Derry Ladies hosted Leitrim at Faughanvale. Pic by Kerrie Quinn, nwpresspics
Derry 0-8
Leitrim 8-9
It was a humbling experience for Derry Ladies at Faughanvale on Sunday as they were swept away by a far superior Leitrim side.
A fierce and biting wind whipped around John McLaughlin Park throughout this game, which didn’t help either team, but there was no doubting who was the better team regardless with the final score-line not flattering Leitrim, who had this game won in the first 10 minutes.
DD McCaffrey and Paddy O’Brien have taken over the helm this season and if they hadn’t already, they will now know the size of the task that lies ahead of them. The new management team could take plenty of positives rom the opening game against Carlow at Celtic Park two weeks ago, a game which their team could well have got something out of, and how significant that missed opportunity looks now, with defeats to Limerick and Leitrim following. Missing some key players at Limerick last week, Derry were again without some big hitters, such as Steelstown’s Orla McGeough, who could well have added some experience and composure to the Derry attack.
If the new management team can take anything from this game, it’s that their team never stopped, despite knowing that the game was up, even before the half time whistle went. There were periods in this game when Derry pulled a series of scores together, suggesting that they were not there just to be beaten, with those most experienced players such as Aoife McGough, Emma Doherty and Megan Devine trying to lift everyone with their energy and competitiveness, which, as Ulster champions with Steelstown, they exhibit in every game. In the bigger picture, Steelstown’s and Lavey’s Ulster champions can be the nucleus around which McCaffrey and O’Brien build the future of this team, but there is a long way to go and there will be even more difficult days ahead.
The first lesson going forward is to ensure that Derry do not get blitzed out of a game in the first 10 minutes, which is exactly what happened here. Leitrim, the only team in the Division with a 100% record, were off and running quickly, and they thoroughly dominated those opening minutes to leave Derry in no doubt that they were a level below.
Derry were pinned back in the opening minutes and Leitrim were already three points ahead, with two from Aibhe Clancy and one from Leah Fox before the first goal arrived, Clancy’s effort unable to be kept out by goalkeeper Ellie Conway.
Still adjusting to that devastating start, Derry were then caught out with two goals in as many minutes as Michelle Guckian and Vivienne Egan both found the net, and the game had not reached the 10-minute mark with the score 0-0, 3-3.
Derry rallied and got on the scire board at last when Anna Martin split the posts before Doherty scored the first of several frees.
Fox resumed the scoring for the visitors, before Derry started really getting a grip on the game for the first time, a promising period which resulted in another free from Doherty. At this stage, Leitrim had been reduced to just one score in 15 minutes.
On 25 minutes there was a great chance for a Derry goal when Cara Donnelly brilliantly plucked the ball out of the air from Doherty’s pass, and skillfully turned to put herself through one-on-one against goalkeeper Michaelle Monaghan. But she sliced her effort at the crucial moment and the chance had gone.
Leitrim then went down the other end and showed just how to be ruthless with two goals in a minute. Fox scoring them both, drilling home before taking the ball around Conway to score her second. That left a 5-goal, 15-point difference between the teams at the break.
Half Time 0-4, 5-4
It didn’t get much better for Derry in the second half and as the weather worsened, so to did the scoreline, Fox, Clancy and Elise Bruen all scoring before ox completed her hat trick to make it 0-4, 5-7 on 38 minutes.
Derry responded well again, registering three successive scores for the first and only time when Erin Doherty, who never stopped, getting just reward, and the accurate and calm Doherty sending over two further frees.
Sarah Reynolds and substitute Dara McKeever traded scores but Leitrim still had plenty to offer in the closing stages with Clancy and Siomha Quinn both finding the net to put an utterly emphatic look on the result.
Teams and Scorers
Derry: 1 Ellie Conway, 2 Ciara McColgan, 3 Aoife McGough, 4 Joanne Corr, 5 Annie Crozier, 10 Ciara McGurk, 6 Megan Devine, 7 Sarah Heron, 8 Ciara Scullion, 9 Blaithin Donnelly, 11 Emma Doherty (0-4, 4f), 12 Anna Martin (0-1), 13 Erin Doherty (0-1), 14 Cara Donnelly (0-1), 15 Clodagh Moore.
Subs: Dara McKeever (0-1) for Ciara McGurk HT’, Annie NiLochlainn for Ciara Scullion 37’, Leah Boyce for Anna Martin 40.
Leitrim: 1 Michelle Monaghan, 2 Eimear McHugh, 3 Charlene Tyrell, 4 Clare Owens, 5 Sarah Reynolds (0-1), 6 Kasey Bruen, 7 Orla Flynn, 8 Niamh Tighe, 9 Aisling Quinn, 10 Vivienne Egan (1-0), 11 Michelle Guckian (1-1), 12 Siomha Quinn (1-0), 13 Aibhe Clancy (1-3), 14 Leah Fox (4-3), 15 Elise Bruen (0-1).
Subs: Lauryn McKeon for Orla Flynn 39’, Eabha Moyles for Sarah Reynolds 47’, Edel Shanley for Eimear Quigley 47’, Eimear McHugh for Aibhe Clancy 48’.
Referee: Brendan Rice.
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