DOWN hurlers made a stuttering start to their Christy Ring Cup campaign at St Patrick’s Park, Portaferry, on Saturday afternoon.
Ronan Sheehan’s charges were always playing second fiddle, despite making a reasonable start with the strong wind in their backs.
Downpatrick teenager Tim Prenter, who plays his hurling for Ballygalget, put the burners on early on to register the game’s first score after only 10 seconds, but it proved to be false dawn for Down as Derry were the dominant force.
Derry, backboned by their experienced and battle-hardened Slaughtneil contingent, with Cormac O’Doherty to the fore, stormed into a 2-5 to 1-4 lead after only 19 minutes and they were on their way.
It got even worse for Down when Liam óg Hinphey released Brian óg McGilligan. His lofted delivery carved out an opening for Mark McGuigan and he made no mistake with a clinical finish past a helpless Stephen Keith.
This strike was an action replay of Derry’s first goal in the second minute when McGuigan picked out O’Doherty and he too found the net with a classy finish.
Shortly after Derry’s opening goal, Eoghan Sands swooped to level the scores at 1-2 apiece with a typically predatory strike, but that was as good as it got for Down.
O’Doherty continued to hurt Down with his accuracy. He was already on 1-3 when his 65’ dipped under the Down bar for a soft goal in the 10th minute and he went in at the break with 2-5 beside his name and a win almost guaranteed for his team.
During the second half Oisin MacManus tapped over seven frees, but missed a couple of others and his Liatroim club mate Ruairí McCrickard found the net from a 20m free in the 68th minute.
There was never a sense that Down were capable of bridging the ten-point gap at the interval as O’Doherty and the McGuigans continued to pick off long range scores for Derry to put them in pole position in the group.
Derry manager John McAvoy disclosed afterwards that it was a conscious decision to play into the breeze.
“We wanted to play into the breeze as we felt that we would be more adjusted to it by the second half.
“Yes, I was very pleased with the way the first half went. We used possession very well and drove on,” he said
“It wasn’t a perfect performance, but it was a good performance and it’s good to get it at the start of a competition. The red card made us work that bit harder and we had two or three with niggling injuries and then Thomas Brady was on a yellow card. So we used our subs and overall I have to be happy enough with today.”
Down boss Rónán Sheehan wasn’t offering any excuses.
“We conceded two softish goals in the first ten minutes and then, to be honest, we hit too many wides – 17 in total and eight from frees. I don’t think they missed any from frees.
“We have a young team and when you concede goals like we did today, it knocks the confidence. Look we have to lift ourselves for next week and hope that our free-taking is a bit better,” he said.
“But Derry deserved to win, their movement was good. You could see the work they have done.”
Derry: S Kelly, C Kelly, S Cassidy, P Kelly, L óg Himphey, M McGrath, C Waldron, M McGuigan (0-2), B óg McGilligan (0-1), P Cleary (0-2), S McGuigan (1-3), T Brady, R Mullan, M Craig (0-1), C O’Doherty (2-9, 1-8 f). Subs : R McCartney for C Kelly, G Bradley (0-1) for C Kelly, T McHugh (0-1) for M Craig (45), N Waldron for L óg Hinphey (50), J Mullan for P Cleary (57)
Down: S Keith, T Murray, C Taggart, D Mallon, M Fisher, M Conlon, M Patterson, J McManus (0-1), D Toner, P Sheehan (0-2 f), C O’Prey, T Prenter (0-2), D Sands, E Sands (1-0), O MacManus (0-8 f). Subs: R McCrickard (1-0f) for P Sheehan, PJ Davidson (0-1) for C O’Prey.