Wonder goal defied manager's orders reveals Derry boss
The Oak Leaf boss hails his players' character after fighting back from four points down against the elements
Derry manager Ciaran Meenagh revealed he was calling for Paul Cassidy to take a point just seconds before the Bellaghy player grabbed his 'goal of the season' contender to catapult the Oak Leafers to victory over Kildare in Newbridge.
Cassidy's second half wonder goal was one of two inside 60 seconds, Lachlan Murray grabbing the second, as Derry defied a sixth minute red card for captain Conor Glass and black cards for Niall Loughlin and Conor Doherty to clinch a superb victory that moves the Oak Leafers up to third in the table.
"Paul actually picked the ball up in front of where we were and he was running with his back to me but I was saying, 'A point, Paul; A point, Paul'," smiled the Derry manager after the 1-18 to 3-15 win.
"I don't know if he went for the crossbar or went to drive it but from a fair distance out he hit the top corner.
“Again, that was difficult for their goalkeeper and they scored a goal like that in the first half as well with the way that breeze was, the ball just dipped but it was timely. It gave us belief. We got another goal just after and then the game just took on a complete life of its own."
Four points drift at the break and facing into the elements, the Oak Leaf boss admitted there was little point in talking tactics at the break when he instead called for his players to show their character.
"Relief, pride.... I am very, very satisfied with the result." he added, "We were in a difficult position.
“To get our captain red carded so early and then to get two black cards, play with the breeze but go in four points down at half-time - and the breeze picked up then in the second half as well - that was difficult. That takes some character. That takes some guts.
"It takes some backbone, some amount of leadership and it also takes no shortage of quality either to play and to create the scoring chances we did in the second half.
"You can talk all you want about coaching, about tactics: we just said at half-time, forget about tactics and about coaching, run the ball, play with character, try to bring the game down the last 10 minutes.
"And not only did we bring it down to the last 10 minutes, we led (into the final 10 minutes) and we managed that period particularly well. Not only that, some of the football we played, I thought we were outstanding.
"Look, I'm very, very proud of the lads but by the time we're pulling out of here on the bus tonight we have to be thinking about next week, dusting ourselves down and getting ready for another game.
“We have two games coming now in the next 14 days so it’s a busy period."