NostalGAA: Derry appearing in a fifth Christy Ring final

DERRY are hoping to win the Christy Ring Cup at the fifth attempt when they take on London on Saturday in Croke Park.

It’s their fourth final appearance in five seasons but here is a look back to their first final in 2015 when they lost to a Kerry side winning their second.

Na Magha’s Alan Grant is the only player from the Derry team that day still on the current panel.

2015 Christy Ring Cup final
Kerry 1-20 Derry 0-12

AFTER losing the last two finals, Kerry made it third time lucky with victory over Derry with a dominant second half performance.

A 30th minute goals from Shane Nolan shot the Kingdom on their way to a 1-10 to 0-8 interval lead.

Nolan and Michael O’Leary and Shane Nolan were on target early on the Oakleafers gradually settled with scores from Grant and Ruairi Convery.

Liam Óg Hinphey and Conor McSorley defended well for Derry but a slicker Kerry were always able to push on into the lead.

Kerry were in cruise control after Nolan spun away from his marker to flash a shot to the net on the 30th minute.

Paddy Henry drilled over long range frees but Derry’s only score from play in the second period came from substitute Jonathan O’Dwyer.

Kerry: S Murphy, R Horgan, P Costelloe, B Murphy, D Collins (0-1), D Dineen, K Carmody (0-3), J Griffin, P Kelly (0-2), M O’Leary (0-3), S Nolan (1-8, 7f), C Harty (0-2), M Boyle, P Boyle, J Egan (0-1)

Subs: J O’Neill for P Boyle (43), D Butler for O’Leary (50), S Weir for M Boyle (57), J Flaherty for Harty (62), D Fitzell for Dineen (68)

Derry: D McDermott, M Warnock, C Quinn, S McCullagh, L Hinphey (0-1), C McSorley, K Hinphey, S McGuigan, B Quigley, P McCloskey, P Cleary, P Henry (0-4f), A Kelly, R Convery (0-5f), A Grant (0-1)

Subs: N Ferris for McCloskey (5), D Flanagan for Quigley (31), J O’Dwyer (0-1) for Cleary (39), R McCloskey for McSorley (57), M Conway for Grant

Referee: J Keane (Galway)