Mattie Ruane, Mayo, and Niall Toner, Derry, in Allianz Football League action. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Allianz Football League Division One
Mayo 2-19 (2-1-17) Derry 1-17 (1-3-11)
By Michael Wilson at Celtic Park
Derry's three year stay in football's top flight came to an end as goals from Jordan Flynn and Frank Irwin eased Mayo to a five point victory in Celtic Park which eased any lingering relegation concerns for Kevin McStay's men.
The Westerners were good value for the win, the foundation for which was Flynn's goal which arrived with the final kick of an opening half in which there was little between the teams.
Irwin's second half strike saw Derry head drop as Mayo hit five unanswered scores to move 10 points clear and there was no way back. Conor Glass did inspire a late rally with three breathtaking two pointers, but it proved too little, too late for both the game and Derry's survival hopes.
The win actually maintain Mayo's outside interest in the league final but that's unlikely to feature highly on McStay's list of concerns ahead of the championship.
For Paddy Tally, he will be casting an anxious look at his treatment room in the hope the likes of Brendan Rogers and Odhran Lynch, who was forced off by injury in the opening half, make it back in time for the Ulster championship clash with Donegal on April 6.
Tally handed Patrick McGurk a first National League start in what was a must win game for the Oak Leafers and the Lavey player repaid that faith within three minutes of his full county debut.
Ryan O'Donoghue had already edged the visitors ahead inside 15 seconds, but Derry's response was emphatic, McGurk bursting on to a return ball from Niall Toner to go clear and finish superbly past Colm Reape.
It was a whirlwind start, one in which McGurk's could have been Derry second goal after Shane McGuigan had teed up Toner at the back post but the corner-forward could only stretch far enough to direct his fisted effort into the side netting, but the dye has been cast was an open, entertaining half.
Derry followed up McGurk's goal with Shane McGuigan point but Mayo replied through an excellent Matthew Ruane score, the first of four from Ruane in the opening half.
The sides went tit-for-tat, McGuigan and Ruane swapping scores before Ruane's third point of the half had the team level at 1-2 to 0-5 by the 14th minute, by which time Derry had already lost goalkeeper Odhran Lynch to injury with Neil McNicholl coming in to replace him.
Mayo had already registered six wides early on before Tally's team took a 1-6 to 0-5 lead with 23 minutes gone, McGuigan, McGurk, Niall Loughlin and Padraig McGrogan the men on target for the home side.
Mayo saw Derry register four in three minutes and raised it with four in two as O'Donoghue sent over a two point free before O'Shea and O'Donaghue levelled proceedings for the second time in the half.
A great run and point from Conor Glass edged Derry back in front and when Mayo were penalised for a three on three infraction, McGuigan's free put Derry pushed the leads to two at 1-8 to 0-9 in the 30th minute.
Fenton Kelly should have hit the hit when he blasted over for Mayo and when Ruane continued his fine scoring form the Westerners had bridged the gap.
And that would probably have been a fair reflection of a tight opening half, but Mayo weren't finished. The hooter had already sounded, but Derry were playing out the final play when O'Donoghue caught McGrogan in possession, turning over the ball and setting Mayo away for a lightning break that finished with Jordan Flynn flashing a fierce low shot across McNicholl and into the far corner for a 1-11 to 1-8 interval lead.
Conor Glass and Toner did grab early second half scores, but O'Donoghue had already seen one goal chance get away for a point by the time Frank Irwin was charging through to hit the net for a second time in what was probably Mayo's sixth decent goal scoring opportunity.
The goal handed Mayo a 2-12 to 1-10 lead and visibly deflated Derry as Mayo hit five points without replay to go 10 points clear with Ruane prominent in everything good Kevin McStay's team did.
It was looking a lost cause until Glass took matters into his own hands, scoring two sublime two two pointers that were followed by a lovely Conor Doherty score which brought the game back to 1-15 to 2-17.
An O'Donoghue free, his eighth point of the day, settle Mayo nerves but Glass wasn't done, firing over his third superb two point score of the half to bring the deficit back to four points as we reached the final minute.
It wasn't enough, substitute Eoghanh McLaughlin's point settling any dispute and ensuring Derry will be playing Division Two football next season.
Scorers for Mayo: Ryan O'Donoghue 0-8 (1 tpf, 2f), Matthew Ruane 0-6, Frank Irwin 1-1, Jordan Flynn 1-0, Aidan O'Shea 0-1, Fenton Kelly 0-1, Conor Reid 0-1, Eoghan McLaughlin 0-1.
Scorers for Derry: Conor Glass 0-8 (3tp), Patrick McGurk 1-1, Shane McGuigan 0-4 (1f), Niall Loughlin 0-1, Niall Toner 0-1, Conor Doherty 0-1.
Mayo: Colm Reape, Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Enda Hession, Sam Callinan, David McBrien, Fenton Kelly, Stephen Coen, Matthew Ruane, Conor Reid, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn, Aidan O'Shea, Frank Irwin, Ryan O'Donoghue.
Subs: Sean Morahan for D McHugh, 51mins; Fergal Boland for C Reid, 54mins; Davitt Neary for F Kelly, 56mins; Eoghan McLaughlin for D McBrien, 60mins; Paul Towey for A O'Shea, 68mins.
Derry: Odhran Lynch, Diarmuid Baker, Eoin McEvoy, Martin Bradley, Conor Doherty, Padraig McGrogan, Patrick McGurk, Conor Glass, Anton Tohill, Ethan Doherty, Niall Toner, Dan Higgins, Niall Loughlin, Shane McGuigan, Paul Cassidy.
Subs: Neil McNicholl for O Lynch (inj), 13mins; Caolan Devlin for N Loughlin, 51mins; Ben McCarron for D Higgins, 51mins; Cahir McMonagle for A Tohill, 56mins; Mark Doherty for P McGrogan, 59mins.
Referee: Fergal Kelly (Longford).
