By Michael McMullan

PADDY Tally said the players emptied the tank but Derry can have no complaints after Saturday’s defeat at the hands of Dublin.

It brought the curtain down on the season that saw the Oakleafers fail to win a game.

Tally highlighted the Dublin improvement since their defeat to Armagh and feels they’ll have a say on the rest of the season.

“I think we were pretty good for most of the match, but got off to a poor start,” he said of the Derry performance.

“Then, by half-time, we looked really back in it. There was a crucial time in that second half where Dublin got out to five points.”

It was going to take a significant turnaround and, on a day when they kept a first clean sheet of the season, Derry were going to need to find the net.

Brendan Rogers did get inside in the closing stages but his low shot from an acute angle whizzed across goal and wide. Any sort of touch could’ve resulted in a goal.

“That was a crucial time. I think it would have lifted the team,” Tally said.

“I think it might have turned the game for us but we can have no real complaints.

“The players played as well as they possibly could. That was a serious game of football.

“I am really proud of the effort. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t good enough.”

On the day, Ciarán Kilkenny and Brian Howard were always and out ball for goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton who came into the game on the back of struggling on his kick-outs against Armagh.

Con O’Callaghan was under the watch of Brendan Rogers for most of the game but got more latitude when Rogers was pushed out to midfield as Derry chased the game.

O’Callaghan hit two of his points in rehearsed moves after Cuala clubmate Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne won both throw-ins.

“When you look through their team of boys that have played on multiple All-Ireland winning teams,” Tally said of Dessie Farrell’s side.

“They know how to close games out, they know how to go about their business.

“I think, compared to what I saw from Dublin last week, they were like a different team today.

“They’re like a team that have had a bit between their teeth and much more like the game against Galway.

“Dublin are still a very powerful team and they’re going to be there at their abouts for the rest of the season.”