Institute suffer opening day loss at Dergview

This certainly wasn't the start Institute wanted, as they finally returned to competitive league football for the first time in 16 months.

Sean Connor's youthful side were second best, as a three goal blitz from Dergview in the opening 25 minutes ended the game as a contest, at Darragh Parkas Tommy Canning's side eased to an opening day victory.

While the defeat is a sore blow for the Waterside men, Connor will also be worried that injuries are already mounting up.

Going into the game skipper Cormac Burke and young goalkeeper Dylan Doherty missed out and then midfielder Shaun Doherty and defender Oran Brogan had to be substituted in the first half with what looked like hamstring problems, while stand-in captain Aidan McCauley and defender Shaun Leppard also finished the game with concussion problems.

For 'Stute they struggled in the early stages with Dergview front man Benny Igiehon helping himself to an early brace, but it was his overall play, which meant he was a constant threat in the opening half-hour.

In fact, the ex-Sligo Rovers striker scored the opening goal after just six minutes when he cut in from the right onto his favoured left-foot and made no mistake drilling the ball past teenager Joe McConnellogue.

The Waterside men had half a chance to level things minutes later but centre-back Leppard saw his effort hit the side netting, but that's probably as closest as they got to scoring in the opening 45 minutes.

Igiehon scored Dergview's second on 22 minutes when he got the faintest of touches to turn home Garth Falconer's superb right wing in-swinging corner., which was fizzed into the six yard box.

Soon after Tommy Canning's side wrapped the points up in stunning fashion as Matthew Kirk cut in from the left before his dipping effort from 25 yards flew over the diving McConnellogue.

The home side netted a fourth just after the half-hour mark when another Falconer centre, this time from the left found Jamie Brown at the back post and after taking a touch, the winger made no mistake blasting past the hapless McConnellogue.

Institute were unfortunate not to pull a goal back on 50 minutes as Aaron McGurk's downward header from close range, was well parried away by a full stretched Dergivew keeper Thomas McDermott.

The scoring was complete on 61 minutes as Brown netted his second of the game, making no mistake to turn the ball home from close range, after 'Stute again failed to clear the lines properly.

Dergview: McDermott, McConnell, Falconer, K Farren (Loughrey 60), Crown, Burns (Wallace 78), Igeihon (C Farren 70), Kirk (McGinley 60), Buchanan, Brown (Callaghan 78), Curry.

Institute: McConnellogue, Brogan (Bradley 33), McCauley (Millar 76), Doherty (Francis 14), McLaughlin, Gorman, McGurk, Walsh, Leppard, Pomeroy (Aduaka 60), Clarke-Hetherington.

Referee: Barry Monaghan