Derry overcome Bradley dismissal

GAELIC GAMES/Derry 0-11 Sligo 0-8:DERRY OVERCAME the elements and the loss of the influential Eoin Bradley to a red card to carve out a deserved win over Sligo in this Division Two game at a wet Markievicz Park yesterday.

Derry were reduced to 14 players after 25 minutes when right-corner forward Bradley was red carded for what appeared to be an innocuous enough challenge on Sligo full-back Neil Ewing. Derry were two points up thanks to Enda Muldoon and Paddy Bradley after as many minutes at the start of the first half before Sligo right-half back David Rooney pointed in the third minute. Paddy Bradley’s three unanswered points, two from frees, gave Derry a 0-7 to 0-3 half-time lead.

Bradley, full-back Kevin McCloy and goalkeeper Danny Devlin were impressive for the Ulster side with Bradley finishing the game with seven points. They started the second half as they had the first with Martin Donaghy and Bradley points. Adrian Marren got Sligo off the mark from a free in the 40th minute and further points by Marren and Mark Breheny reduced the deficit to three after 49 minutes. A Paddy Bradley point from a free and a wonderful score by midfielder PJ McCloskey sealed victory for the McKenna Cup champions.

Derry boss John Brennan was delighted with a “gutsy and intelligent performance”, while Sligo coach Kevin Walsh said his team made too many handling errors.

DERRY: D Devlin; C Mullan, K McCloy, D McBride; C Kielt, J O’Kane, A McAlynn; PJ McCloskey (0-1), M Friel; C McGoldrick, SL McGoldrick, M Donaghy (0-2); E Bradley, P Bradley (0-7, 0-3 frees), E Muldoon (0-1). Subs: D Mullan for Friel (58 mins), E McGuckian for C McGoldrick (66 mins), B McGoldrick for SL McGoldrick (72 mins).

SLIGO: J Farrell; C Harrison, N Ewing, R Donovan; D Rooney (0-1), M Quinn, P McGovern; T Taylor, S Davey; B Curran, M Breheny (0-2, 0-1 free), K Sweeney; A Marren (0-5, 0-4 frees), E O’Hara, K Sweeney. Subs: K Cawley for M Quinn (40 mins), P Hughes for Curran (58 mins), S Gilmartin for Sweeney (66 mins), D Maye for Breheny (72 mins).

Referee: R O’Donnell (Donegal).