Derry’s championship season came to an end with a 0-22 to 0-20 defeat to Dublin in their Group Four finale at Pairc Esler.
The Oak Leafers failed to win a league or championship match across their 11 outings in 2025, mustering just two draws from that period but despite that fact, they entered Saturday’s clash with a chance of reaching the last 12.
The Dubs also entered their meeting with the Ulster county needing a win to progress and they did just that to secure passage from the ‘Group of Death’ alongside Armagh and Galway.
Dessie Farrell’s side emerged sharpest from the blocks, hitting four rapid fire scores in the opening two minutes to take an early lead, the last of those coming from the boot of Paddy Small who fired over when aiming for the back of the net.
The Oak Leafers eventually settled with their first score on six minutes from captain Conor Glass.
Despite a desperate start, Derry led midway through the half mainly thanks to two two point frees from Shane McGuigan.
The sides were locked at 13 points each after a breathless end to the half with Cormac Costello and McGuigan trading two pointed efforts.
Like the first, Dublin hit the ground running when play restarted, Con O’Callaghan firing over just 15 seconds after the restart.
Killian McGinnis, John Small and Sean Bugler were amongst the scores as the Dubs outscored Derry 0-5 to 0-1 in seven minutes midway through the half, the second four point burst which probably tipped the scale in Dublin’s favour.
The men in blue led by four entering the final 10 minutes and with both sides’ championship seasons hanging in the balance, the game grew frantic.
McGuigan kicked his 10th score of the night alongside an Ethan Doherty effort to cut the gap back to three.
Paddy Tally’s side could have levelled as McGuigan slipped Brendan Rogers through on goal but his effort went right across the face of Stephen Cluxton’s goal and wide of the target.
From almost the very next play of the game, Dublin broke and Bugler rounded Ben McKinless and looked destined to slot the ball into the empty net only for a spectacular goal-line clearance from Ruairi Forbes.
Niall Loughlin and Rogers added two late scores to cut the gap to two but Dessie Farrell’s men would hold onto the ball for the remaining seconds and seal a home preliminary quarter-final and with it end Derry’s campaign.
Dublin: Stephen Cluxton (0-2 2ptf); Sean MacMahon, Theo Clancy, David Byrne; Brian Howard, John Small (0-1), Lee Gannon (0-2); Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne, Killian McGinnis (0-3); Ciaran Kilkenny (0-1), Sean Bugler (0-2), Niall Scully; Paddy Small (0-2), Con O’Callaghan (0-5), Cormac Costello (0-4 1 2ptf).
Subs: Cian Murphy for Clancy (49), Eoin Murchan for McGinnis (49), Ross McGarry for Scully (54), Tom Lahiff for Gannon (60), Nathan Doran for P Small (68)
Derry: Ben McKinless; Diarmuid Baker, Eoin McEvoy, Patrick McGurk; Conor Doherty; Brendan Rogers (0-1), Padraig McGrogan; Conor Glass (0-2), Dan Higgins; Ethan Doherty (0-3), Paul Cassidy (0-1), Ciaran McFaul; Shane McGuigan (0-10 3 2ptf), Niall Loughlin (0-2 1m), Niall Toner (0-1).
Subs: Lachlan Murray for Toner (45), Conor McCluskey for McGurk (49), Ryan Mullholland for McFaul (59), Ruairi Forbes for Cassidy (62), Cahir McMonagle for Loughlin (68)
Referee: Brendan Cawley (Kildare)
