Derry 6-28
Monaghan 0-9
It was a difficult day for a depleted Monaghan side at a sun drenched Healy Park, Omagh on Saturday as Derry showed all of their superior quality to comfortably book their place in the Ulster senior shield final.
Missing a number of regulars Trevor Hilliard’s side struggled against the Oakleaf men who really hammered home their superiority with an unanswered 4-9 in the final 13minutes of the game. Fergal Rafter finished with four points to his name and his second of the game left just one between them after six minutes. However, gradually Derry pulled clear and by the break goals from Mehaul McGrath and Ruairi Convery from a penalty had them 2-13 to 0-5 clear at the break. Both Jamie Dooley and Nathan Adair having good goal scoring chances while Conor Boyle and Stephen Lambe were of target with frees in that opening period.
The third quarter was evenly matched with the sides trading our points apiece. Derry rattled over three quick points but Rafter (3) and Lambe had kept Monaghan’s scoring ticking over. That though was to end their scoring as Derry run riot in the final 13 minutes with substitutes Ciaran Steele (2) and Keven Hinphey along with Mark McGuigan all raising the green flag. While Derry march on to face Tyrone, Monaghan’s next outing will be in the Nicky Rackard Cup in two weeks against the Red Hand county.
Monaghan: Patrick Bermingham, Bernard Connor, Sean Leonard, Brian Flanagan; Aidan Kerr, Peter Treanor, Eoin Leonard; Fergal Rafter (0-4, 1f), Brian McGuigan (0-1); Stephen Lambe (0-1,f), Conor Boyle (0-1), Luke McKenna (0-1); Nathan Adair, Jamie Dooley (0-1), Shane McNally.
Subs: Stephen Forde for Adair, Pauric Malone for McNally, Daire McKeown for Kerr, Ronan Curran for E Leonard, Adair for Boyle.
Derry: Darryl McDermott; Eugene McGuckin, Ruairi McCartney, Dominic Mullan; Brendan Quigley, Brian Og McGilligan (0-1), Paul Cleary; Eanna Cassidy, Conor McAlister (0-2); Mark McGuigan (1-2), Mehaul McGrath (1-0), Ruairi Convery (1-7, 1-0p, 0-3f); Oisin McCloskey (0-1), Brian Cassidy (0-4), Paddy Henry (0-4, 1f).
Subs: Darragh Cartin (0-1) for O McCloskey, Ciaran Steele (2-1) for B Cassidy, Tiarnan McCloskey (0-4) for McGrath, Ruairi McCloskey for McGilligan, Kevin Hinphey (1-1) for Cleary.
