That Derry have adjusted to the rigours of Division One football was never more apparent than in this game against the side who were promoted alongside them last spring.
What we saw at Celtic Park was a Division One side dismantling a Division Two outfit. Brian McIver's side were streets ahead of Westmeath playing an incisive brand of football at a pace with which the Lakeland men simply could not cope. With five points from three outings means that Derry are well on the way to attaining their initial target of staying in Division One.
Certainly McIver is delighted with way his side has coped with life in the top tier:
"Every week now we are playing the top sides in the country and every week these boys are handling it and what better place to be learning than at the top table. If we can get a result in Cork we'll really know this team is heading in the right direction," he said.
And the manager had particular words of praise for Sean Leo McGoldrick whose consistent excellence should finally start to receive the national recognition it deserves.
"He's some player I really, really would like Sean Leo to get to the big, big stage so that the rest of the country could appreciate how good a player he is. He deserves that," noted McIver.
The manager had obviously sent his team out with instructions to blitz Paul Bealin's team in the opening changes in the knowledge that a side that had lost its opening two games might crumble if they went behind early on. Yet even the Derry boss must have been surprised at how his team put this game to bed inside 20 minutes.
Goals from Cailean O'Boyle and Benny Heron in third and fourth minutes left Westmeath reeling and they never recovered from those blows. By the 22 minute mark when Derry led by 2-6 to 0-3 this game was over as a contest. Only the margin of victory was left to be decided and in truth Derry could have had added even more goals to their tally long before Emmett McGuckin claimed their third major in the 48th minute.
John Heslin got Westmeath on the board in the first minute before Derry blitzed them with those early goals. From the Oak Leafers' first attack Ciaran McFaul's ball reached Cailean O'Boyle who found the roof of the net.
Sixty seconds later the ball was in the Westmeath goal again an intricate move involving James Kielt and O'Boyle finishing with Benny Heron thumping a finish so emphatic that ball lodged between crossbar and net.
It could have been even worse for the visitors. In the seventh minute but Derry half-back Kevin Johnston fisted the ball over the bar when one on one with Quinn in the Westmeath goal while Mark Lynch will feel he could added to the first half goal tally when dragging a finish wide when a simple handpass would have left of O'Boyle with an empty net.
Derry's attacking patterns were mesmerising in the opening spell and when Lynch clipped over an eighth minute free it was 2-2 to 0-1.
Points from a Heslin free and Kieran Martin interrupted the flow of Derry scores but Lynch (free), O'Boyle, James Kielt free and McGuckin all pointed in quick succession for the hosts.
Westmeath did get three of the last four scores of the first half through Ger Egan and two Heslin frees but aside from one incident where Chrissy McKaigue looked fortunate to escape sanction for a sliding challenge Derry looked unruffled as they led by 2-7 to 0-6 at the interval.
James Kielt opened Derry's second half account and while Heslin's free taking and another Egan point kept the margin down the Oak Leafers were still well on top as Lynch, Enda Lynn and Ciaran McFaul all pointed. Any hope a fight back for the visitors was extinguished when McGuckin fisted home from Aidan McAlynn's pass for Derry's third goal and a 3-11 to 0-9 lead on 48 minutes.
With the outstanding McGoldrick orchestrating from half-back Derry played some scintillating football and even though some of the sting went out of the game the hosts continued to register impressive scores including an absolute peach off the outside of McFaul's foot.
Derry will have tougher challenges ahead with a trip to Cork and visit from Dublin coming up but with five points from six they look well on their way to securing their top flight status while Westmeath face a real battle to avoid an immediate return to Division Two.
Derry: T Mallon; M Craig, C McKaigue, D McBride; K Johnston (0-1), A McAlynn , SL McGoldrick (0-1); F Doherty, M Lynch (0-6,5f); C McFaul (0-2), J Kielt (0-2, 1f) E Lynn (0-2); B Heron (1-0), E McGuckin (1-1), C O'Boyle (1-1).
Subs: Patsy Bradley for Doherty (49), C Kielt for Johnston and N 6 for J Kielt (both 54), A Kerrigan 6 for Lynn (57), O Duffy 6 for McKaigue and C McWilliams 6 for McAlynn both (63)
Westmeath: S Gallagher; S Gilmore, K Gavin, K Maguire; J Dolan (0-1), J Gilligan, J Egan; D Duffy , P Sharry; J Heslin (0-7, 6f), G Egan (0-2), K Martin (0-1); C McCormack, R Connellan, D Dolan (0-1).
Subs: J Gonoud for J Egan (37), D McCormack for Connellan (45), S Flynn for Sharry (47), G Hoey for Martin, D Coroon for C McCormack both (49).
Referee: Michael Duffy (Sligo).
Attendance: 1,855.
No comments:
Post a Comment