The pre-match omens for the this game weren’t too promising for Donegal and so it proved as Derry took victory to reach another Ulster Under 20 Championship final.
When the sides met in the Leo Murphy Cup back in early February Derry won by five points, 1-14 to 0-12 , this semi-final fixture was originally set for next Wednesday evening .
Derry’s appeal to have it brought forward on the grounds that five of their players were on the Senior panel which required them to have a seven day gap between games was agreed to by the Ulster CCC.
Then when no suitable neutral venue was available today, Donegal lost the toss to win a home fixture and had to travel back to Owenbeg, the same venue they lost at back in February.
Donegal got a pre-match boost when Luke McGlynn was deemed fit to start and they also included Daniel Gildea who had impressed when introduced against Antrim.
Derry’s Patrick McGurk from plat and Donegal’s Sean Ward’s free exchanged early points but with the wind in their favour it was the home team that dominated the first-half.
They controlled possession and three points in a row from play by wing forward Peter McCullough and two frees from Charlie Diamond had Derry five ahead by the 21st minute , 0-06 to 0-01.
A number of wides by Derry meant that the score remained the same until the break with Donegal still in touch and with the elements in their favour for the second-half still in with a chance despite not scoring from play in that opening half.
Luke McGlynn finally opened Donegal’s account from play in the second minute of the second-half but Derry responded with three quick points in reply , two from Matthew Downey and one from Donnacha Gilmore and when Peter McCullough kicked his fourth point from play there was eight between them , 0-10 to 0-02.
Oisín Caufield and Donal Gallagher replied for Donegal to make it a six point game and the only other scores saw an exchange of points from Charlie Diamond’s third free of the game and Luke McGlynn’s second point for Donegal as it finished 0-11 to 0-05 for Derry and a place in the final against either Down or Monaghan. Donegal contested this one very well and with many of the squad available again next year will have gained vital experience at this level .
Donegal: Aaron Cullen; Sean Doherty, Ferdia Doherty, Donal Gallagher (0-01), Cian McMenamin, Kyle Murray, Karl McGee; Christy Mulligan, Luke McGlynn (0-02 ), Conor O Neill, Shaun Ward ( 0-01f), Oisin Caulfield (0-01), David Boyle , Daniel Gildea , Blake McGarvey. Subs: Daniel Marley for O Neill (41mins), Liam McGrenaghan for Mulligan (48mins), Kevin Lynch for Boyle (52mins), Fionnan Coyle and Senan Quinn for Gildea and McMenamin ( 55mins).
DERRY ; Kian McGonigle , James Murray, Jody McDermott , Danny McDermott , Patrick McGurk ( 0-01 ), Donnacha Gilmore (0-01) , Ruairi Forbes , Dan Higgins, Patrick O Kane , Peter McCullagh ( 0-4 ), Charlie Diamond ( 0-03f’s), Mark Doherty , Matthew Downey (0-02), Niall McGonagle , Niall O Donnell. Subs ; Ruairi O Mianain and Lee Bradley for Danny McDermott and Niall McGonagle (h/t), Callum Downey for O Donnell (52mins), Sean Deehan for Forbes (54mins)
Referee : Mark Loughran ( Tyrone ).
