spell during the next ten minutes in the middle third and with the outstanding Conor Nevin punching holes in the Donegal defence down the right, four pointed frees from Kielt offered Derry a glimmer of hope at 1-10 to 0-07 after 17 minutes of the second period.

Five minutes later Derry had a great goal chance to halve the lead but Donegal keeper Peter Boyle denied Benny Herron from close range to effectively end Derry's hopes of justifying their odds-on favourites tag.

Derry did cut the lead to four points after that save but Kielt's sixth point from a free in added time merely put a more healthy gloss on what was a thoroughly disappointing performance.

Derry manager Damian Cassidy agreed that it was a disappointing result.

"No doubt about it. The game was lost in the first half, especially in the middle third of the pitch where we couldn't win breaking ball. We were cleaned-out eight balls to three in that first half," admitted Cassidy.

"Apart from that, there was no industry in the team, that running, that hard running that breaks down the way they set up their defensive system. We knew the way they were going to play as a team. We had worked in our training in terms of the way we were going to do that. It required players timing their runs, making moves to support those runs to break through tackles and break up the way their defence was set.

"In the first half the team didn't play, they simply didn't turn up."

Donegal appeared to be the more physically strong side at crucial times in the opening half, something the Derry boss conceded.

"There's that aspect to it but we got the better of affairs in the second half because of the way we took the game on. That's what we didn't do in the first half and that's the disappointing thing about the game. We didn't perform the way we should have."

However Cassidy refused to accept the assessment that Derry didn't use the extra man to their own advantage. "That's debatable. We were seven points down, pulled it back to four and had the goal chance. I don't' agree with that at all. I think we did use it. We dominated for a big part of the second half because of the extra man. We had chances to get something out of the game. The goal chance was on and we didn't take it. They took their goal chance and that's what essentially separated us at the end of the day."

Whatever way you look at this game, the reality is that there were few Derry players whose performance was of a consistently high quality.

The Donegal scorers were Daniel McLaughlin 1-02, Dermot Molloy 0-03 frees, Michael Murphy 0-02 frees, Leo McLoone 0-02, James Carroll and Declan Walsh 0-01 each

The Derry scorers were James Kielt 0-06 frees, Lee Moore 0-02, 0-01 free, Declan Bell and Aaron Kerrigan 0-01 each

Donegal: Peter Boyle; Eamon Doherty, Ciaran Boyle, Paddy McGrath; Declan Walsh Peter McGee, Danny Curran; Kevin Mulhern, Connor Classen; Mark McHugh, Michael Murphy, Dermot Molloy; James Carroll, Leo McLoone, Daniel McLaughlin

(Subs) Antoin McFadden for James Carroll, H-T; Ciaran McGinley for Daniel McLaughlin 56 mins; Thomas McKinley for Danny Curran 57 mins

Derry: Andrew Warnock; Declan Bell, Chris Lagan, Oisin Duffy; Conor Nevin, Brain Doyle, Brian McCallion; Benny Heron, Caolan O'Boyle; Brendan Henry, James Kielt, Emmett McGuckin; Aaron Kerrigan, Lee Moore, Lee Kennedy

(Subs)Stephen Cleary for Brendan Henry, 29 mins; Declan Mullan for Stephen Cleary 39 min; Colm McGoldrick for Lee Kennedy 40 min; Ciaran McFeely for Chris Lagan 51 mins; Paul Dillon for Caolan O'Boyle 55 mins

Referee: Leo Smyth (Down)