Cork footballers suffer promotion setback after 20-point loss away to Derry

Derry: 1-31 (1-2-27) 

Cork: 0-14 (0-2-10) 

Derry produced a strong second-half showing to power past Cork by 20 points in the Allianz Division 2 Football League at Find Insurance Celtic Park on Sunday afternoon.

The promotion battle is heating up as a result of this deserved win for the Oakleafers.

Derry, Meath and Cork are tied on eight points with two games remaining There can be no complaints about the result of this one. Derry led by four points at the short whistle despite playing against the wind.

There was an over reliance on Steven Sherlock to get the scores for Cork and they just didn’t have enough about them in the second half to reel in their opposition. Instead, it went the other way in what was an outstanding Derry display.

This is a reality check for the Rebels, which is no bad thing.

There was one change to the Cork team that was announced on Friday night. Conor Corbett started for the first time in a competitive game this season instead of Mark Cronin.

The Rebels had a strong enough wind advantage in the opening 35 minutes and made a strong start as they led 0-3 to 0-1 after three minutes with Sherlock getting the last of those scores with a monster two-point effort.

The same player tacked over a 45, as John Cleary’s side settled well albeit wind-assisted.

Patient play from Derry resulted in a pair of points from Shane McGuigan in what was an entertaining opening, 0-4 to 0-3 after 11 minutes.

The sides swapped white flags until Colm O’Callaghan popped over his second point to push Cork two points clear.

It was end-to-end, Derry cut the deficit to one thanks to goalkeeper Shea McGuckin from a 45 before Pádraig McGrogan’s half volley went narrowly wide in what was a decent goal chance.

Cork went down the other end, but Seán McDonnell was unable to beat McGuckin. In what was a flurry of goal chances in a few minutes, McGuigan couldn’t believe he didn’t bag a goal after an incredible reflex save from Cork netminder Micheál Aodh Martin to deny the forward.

It was crucial when Sherlock slotted over his second orange flag, 0-8 to 0-5 after 21 minutes.

Derry hit two of the next three points with Conor Glass’s effort the highlight.

The Oakleafers were getting a grip in midfield helping them to put together three unanswered points to lead for the first time five minutes to the interval. Lachlan Murray with two white flags and a Niall Loughlin effort.

A vital score arrived on the stroke of the break when Glass set up Murray and the latter made no mistake as he billowed the back of the net, 1-10 to 0-9 at half-time.

The teams exchanged points on the resumption as Derry now had the wind at their backs.

They pushed six points clear when Loughlin and McGuigan pointed.

Cork were struggling to eat into the deficit that was widening as time progressed. Derry tacked on three points on the trot to lead 1-16 to 0-10 after 44 minutes.

Loughlin then landed a two-pointer followed by Niall Toner and Ethan Doherty efforts.

Dara Sheedy got Cork’s first score of the half with a neat point after 47 minutes, but it was a long way back now for the Rebels.

The Ulster outfit were dominant as they kicked four of the next five points with sub Darragh Cashman registering Cork’s score, 1-24 to 0-12 with 16 minutes left.

The Leesiders never gave up to their credit, Sherlock and Cashman pointed, but it was one of those days for Cork when very little went right.

McGuigan slotted over a white flag and an orange flag as Derry went 16 points clear, 1-27 to 0-14 with ten minutes remaining.

Derry kicked the last four points to win by 20 points.

Scorers for Derry: S McGuigan 0-9 (1 2pt, 0-2 f), L Murray 1-4, P Cassidy, N Loughlin (1 2pt) 0-4 each, E Doherty, N Toner 0-2 each, S McGuckin (45), C Glass, S Kearney, P McGrogan, D Higgins, C Doherty 0-1 each.

Cork: S Sherlock 0-6 (2 2pt, 0-1 45), D Cashman, C O’Callaghan 0-2 each, S Walsh, R Deane, D Sheedy, P Walsh 0-1 each.

DERRY: S McGuckin; D Baker, R Forbes, S Downey; C Doherty, G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Glass (c), B Rogers; E Doherty, N Toner, P Cassidy; L Murray, S McGuigan, M Downey.

Subs: D Higgins for B Rogers (46), S Young for L Murray (52), S Kearney for N Toner (56), M Bradley for D Baker (60), C Higgins for G McKinless (63).

CORK: MA Martin; M Shanley, D O’Mahony (c), S Meehan; M Taylor, R Maguire, L Fahy; C O’Callaghan, S Walsh; P Walsh, D Sheedy, S McDonnell; C Óg Jones, C Corbett, S Sherlock.

Subs: R Deane for P Walsh (h-t), D Buckley for S McDonnell, C O’Mahony for C Corbett (both 46), D Cashman for M Taylor (52), C Cahalane for D Sheedy (65).

Referee: Séamus Mulhare (Laois).