Derry opened life in Division 1B with a battling performance against a more accomplished Waterford side and, despite defeat, were pleased with their efforts.

Derry boss Kevin McNaughton was upbeat. "If we can continue with the same commitment for the remainder of our fixtures, I'm sure we will stay up. However, we have never faced players of this calibre before and it will be difficult. Although beaten, this was a positive start."

The home side was slow out of the blocks and Waterford made them pay by scoring five points in the opening seven minutes. However, following a Ronan McCloskey point, Derry got back into the game when Gregory Biggs pulled on a John O'Dwyer pass to find the net.

Waterford hit back and thanks to a goal from David Bennett, they led at the break by 1-13 to 1-4, with the midfield pairing of Queally and Brennar particularly accurate.

With the wind at their backs in the second half, Derry came more into the game with Geoffrey McGonigle scoring five points.

However, it was Bennett who was to prove a real thorn in the Derry side as he scored at will as Waterford maintained their advantage. Despite a John O'Dwyer goal at the end of the third quarter, Derry could not bridge the gap.

With five minutes remaining, Bennett's second goal of the afternoon put paid to any hopes Derry had of victory, the corner forward thumping the ball high into the net past a stranded Kieran Stevenson.

DERRY: K Stevenson; E McKeever, C Murray, N Mullan; B Kelly, C McEldowney, J Young; O Collins (0-2), D Cassidy; P McEldowney, M Conway, R McCloskey (0-1); G Biggs (l-1), G McGonigle (0-5), J O'Dwyer (1-1). Subs: K McKeever (0-1) for P McEldowney, K McCloy for Conway and M Quinn for Young.

WATERFORD: B Landers; T Feeney, J O'Connor, B Flannery; S Frampton, F Hartley, J Murray; P Queally (0-3), J Brennar (0-4), D Shanaghan, K McGrath (0-2), B Walsh (0-1), D Bennett (2-3), A Kirwan (0-1), P Flynn (0-3). Subs: B Henley (0-1) for Kirwan, S Cullinane for Shanaghan.

Referee: J McLean (Antrim).