Sport

Rocks solid as Derry lay strong foundation

Derry - 1-14 Clare - 1-10: On their first outing in this year's National Football League, Derry managed a deserved victory over…

Mon Feb 10 2003 - 00:00

Derry - 1-14 Clare - 1-10:On their first outing in this year's National Football League, Derry managed a deserved victory over Clare in this Division Two B game at Cusack Park, Ennis, yesterday.

A goal by substitute Jim Kelly 15 minutes from the end paved the way for this victory on a day when Clare found it hard to come to terms with a dominant Derry midfield and a strong and penetrative half-forward line.

The visitors controlled matters for most of the opening 25 minutes, but allowed Clare back into the game before the break.

Derry's centrefield pairing of Enda Muldoon and Fergal Doherty dominated while centre forward Ronan Rocks was deadly accurate from free kicks as well as play early on.

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But three good Clare scores before the break reduced Derry's lead to 0-7 to 0-5 at half-time.

Seven minutes after the restart a goal by Stephen Hickey gave Clare a two-point lead and when substitute Peadar McMahon added a point midway through the half the small partisan crowd sensed a Clare victory.

But Derry fought back and when Kelly's goal put them in front again by 1-10 to 1-8 with a quarter of an hour remaining, the writing was on the wall for Clare.

Any chance of a reversal of fortune was wiped out with the dismissal of centre forward Paul Hehir for a second bookable offence. Derry took advantage of the extra man and effectively snuffed out the Clare challenge with some good points at the end of an entertaining contest.

DERRY: S McGuckian; R Lynch, K McCloy, K Doherty; P O'Kane, P McFlynn, G Doherty; E Muldoon (capt), F Doherty; F Glackin (0-1), R Rocks (0-8, 5 frees), D Conway (0-1); P Bradley (0-3, 1 free), D Dougan, G McGonigle. Subs: S M Lockhart for Lynch, J Kelly (1-1) for McGonigle.

CLARE: D O'Brien; C Whelan, D O'Sullivan (capt), D Blake; D Heddigan, N Griffin, M O'Connell (0-1); G Quinlan (0-1), D Russell; D O'Driscoll (0-2), P Hehir, A Clohessy; O O'Dwyer (0-1), S Hickey (1-3, 2 frees), J Enright. Subs: B Considine for Griffin, P McMahon (0-2) for Clohessy, J Considine for Quinlan, K Nugent for O'Sullivan inj.

Referee: G Haugh (Limerick).