THROUGH BLUES SINK DERRY

It's survival of the fittest as Oak Leafers are sent packing

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McKinless to beat; O'Callaghan opting for a fisted point when he had a chance to raise a green flag.

Add in the point-blank save McKinless made from Sean McMahon's 24th-minute shot and you get the picture.

Dublin were on top, dominant in midfield, creating more chances, getting seven points from play in the opening half, whereas Derry got just five.

Still, they showed serious character, recovering from an awful start which saw the Dubs score from their opening four attempts, to gradually find a way into the game, Shane McGuigan getting 0-9 in the first half, three two-pointers contributing to his tally.

While he was on fire, no other Derry player got more than one score in the opening half, whereas Dublin shared the scoring between six players.