Derry dig deep to win in Kildare

FULL-TIME: Kildare 1-18 v 3-15 Derry

Football League Division 2 | St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge | Saturday, February 14

On a wintry night in Newbridge, Derry produced a resilient performance to come from behind and claim a dramatic Division 2 victory over Kildare.

This was Round 3, and Derry arrived looking to build on the win over Tyrone last time out. What followed was incident-packed, chaotic at times, and ultimately defined by a superb second-half display that showcased belief and composure in equal measure.

With the wind at their backs in the first half, Derry started sharply. Shane McGuigan opened the scoring inside a minute from distance before Conor Doherty followed with a two-pointer to give the Oak Leafers a 0-3 to 0-0 lead almost immediately. The platform looked strong.

Then the night turned on its head.

Six minutes in, referee David Gough showed Conor Glass a red card. Suddenly Derry were down to fourteen men. Kildare sensed the shift and levelled through Ben Loakman, but Derry responded with intent. McGuigan curled over a superb two-pointer from the sideline and then struck for goal, with a low, hard finish into the corner, to push Derry 1-6 to 0-5 clear.

Even with a man down, Derry were bold.

The drama wasn’t done however. Niall Loughlin was shown a black card on 23 minutes, reducing Derry to thirteen. Moments later, Conor Doherty was also black carded in an incident that saw Alex Beirne dismissed for Kildare. For a spell, Derry were down to twelve players.

The snow began to fall.

Kildare capitalised. Just before the break a Lilywhites free dropped dangerously into the square and found the net. At half-time, Derry trailed 1-10 to 1-6. Given the numbers and the chaos, it felt like the game had slipped.

But within minutes of the restart, Paul Cassidy rifled a superb goal to ignite Derry’s challenge. Almost immediately, Niall Loughlin forced home another, flipping the entire mood of the game in less than two minutes.

From four down at the break, momentum had suddenly swung.

Shea McGuckin added a long-range 45 as both sides settled back into fourteen-a-side football. Derry were suddenly brimming with belief.

Kildare refused to fold. Two two-pointers from Loakman hauled them back into contention and by the 49-minute mark just a point separated the sides. It was breathless stuff, played in snow and biting cold.

But this is where Derry showed their experience.

Instead of forcing it, they trusted their shape. Niall Loughlin and substitute Matthew Downey chipped in with vital scores. Then, in a long, controlled spell approaching the final ten minutes, Derry held the ball with patience and purpose before Conor Doherty clipped over to stretch the lead.

McGuigan responded to a Kildare score with a calm point of his own. Lachlan Murray added another late effort after sustained possession, and Derry expertly managed the clock in the closing stages, to close out the win.

Derry’s second-half performance was clinical in attack, composed in possession and disciplined at the back. It turned a chaotic contest into a satisfying three-point victory.

Derry: Shea McGuckin, Diarmuid Baker, Ruairí Forbes, Conor Doherty, Gareth McKinless, Padraig McGrogan, Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Ethan Doherty, Paul Cassidy, Niall Loughlin, Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray, Sean Young, Shea Downey

Subs: Ryan Scullion, Marty Bradley, Matthew Downey, Ruairí Ó Mianáin, Jack Doherty, Niall Toner, Conor McAteer, Niall O’Donnell, Mark Doherty, Charlie Diamond, Sean Kearney