Eirgrid Ulster Under-21 Football Championship Quarter-Final
Monaghan 0-15 Derry 1-8 18/3/15
Monaghan booked an Ulster U-21 Football Championship semi-final place with a four-point win over Derry in Inniskeen on Wednesday night. Conor McCarthy hit four points in both halves for Monaghan, who hit seven unanswered points between the 29th and 50th minutes to take control. Derry were gifted the only goal of the game, poked home from close range by Niall Loughlin after a James Kearney free dropped short, but they suffered a setback when midfielder Neill McNicholl was sent off in the 22nd minute and they also saw Ciarán McFaul shown a second yellow card just before full-time. McCarthy’s accuracy and pace was the main difference between the teams, while Fergal McGeough and substitute Dónal Meegan also chipped in with a few scores to send Monaghan safely through. Monaghan’s semi-final will be against Donegal, who pipped five-in-a-row-chasing Cavan with a late Ryan McHugh goal, on Wednesday, April 1 at a venue yet to be announced.
Monaghan: D Kirk; R Wylie, M Murnaghan, K Loughran; D Ward, M Murnaghan, F Malone; C Lavelle, B Greenan (Capt., 0-1); R McAnespie, D Freeman, P Keenan; C McCarthy (0-8, 6f), F McGeough (0-3), F McMahon (0-1f).
Subs: C Meegan for Freeman (34 mins), D Meegan (0-2) for McMahon (36), S Conlon for Lavelle (53).
Derry: B McKinless; A Hargan, M Sweeney, D Brown; C Carville, L McGoldrick, P McElroy; N McNicholl, C McAtamney (Capt., 0-1); C McFaul (0-3, 1f), D Tallon, J Kearney; N Loughlin (1-3, 0-2f), C Murphy (0-1), N Toner.
Subs: R McDonnell for McElroy, J Bradley for Tallon (both H-T), T O’Brien for Carville (43), D Mullan for Loughlin (55).
Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh).
By cshalvey Thu 19th Mar
