Derry 2-16, Antrim 0-7
Poor old Antrim!
Despite new management and a number of new faces on the team they began their Dr McKenna Cup campaign in a a fashion similar to how they ended last season.
Relegated back to Division four in the National Football League and without any success in the championship manage Mark Doran looks to have a massive task on his plate.
It may still be very early days and pre season McKenna cup stuff but winning games is absolutely essential to build up confidence, something in very short supply in the camp.
When they went in at the interval just two points in arrears in this McKenna Cup section C opener against Derry at Owenbeg, things looked promising for Doran’s new team, but all was to change in the second period when they failed to score during the entire second half.
Derry, on the other hand and despite not scoring until 13 minutes in, took full advantage of Antrim’s scoring woes to race to an emphatic 15 point thumping.
The ironic thing was that Antrim had plenty of chances during the third quarter, four of them in the five minutes after the break but none of them were turned into scores.
In fairness, those chances all turned out to be from awkward positions on the wing while Derry took the direct route more often than not and as the Saffrons defence tired their chances came thick and fast.
When the home side eventually broke their second half duck after a considerable period of drought with a Loughlin Murray point the scores began to flow and after right half back Shea Downey fisted over from close range Paul Cassidy fired home the first goal of the game after good movement straight through the middle.
Four more points followed in the next ten minutes before goal number two came in injury time following an unfortunate slip by the Saffrons 'keeper John McNabb.
Derry started the game in a much more positive fashion and were three points clear after five minutes with two them from Loughlin Murray and one from Conor Doherty.
The omens were worrying for Antrim at this stage but an excellent point from play from Marc Jordan and one from a Pat Shivers free got them going as they closed the gap to the minimum by the eighth minute.
However, the Oak Leaf side went straight up the field from the kick-out and after a series of good moves Niall Loughlin got through to fire over a point to put two between the sides again, but Paddy McBride came back with one for the Saffrons to close the gap to 0-4 to 0-3.
A brilliantly take two pointer from Paul Cassidy made it double scores for the home side and it looked like they were taking control.
The visitors dug-in and points from Dominic McEnhill and Pat Shivers frees kept the gap at two.
Further Derry points from Mark Doherty and Ethan Doherty in the 26th and 28th minutes stretched the Derry lead to four again, but the Saffrons finished the half on a high when goalkeeper McNabb swung over a two pointer to leave just two between the sides at the short whistle.
Derry: R Scullion; C McCluskey 0-1, P McGrogan 0-1, D Baker; S Downey 0-1, G McKinless, M Doherty 0-1; C Doherty 0-1, P Cassidy 1-2 (1tp); J Doherty, M Downey, E Doherty 0-1; N Toner 0-1, N Loughlin 0-1, L Murray 0-3.
Replacements: C McAteer 0-1 for Downey , S Kearney 0-2 for J Loughlin , S Young for J Doherty , R O Mianain 1-0 for S Downey , R Mulholland for Baker (52), D Baker for McCluskey
Antrim: J McNabb 0-2 ; J Morgan, K McCann, J McAuley; G O’Neill, E McCabe, M Jordan 0-1; J Carron, P Finnegan; P McBride 0-1, C Small, T McFerran; P Shivers 0-2, D McEnhill 0-1 , A McErlain.
Replacements: S O’Neill for Morgan , O Doherty for McFerran , T McCann for Small , T Shivers for McErlain , R Hagan for G O’Neill , P Bradley for McEnhill , K Small for Carron
Referee: E Mallon (Armagh)
