v

Details

Date Time Competition Season
15 May 2022 4:00 pm Ulster SFC 2022

Match Report

Ulster SFC: Derry overcome Monaghan challenge

Derry will play in their first Ulster Senior Football Final in 12 years, after defeating Monaghan 3-12 to 0-17 at the Athletic Grounds.

Benny Herron struck the net in both halves, along with Gareth McKinless to give Derry a huge advantage in the tie, Monaghan coming good in the second half but just ran out of steam.

Shane McGuigan was another key asset for Derry, his 0-7 another catalyst behind the sides victory this afternoon, with Donegal now on the horizon.

It was a dramatic opening half, but at times rather slow and lethargic with Derry fully deserving of a lead at the break, they worked hard to get their scores and two goals coming at a vital time for them to control the game.

In a slow burner of an opening half, it was Derry who took the early advantage, Niall Toner putting the ball over the black spot from play, before McGuigan pointed a free. The Oakleaf county would continue to find their feet as McKinless hit the roof of the net, to make it 1-2 to no score after 12 minutes.

Monaghan finally got on the scoresheet seconds later, as Jack McCarron tapped over a short range free off his left boot, he would reply minutes later with a beautiful curling effort from range to make it a three point game. They followed it up with a goal chance but Ethan Doherty made a crucial tackle to keep them out.

Derry again hit the net after 24 minutes, Herron the scorer at the end of a build up started by goalkeeper Odhran Lynch, with a wonderful kick up field it was gathered and Herron was on hand to strike into an open goal mouth, McGuigan added two frees in between for a 2-4 to 0-2 lead.

Niall Loughlin and McGuigan continued to put Derry in the driving seat, but scores by Connor McCarthy, Darren Hughes and two from Conor McManus, reduced the deficit by the interval, as they trailed 2-7 to 0-6.

The Farney men battled hard into the second half, at times looking like they could snatch the game but once Herron added a second goal, it was like clockwork for Derry to rattle off scores and keep Monaghan chasing the tie.

Andrew Woods and McCarron got Monaghan within five points shortly after the restart, before two McManus frees and a Dessie Ward effort saw them trail 2-8 to 0-11 by the 48th minute.

McGuigan and Mcmanus exchanged frees as Derry kept their heads above the water, holding a four point advantage, Niall Kearns brought it back to three after 56 minutes, but a Paul Cassidy point was followed up by Herron’s second goal of the afternoon, shaking the hips and turning onto his left boot, leaving two Monaghan men in his way, to make it 3-11 to 0-13 on the hour mark.

It was a crunch final ten minutes in Armagh, Ryan McAnespie and McCarron kept Monaghan ticking over, but two points in injury time by McManus, only served as a consolation as they would suffer a four point defeat. 

Derry
1Odhran Lynch Goalkeeper
2Christopher McKaigue Defender 53'
3Brendan Rogers Defender
4Conor McCluskey Defender
5Conor Doherty 18 Defender
6Gareth McKinless Defender 12'
70+6'
7Padraig McGrogan Defender
8Conor Glass Midfielder
22Niall Toner 19 Forward 2'
10Paul Cassidy Forward 59', 62'
11Shea Downey 17 Forward
12Ethan Doherty Forward
13Benny Herron Forward 24', 61'
38'
14Shane McGuigan Forward 10', 18', 25', 32', 35+1', 50', 54'
56'
15Niall Loughlin 9 Forward 29'
16Conlan Bradley Goalkeeper
9Emmet Bradley 15 Midfielder 45'
17Paul McNeill 11 Defender 70+6'
18Padraig Cassidy 5 Forward
19Ben McCarron 22 Defender
20Anton Tohill Midfielder
21Lachlan Murray Forward
23Declan Cassidy Defender
24Mark Doherty Defender
25Matthew Downey
26Oisin McWilliams

Monaghan
1Rory Beggan Goalkeeper
2Kieran Duffy Defender
3Conor Boyle Defender
4Ryan Wylie Defender
5Ryan McAnespie Defender 63'
6Dessie Ward Defender 49'
7Conor McCarthy Defender 31'
8Darren Hughes Midfielder 35'
9Niall Kearns 57'
26Shane Carey Forward
11Kieran Hughes 24 32'
12Micheal Bannigan Forward
13Jack McCarron Forward 12', 15', 42', 64'
14Gary Mohan 18 Forward
15Conor McManus Forward 26', 35+2', 46', 47', 54', 70+2', 70+6'
16Joe Kirk
10Andrew Woods Forward 36'
17Mícheál McCarville Goalkeeper
18Sean Jones 14
19Drew Wylie
20Karl O’Connell Defender
21Conor Leonard Midfielder
22Karl Gallagher
23Shane Hanratty Defender
24David Garland 11 Forward
25Jason Irwin Forward

