Flashback: Dublin v Derry National Football League 1994

Fri, 1st March 2024

By Conor Martin

Dublin 0-15

Derry 2-06

Dessie Farrell’s Dublin take on Derry this weekend in their fifth Allianz Football League outing of 2024. Over the years, games in the Oakleaf County are tough assignments for visitors to the Ulster men.

In fact, tomorrow’s game will see Dublin go in search of a first league win in Derry since March 1994.

On that day, the reigning Ulster and All-Ireland champions Derry hadn't been beaten in major competition since the previous year’s league quarter-final. They also beat Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final by just a point in 1993, on the way to lifting the Sam Maguire Cup.

The 1994 league game got off to the worst possible start for Dublin when Joe Brolly found the back of the net after just 20 seconds and they were ahead by five just before the 10th minute.

Derry then lost Tony Scullion and goalkeeper Damien McCusker to injury, with the latter coming off worse after he and Charlie Redmond challenged for a loose ball as a result of a Brian Stynes effort on goal.

Dublin finally got on the scoreboard in the 20th minute when Jack Sheedy sent the ball over the bar before Paul Bealin and Sheedy took control of the midfield as Dublin clicked into gear and their superior fitness levels began to prove crucial.

After Sheedy’s scores to get Pat O'Neill's men going, Dublin had the lion’s share of points and by the interval, things were tied up 0-6 to 1-3.

Derry continued to have a say thanks to Brolly, but Vinnie Murphy was one of Dublin’s scorers that would help us head home to the capital with the points.

Redmond would top score with (0-7, 0-6f) that day and current Dublin manager Farrell also found himself on the scorers list.

In the final 15, Dublin pulled away from the tiring hosts, splitting the posts eight times on the way to an impressive win.

SCORERS-Dublin: C Redmond 0-7 (6 frees). V Murphy 0-2, K Barr, J Sheedy, D Farrell, P Gilroy, T Carr, J Barr 0-1 each. Derry: J Brolly 1-2, Anthony Tohill 1-0 (free), E Gormley 0-2 (1 free), S Downey, D McNicholl 0-1 each

DUBLIN J O'Leary; C Walsh, D Deasy, J Culvert, P Curran, K Barr, P Clarke, J Sheedy P Bealin; B Stynes, T Carr, P Gilroy, M Galvin, Murphy, C Redmond.

Subs: E Heery for Calvert 45 mins. J Barr for Stynes 50 mins, D Farrell for Galvin 54

DERRY D McCusker; K Diamond, B McCormick. T Scullion; J McGurk, H Downey, F McCusker; A Tohill, B McGilligan; D McNicholl, D Heaney. D Cassidy: J Brolly, S Downcy, E Gormley.

Subs: HM Tohill for Scullion 6 mins, D Kelly for D McCusker 16 mins, D Barton for McGilligan 44 mins.

REF :T McDermott (Cavan).

Thank you to Dublin Supporters who contributed to this piece.