Lynch and Kielt point the way for Derry victory

Westmeath 1-7

FOR the past decade it was Paddy Bradley who inevitably led the way in when it came to scoring in the Derry attack but in his absence new leaders have emerged

At rain lashed Cusick Park, Mullingar on Saturday, it was Mark Lynch and James Kielt who led the way for a battling Derry side that overcame all kinds of misfortune to make it through to the third round of the Qualifiers.

They lost captain Gerard O’Kane with a knee injury after seventeen minutes and he had been hurt earlier but struggled on for a period, then had Joe Diver who was excellent at midfield sent off midway through the second but they held on to record an encouraging win.

With Sligo referee Michael Duffy giving frees for very little and dishing out thirteen yellow cards eight of them to Derry, it was a stop start affair but there was no lack of excitement, goal mouth action and effort from both teams.

The free taking of Mark Lynch and James Kielt lit up the game; from distances as far as fifty metres they found the target and also contributed handsomely in other aspects of the game.

The defence stuck grimly to their task with Brian Og McAlary and Charlie Kielt in fine form. Eoin Bradley managed two points despite being tightly marked and it was his superb effort in injury time that ensured that Derry would advance.

Joe Diver and Enda Muldoon did some fine work in the middle of the field and it was Muldoon’s sublime passing that set up some important scores.

Westmeath opened the scoring with a second minute Dessie Dolan point but Derry quickly levelled with a Mark Lynch free after Cathal McKeever was fouled. In the fifth minute Joe Diver set up Eoin Bradley for the lead appoint.

As the rain lashed down Paul Bannon with a long range effort brought the teams level but Derry quickly regained the lead with a superb James Kielt point for a foul on Mark Lynch.

By the fourteenth minute referee Duffy had flashed two yellow cards each to the teams. Then with captain O’Kane having to leave the field injured Declan Mullan came on with Barry McGoldrick moving to centre half. After Dessie Dolan had made it 0-3 each from a free both Muldoon and Kielt missed Derry chances.

After 21 minutes Dolan gave Westmeath the lead again but within a minute Lynch screwed over a fine score for Derry despite being closely marked. It was all Derry now as Kielt landed a mighty free and the rampaging Lynch added another from play.

Three minutes from the interval Derry now in complete control opened up a four point gap as Lynch from a free hit the Oak Leaf men’s fifth successive score.

Another lung bursting run from Lynch saw keeper Connaughton save his parting shot. At the end of the half a long range shot from David Duffy reduced the margin and Derry went in at the break leading by 0-8 to 0-5 but on the balance of play that lead should have been a lot more.

At the start of the second period Derry took a firm grip on the game and Mark Lynch extended their lead with a pointed free, a bad foul on Eoin Bradley saw Michael Ennis booked and Kielt with a brilliant effort opening up a five point gap.

It was all going swimmingly for the visitors when Joe Diver set up Raymond Wilkinson for a fine score and with a 0-11 to 0-5 lead Derry looked home and hosed but there was to be a twist in the tail.

Thirteen minutes into the half veteran sub Martin Flanagan got his fist to a ball in the goalmouth and punched it to the net and the gap was back to three. Flanaga then missed a ’45 just before big Joe Diver picked up a second yellow and with eighteen minutes left Derry were down to fourteen men.

A quick switch brought Sean Leo McGoldrick in for the tiring Cathal McKeever but it was all hands to the pump when Dessie Dolan cut the gap to two.

Derry showed spirit with a mammoth Kielt free but urged on by the big home support Westmeath attacked in waves and the Derry were on overtime as they blocked and harried the opposition. With ten minutes on the clock Dessie Dolan sent over from play and again it was a two point game.

A great block by Brian Og McAlary prevented a Westmeath goal and with time running out Eoin Bradley got the all important point that kept Derry in the championship.

Derry scorers: James Kielt 0-5, 0-4frees, Mark Lynch 0-5, 0-3frees, Eoin Bradley 0-2 and Raymond Wilkinson 0-1

Westmeath scorers: Dessie Dolan 0-4, 0-2frees, Martin Flanagan 1-0, Dermot Duffy, Paul Bannon and Michael Ennis 0-1 each.

Derry: Barry Gillis, Brian Og McAlary, Kevin McGuckin, Dermot McBride, Mark Craig, Gerard O’Kane, Charlie Kielt, Enda Muldoon, Joe Diver, Cathal McKeever, James Kielt, Barry McGoldrick, Eoin Bradley, Mark Lynch, Raymond Wilkinson. Subs Sean Leo McGoldrick for C. McKeever, Declan Mullan for G. O’Kane and Barry McGuigan for D. Mullan.

Westmeath: G. Connaughton, F. Boyle, J. Gaffey, K. Maguire, M. Ennis, J. Keane, D. Harte, D Duffy, P. Bannon, K. Martin, C. Lynam, G. Egan, P. Greville, D. Dolan, D. Glennon. Subs M. Flanagan for C. Lynam, D. O’Donaghue for K. Maguire and I. Coffey for G. Egan.

Referee Michael Duffy Sligo.