Derry's late arrival extended beyond the time that the team coach pulled up outside the ground in Newbridge for yesterday's Church and General National Football League Division 1B clash with Kildare. The match was delayed 10 minutes to accommodate the Ulstermen who were delayed en route from Derry.
Derry were also slow to get their concentration right and their fullback line presented Kildare full forward Tadgh Fennin with an easy goal after just 25 seconds. An aimless ball from midfielder Ivan Keatley caused two Derry players to collide while trying to intercept and Fennin raced on to the ball before finishing smartly past goalkeeper Eoin McCloskey.
The opening 10 minutes proved a trying time for the Derry defence. Too often players were out of position which forced colleagues to concede frees. Fennin profited most, his speed creating several problems for Derry full back Sean Marty Lockhart. Kildare led 1-2 to 0-1 at that juncture and appeared set for a profitable afternoon.
However, Lockhart's recovery epitomised Derry's. He quickly reduced Fennin to a peripheral role with a commanding display and his ability to steady those around him allied to the work ethic of the defence in general made the visitors less fragile at the back.
Their recovery was all the more improbable given that Derry's full-forward line was totally eclipsed, rendered toothless and ineffective by the excellent performances of corner backs Brian Lacey and Derek Maher. It is somewhat ironic that Kildare conceded two soft goals, the first after 17 minutes when left corner forward Stephen McLarnon contested Johnny McBride's cross with Lacey and goalkeeper Enda Murphy.
The three players in question collided and the ball fell against McLarnon's foot and trickled over the line. The corner forward also grabbed his side's second goal seven minutes later. A long hopeful ball from McBride caused palpitations in the Kildare defence, the ball striking full back Ronan Quinn on the back of the head and falling to McLarnon. He wriggled free and beat Murphy with a low shot from 10 yards.
It epitomised Derry's tenacity in a highly entertaining tussle. The quality of football might not have been very high at times but no one could fault the passion and commitment of both teams.
Another central figure in yesterday's contest was referee Brian White, a late replacement for Cork's Mick Collins. He and his officials did little to endear themselves to the home support with several contentious decisions going the way of the visitors. However, few Kildare fans were baying for his head when he awarded the home side a free three minutes into injury time at the end of the game.
Karl O'Dwyer's superbly struck effort from close to the left touchline sailed between the posts to guarantee Kildare a draw that they certainly merited. Derry manager Eamonn Coleman questioned White's decision to award a free. "I thought it should have been a free out. Sean Marty couldn't play the ball because his opponents went down on top of him."
His counterpart Mick O'Dwyer saw it differently. "I felt justice was done, Karl took it very well. A lot of decisions went against us during the game but I have to pay tribute to our fighting spirit."
Kildare should never have found themselves in that position. Despite allowing Derry to get on level terms at the interval the home side enjoyed several gilt-edged opportunities to put away their opponents in the final quarter but spurned them through bad finishing.
Derry were reduced to long-range shooting because of the ineffectiveness of their full-forward line and this largely explains why they shot seven second-half wides to their opponents' three. Of the two managers, O'Dwyer is probably the happier given the performance of his young team - substitute Ronan Sweeney made an outstanding contribution - without several established stars.
But for Coleman there is the consolation of a long trip home buoyed by a hard earned point.
KILDARE: E Murphy; B Lacey, R Quinn, D Maher; D Hughes, G Ryan, M Wright; P Winders, I Keatley; C O'Reilly, K O'Dwyer (0-2, 1 free), J Doyle (0-2, 1 free); T Rossiter (0-3), T Fennin (1-3, 2 frees), M Milham. Subs: R Sweeney for Milham (35 mins), A McHugh for Keatley (63 mins), K Brophy for Doyle (69 mins).
DERRY: E McCloskey; R Dougan, SM Lockhart, K McKeever; P McFlynn, G Coleman (capt), R Lynch; D Heaney (0-1), M McIvor; B Gillis, H Downey, J McBride; P Bradley (0-2, 1 free), R Rocks (0-2, 1 free), S McLarnon (2-1). Subs: J Niblock (0-1) for McIvor (half-time), G Cassidy for Dougan (48 mins), M Quinn for Bradley (69 mins).
Referee: B White (Wexford).
