Derry's run stopped in its tracks

ALLIANZ FOOTBALL LEAGUE DIVISION TWO Laois 1-21 Derry 1-7:LAOIS' DOMINANCE at midfield provided the platform for a hammering of Derry at Celtic Park yesterday afternoon.

Pádraig Clancy was a late change to the O’Moore men’s starting line-up and the midfielder’s presence proved too much for Derry’s rookie midfield of PJ McCloskey and Niall Holly.

Fed with an abundance of possession, the Laois attack put on a display of scoring prowess, pointing almost at will, particularly in the second half when the game turned into a rout following the dismissal of Derry wing forward Declan Mullan.

Derry managed to stay with the Leinster side for about 20 minutes with points from Conleth Gilligan (two), James Kielt and Paddy Bradley in response to scores from Daithi Carroll (two), Billy Sheehan and Ross Munnelly (two) seeing Laois lead 0-5 to 0-4.

But once Laois opened up the Derry defence for Paul Cahillane to slot past Mickey Conlan for the game’s only goal, the visitors dominated to the finish. By the interval the game was already slipping beyond Derry as Munnelly, MJ Tierney (two) and Shane Julian made it 1-9 to 0-4.

A fightback always looked unlikely, but any chance of a reversal of fortune was killed off between the 39th and 41st minutes when Paddy Bradley clipped the top of the bar with a Derry penalty and Mullan saw his second yellow.

DERRY: M Conlan; B McCallion, Kevin McCloy, D McBride; C Kielt, B McGoldrick, G OKane; PJ McCloskey, N Holly; J Kielt (0-1), S L McGoldrick, D Mullan; C McGoldrick, P Bradley (1-3, 0-1 free, 0-1 pen), C Gilligan (0-2, 0-1 free). Subs: C Mullan for B McGoldrick (blood, 13-17 mins); J Conway for N Holly (22); C OBoyle for J Kielt (29 mins); Eoin Bradley (0-1) for SL McGoldrick (39); Emmett McGuckin for C McGoldrick (50); M Donaghy for Gilligan (61).

LAOIS: M Nolan; R Kehoe, K Meaney, D Booth; D Strong (0-3), S Julian (0-1), C Boyle (0-1); P Clancy, P Cahillane (1-0); C Begley (0-1) D Carrolll (0-3, 0-2 frees), Niall Dooher (0-1); R Munnelly (0-4), B Sheehin (0-2), MJ Tierney (0-5, 0-3 frees). Subs: G Kavanagh for P Cahilane (48 mins); C Coss for P Clancy (61 mins); C Healy for R Kehoe, D Brennan for Munnelly (both 65)

Referee: Martin Higgins(Fermanagh).