Derry found out in Ulster

Derry were found out in tonight's Ulster championship semi final against Fermanagh.
Fermanagh simply did their homework on the National League champions.
The key to stopping Derry was to cut the supply to Paddy Bradley.
Fermanagh double teamed him and although Eoghan Bradley produced another of those flashes of brilliance to score an early Derry goal he didn't do much more after the first ten minutes other than look busy.
Paddy Bradley tried hard to break the stranglehold on him but never really got a sniff at it.
What must be worrying for Derry was the failure of the rest of the forward line to fire at all.
Enda Muldoon was hurt early on but I've rarely seen him as quiet in a game.
I don't know whether this was a result of the injury or that the Fermanagh half back line and Mark Little worked so hard to close them down and burn them out with their lung bursting runs forward.
Fergal Doherty was once again missed in midfield and after a slow start Fermanagh's Murphy and McGrath won the war in the middle.
The running of the Fermanagh forwards also cruelly exposed the Derry backs.
I am not convinced by Kevin McCloy's form this season and although the Derry defence dug deep for periods in the second half when they were being over-run out the field a better side than the Ernemen would have had this game won long before the final whistle.
Once again Derry have flattered to deceive in Ulster. They lack mental toughness and there were a lot of players today who looked short on ideas when the going got tough.
Derry posted 1-4 in the first 20 minutes yet scored only another five times in the rest of the game and three of those came in the last ten minutes when Fermanagh were down to 14 men after a rush of blood to Sherry's head.
The Oak Leaf men have enjoyed good runs through the back door in recent seasons but psychologically they will struggle to come back from this defeat given their stated aim of at least winning Ulster.
Worse again is the fact that Fermanagh have shown clearly how to take Derry on and no one at the top table will fear them.