GAA: Dazzling Derry defeat Monaghan to reach Ulster final

Kieran Lynch at O’Neills Healy Park

Reigning Ulster champions Derry are back in the provincial decider for the second year running, after a dominant display saw them defeat Monaghan 1-21 to 2-10 in front of a capacity crowd at O’Neills Healy Park, in Omagh.

It was the quintessential team performance, which made it difficult to pick a Player of the Match, as so many in the red and white rose to the challenge and were at the top of their game.

Chrissy McKaigue was given the unenviable task of man-marking legendary forward Conor McManus, but he kept him scoreless from play; Conor Glass and Brendan Rogers bossed the midfield; Shane McGuigan top scored with 0-9; Paul Cassidy wreaked havoc in the Monaghan defence; and Conor McCluskey’s goal was reward for his bravery to storm forward and join the attack.

In the first half, Derry scored 1-12, with nine different scorers finding the target. The first two scores of the game were both outstanding, with Glass pointing from 35 metres out, before Rory Beggan replied, converting a free from beyond the 45-metre line.

Derry then pushed their lead out to three, with scores for Paul Cassidy, McGuigan and Padraig McGrogan, before Beggan continued his exhibition in place-kicking, converting from almost 60 metres out.

Derry weren’t afraid to push an all-out attack on Monaghan, as they had every single player (including goalkeeper Odhran Lynch) inside the Farney’s ‘45, when Paul Cassidy made it 0-5 to 0-2.

Ethan Doherty increased their advantage, but Monaghan then cut into Derry’s momentum when Karl O’Connell burst through from deep and smashed the opening goal into the back of the net on 18 minutes.

Derry were unperturbed, however, and responded with points for Toner (free), and two for McGuigan either side of an O’Connell score.

The Oak Leaf County then moved six in front on 28 minutes, when McCloskey broke free of two tackles and drilled the ball past Beggan and into the Monaghan net.

Monaghan scored twice more in the opening period through two McManus frees, but Derry were on fire, and they had answers from McGuigan (free), Conor Doherty and goalkeeper Lynch from play, to lead 1-12 to 1-5 at the break – a score-line fitting of their excellent first half performance.

Derry picked up where they left off, outscoring their opponents 0-3 to 0-1 in the early second half exchanges, with two McGuigan frees and a McGrogan point cancelling out a McManus free.

However, Monaghan had some life left in them, and on 48 minutes Gary Mohan’s shot dropped short and caused chaos. Ryan Wylie claimed possession and looked set to score, but his shot was kept out by a combination of Lynch and the post, but Karl Gallagher was on hand to fire the rebound into the net.

A Kieran Hughes point had reduced the arrears to five, but Derry captain Glass showed leadership to stem the tide, as he pointed from range.

The two sides then traded points, with Monaghan’s Conor Boyle and Michael Bannigan having their scores cancelled out by Derry’s Ethan Doherty and McGuigan.

McGuigan then brought the crowd to its feet with an outstanding point from range, which made it a seven-point lead late on, before he added from another free.

Stephen O’Hanlon closed the scoring for Monaghan, before Rogers put the icing on the cake for Derry with their final point.

Derry will meet the winners of tomorrow’s Ulster SFC semi-final between Armagh and Down, which takes place in Clones at 4pm.

MATCH STATS

DERRY: O Lynch (0-1); C McKaigue, E McEvoy, C McCluskey (1-0); C Doherty (0-1), G McKinless, P McGrogan (0-2); C Glass (0-2), B Rogers (0-1); Padraig Cassidy, Paul Cassidy (0-2), E Doherty (0-2); N Toner (0-1, 1f), S McGuigan (0-9, 5f), N Loughlin.

Subs: B Herron for Padraig Cassidy (50), C McFaul for Loughlin (59), B McCarron for McGrogan (65), P McNeil for McKaigue (70), L Murray for Toner (70+1).

MONAGHAN: R Beggan (0-2, 2f); K O’Connell (1-1), K Duffy, R Wylie; C Boyle (0-1), D Ward, R O’Toole; D Hughes, K Lavelle; S O’Hanlon (0-1), M Bannigan (0-1), C McCarthy; J McCarron, K Gallagher (1-0), C McManus (0-3, 3f).

Subs: S Carey for McCarron (30), K Hughes (0-1) for D Hughes (30), G Mohan for Ward (44), C Leonard for Gallagher (63), S Jones for Wylie (65).

Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone).

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