Gaelic Games

Colm O’Neill leads Cork away from danger zone in Derry

Derry must now beat Fermanagh to have any chance of survival in Division Two

Cork forward Colm O’Neill scored 11 points in the win over Derry. Photograph: Lorraine O’Sullivan/Inpho
Cork forward Colm O’Neill scored 11 points in the win over Derry. Photograph: Lorraine O’Sullivan/Inpho
Sun Mar 26 2017 - 19:13

Derry 2-10 Cork 0-20

Colm O’Neill’s 11-point haul backboned Cork’s four-point win over Derry at Celtic Park. The victory eased Cork’s relegation worries while defeated Derry must win at Fermanagh next week.

Ballyclough marksman O’Neill was the sharpest thorn in Derry’s side in the opening half, notching up six points to edge Cork ahead 0-10 to 1-6 at the break. Danny Tallon goaled in both halves but in truth Derry never really looked like winning this one against a hungrier looking Rebel side.

Indeed, O’Neill added a further five points after the interval as both himself and Paul Kerrigan found their scoring range with consummate ease to guide Peadar Healy’s men home.

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Slaughtneil’s Chrissy McKaigue marked his Derry return with the opening score of the game, but within minutes of that Cork raced to 0-4 to 0-1 lead. McKaigue led the Derry fightback with a second score and when Danny Tallon rattled the back of the net it handed the home side the lead in the 30th minute.

The Oakleafers will have rued as many as nine second half wides as their much more clinical opponents made them pay. A second Danny Tallon goal in the 51st minutes offered hope, but the Rebels snuffed out any late resistance with a further flurry of points late in the game.

DERRY: Thomas Mallon; Jason Rocks, Brendan Rogers, Niall Keenan; Neil Forester (0-1), Christopher McKaigue (0-2), Mark Craig; Carlus McWilliams, James Kielt; Enda Lynn (0-2), Emmett McGuckin, Danny Heavron; Danny Tallon (2-1), Niall Loughlin (0-1), Benny Herron (0-2, two frees).

Subs: Ciaran Mullan for J Rocks (27 mins), Michael McEvoy for C Mullan (33 mins), Danny Heavron for M Craig (44 mins), Mark Lynch (0-1) for E McGuckin (50 mins).

CORK: Ken O'Halloran; Michael Shields, Tom Clancy, Kevin Crowley; Tomas Clancy, James Loughery, Stephen Cronin; Ian Maguire, Ruairi Deane; John O'Rourke (0-1), Mark Collins (0-2), Kevin O'Driscoll; Colm O'Neill (0-11, seven frees), Peter Kelleher, Paul Kerrigan (0-5).

Subs: Colm O'Driscoll for T Clancy (h/t), Donncha O'Connor for P Kelleher (45 mins), Barry O'Driscoll (0-1) for J O'Rourke (57 mins), Donal Óg Hodnett for M Collins (60 mins), John McLoughlin for S Cronin (63 mins).

Referee: Marty Duffy (Sligo).