Niall O'Callaghan, Dublin, and Martin Bradley, Derry, in Allianz Football League action. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Allianz Football League Division One
Dublin 3-20 (3-1-18) Derry 2-12 (2-3-6)
By Paul Keane at Croke Park
Goal hungry Dublin were at their ease at Croke Park, gaining a modicum of revenge on old rivals Derry and taking their place, temporarily at least, at the head of Division One.
Fresh off beating Kerry in Round 3, the Leinster champions cruised to their third win of the campaign thanks partly to goals from Niall Scully, debutant Conor Tyrrell and sub Lorcan O'Dell.
No doubt they enjoyed exacting revenge on the Oak Leafers who memorably beat Dublin in last year's league final.
Sean Bugler was excellent again for Dublin with six points from play though his second-half exit with a calf injury that left him hobbling badly must be a concern.
Luke Breathnach impressed also for Dublin, shooting four points.
Derry, hoping that their Round Three draw with Galway might ignite them following earlier defeats to Tyrone and Kerry, got it going late on and pulled back goals from Brendan Rogers and Conor Glass but left themselves far too much to do.
They weren't helped either by the 59th minute black card of defender Diarmuid Baker which reduced them to 14 for most of the finale.
There were full league debuts for Tyrrell in Dublin's defence and Niall O'Callaghan, Con's brother, in attack.
Farrell will have been pleased by all of their contributions with Tyrrell immediately influential, forcing two important turnovers in his own defence.
One of those was an interception of a pass by roving Derry 'keeper McNicholl, resulting in a frantic Dublin counter-attack that ended with Breathnach palming to the net.
It was a terrific breakaway and superbly manufactured as O'Callaghan eventually fed Eoghan O'Donnell who played the ball across the goalmouth for Breathnach.
But the 14th minute goal was ruled out for an apparent square ball offence.
Dublin were too slick and energetic to stay under Derry's thumb for too long and while they trailed by three points after 15 minutes, they came roaring back in the second quarter.
In fact, they outscored Derry by a whopping 1-7 to no score for the remainder of the half to lead by 1-10 to 0-6 at the interval.
Bugler was terrific in this period of boom for Dublin, slotting over two points and finishing the first-half with four from play.
Scully's 22nd minute goal was the crucial score that turned the game in Dublin's favour after their early difficulties.
It was a fortunate goal, in truth, as his body shape suggested he was trying to tap over a point off his left foot when O'Donnell fed him from a ruck of players.
Or perhaps Scully, who later kicked a point, simply saw Neil McNicholl a couple of yards off his goalline and opted to punish the Derry 'keeper with a cheeky lob.
Either way it left Dublin in a position of authority and they strode clear with four points in a row after that to close out the half.
Breathnach stretched Dublin's lead to nine points, 1-12 to 0-6 after the restart.
Tyrrell's 54th minute goal, when his shot sneaked in over the head of McNicholl, set the seal on victory, leaving Dublin 11 clear at that stage.
O'Dell hammered home Dublin's third three minutes later and while Derry piled on the pressure late on, palming in a goal from Glass and a couple of two-pointers from Paul Cassidy and McGuigan, it was mere consolation.
Scorers for Dublin: Sean Bugler 0-6, Niall Scully 1-2, Con O'Callaghan 0-4, 1 tp, Luke Breathnach 0-4, Conor Tyrrell 1-0, Lorcan O'Dell 1-0, Cian Murphy 0-2, Evan Comerford 0-1, Brian Howard 0-1.
Scorers for Derry: Shane McGuigan 0-7 (2 tpf, 3f), Brendan Rogers 1-0, Conor Glass 1-0, Paul Cassidy 0-3 (1 tp), Declan Cassidy 0-1, Cahir McMonagle 0-1.
Dublin: Evan Comerford; Conor Tyrrell, Theo Clancy, David Byrne; Alex Gavin, Sean MacMahon, Cian Murphy; Brian Howard, Tom Lahiff; Sean Bugler, Niall Scully, Kevin Lahiff; Niall O'Callaghan, Eoghan O'Donnell, Luke Breathnach.
Subs: Con O'Callaghan for Niall O'Callaghan 45, Lorcan O'Dell for O'Donnell 45, Sean Lowry for Kevin Lahiff 52, Davy Keogh for Bugler 56, Peadar O Cofaigh Byrne for Breathnach 56.
Derry: Neil McNicholl; Diarmuid Baker, Eoin McEvoy, Martin Bradley; Conor Doherty, Brendan Rogers, Declan Cassidy; Conor Glass, Anton Tohill; Ben McCarron, Paul Cassidy, Cahir McMonagle; Ethan Doherty, Shane McGuigan, Niall Toner.
Subs: Callum McGrogan for Toner 22, Lachlan Murray for McGrogan 41, Padraig McGrogan for Declan Cassidy 44, Niall Loughlin for McCarron 52, Mark Doherty for McMonagle 60.
Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan).
