National Football League: Glen duo start as Derry ease past Limerick in Division Two opener
- Published
Glen and Derry midfielder Conor Glass won an All Star in 2022
After a turbulent week in the county, Ulster football champions Derry opened their Division Two league campaign with a 0-16 to 0-4 home win over Limerick.
Glen duo Conor Glass and Ethan Doherty started for Derry six days after their club's All-Ireland SFC Final ended in a controversial loss to Kilmacud Crokes.
Replaying the game is one option being explored by the GAA, but the Glen pair still lined out for their county.
Shane McGuigan top-scored with 0-9 for Rory Gallagher's side in Owenbeg.
Meanwhile in Division Three, Fermanagh began their league season with a 0-15 to 0-8 victory over Longford in Ederney while Down defeated Tipperary 2-11 to 1-11 at Semple Stadium.
Surreal backdrop
While a third Glen player Conleth McGuckian remained an unused substitute, Glass and Doherty both played for the majority of the game despite the uncertainty that has dogged their club all week.
The club lodged an objection over the result of the All-Ireland club final after it emerged the Dublin winners had 16 players on the field in the closing stages.
Kilmacud subsequently lodged a counter-objection to the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee which is due to meet to discuss both objections on Saturday.
Doherty lasted 54 minutes before being replaced while Glass played for 68 minutes.
It was Slaughtneil's Shane McGuigan who did most of the damage on the scoreboard in an unremarkable game dominated by Derry.
Shane McGuigan scored 0-9 in a convincing opening win for the Ulster champions
The full-forward notched up four points from play and 0-5 from frees with uncompetitive Limerick, newly promoted from Division Three, unable to land a blow on the Oak Leafers.
It took Derry about 15 minutes to find their rhythm, but once they did they never looked back.
While Gareth McKinless was subdued for once, it was Brendan Rogers, Paul Cassidy, McGuigan and Lachlan Murray who helped Derry step up a gear and easily brush aside Limerick's containment game.
Limerick finished with 14 players after a late black card for Paul Maher.
Derry were not as accurate as they would have wanted, kicking seven wides and spurning the odd goal chance, but will accept the opening league points and move on to next week's trip to Louth, managed by former Tyrone All-Ireland winning boss Mickey Harte.
Fermanagh and Down start with wins
Fermanagh swept aside Longford in an opening Division Three win in Ederney. They led 0-11 to 0-6 at half time and powered home by seven points.
The full-forward line of Darragh McGurn, Ultan Kelm and Sean Quigley finished with 0-10 between them, Quigley accurate from placed balls finishing with 0-7.
Eight different players scored on a satisfying afternoon for manager Kieran Donnelly.
Down were already 0-5 to 0-1 in front before Pat Havern scored the opening goal after 20 minutes.
Havern followed that up with a point as the Mourne team went on to lead 1-6 to 0-2 at the break.
Tipperary edged back into the game after Down's Niall McParland was sent off early in the second half but the Ulster visitors found the net again on the hour mark with Conor Francis on target.
The hosts replied quickly with a Teddy Doyle goal and reduced the gap to two points before Down hit the final point of the match.