Timeline

Niall Toner 2' 
Shane McGuigan 10' 
Gareth McKinless 12' 
  12' Jack McCarron
  15' Jack McCarron
Shane McGuigan 18' 
Benny Herron 24' 
Shane McGuigan 25' 
  26' Conor McManus
Niall Loughlin 29' 
  31' Conor McCarthy
Shane McGuigan 32' 
  32' Kieran Hughes
Shane McGuigan 35+1' 
  35' Darren Hughes
  35+2' Conor McManus
  36' Andrew Woods
Benny Herron 38' 
Niall Loughlin
Emmet Bradley		 42' 
  42' Jack McCarron
Emmet Bradley 45' 
  46' Conor McManus
  47' Conor McManus
  49' Dessie Ward
Shane McGuigan 50' 
Christopher McKaigue 53' 
Shane McGuigan 54' 
  54' Conor McManus
Shane McGuigan 56' 
  56' Kieran Hughes
David Garland
  57' Niall Kearns
Paul Cassidy 59' 
Benny Herron 61' 
Paul Cassidy 62' 
Conor Doherty
Padraig Cassidy		 62' 
  63' Ryan McAnespie
  63' Gary Mohan
Sean Jones
  64' Jack McCarron
Niall Toner
Ben McCarron		 68' 
Gareth McKinless 70+6' 
Paul McNeill 70+6' 
  70+2' Conor McManus
  70+6' Conor McManus
Shea Downey
Paul McNeill		 72' 
  • 76'

    Its over and Derry make the Ulster Final, 3-12 to 0-17, a huge day for everyone in Derry

  • 75'

    McManus kicks for goal but it goes over from a late free

  • 72'

    McManus with his sixth point

  • 70'

    Five minutes added on here, with six between the teams

  • 64'

    McCarron replies with a short range free

  • 63'

    Ryan McAnespie with a point for Monaghan

  • 62'

    Paul Cassidy with a beautiful point for Derry

  • 62'

    Padraig Cassidy in for Conor Doherty, while Monaghan bring in Sean Jones for Gary Mohan

  • 60'

    HERRON WITH A SECOND GOAL

  • 59'

    Paul Cassidy extends the Derry lead to four

  • 56'

    McGuigan carded

  • 56'

    David Garland replaces Kieran Hughes

  • 54'

    Another free for Derry from close range, another McGuigan score

  • 53'

    Christopher McKaigue goes into the notebook

  • 53'

    McManus with another free to chip away at the Derry lead

  • 50'

    McGuigan with a short range free to keep them on top in this contest

  • 49'

    Dessie Ward makes it a three point game

  • 47'

    McManus replies with a second free from distance

  • 46'

    McManus lands a wonderful free

  • 45'

    Emmet Bradley with a beautiful solo effort

  • 42'

    Emmet Bradley in for Niall Loughlin

  • 42'

    McCarron three from three from frees so far today, gap down to five

  • 38'

    Benny Heron is the next player carded

  • 36'

    Andrew Woods with the first score of the second half

  • 36'

    Second half gets underway, Derry with a foot in the Final as things stand

  • 38'

    Half Time in Armagh, Derry 2-7 Monaghan 0-6, all the Oakleaf counties way so far as they have been ruthless in attack

  • 37'

    McManus with the last score of the half crucial for Monaghan

  • 36'

    Shane McGuigan with his fifth point of the day, he is oozing class

  • 35'

    Darren Hughes with a point into added time here in Armagh

  • 33'

    Double change for Monaghan Andrew Woods and Karl O'Connell replace Shane Carey and Michael Bannigan

  • 32'

    Yellow for Kieran Hughes

  • 32'

    McGuigan accurate again from a close ranged free

  • 31'

    Conor McCarthy points for Monaghan to cut the gap

  • 29'

    Niall Loughlin kicks the next score for Derry over the bar

  • 26'

    Conor McManus gets his first score of the day

  • 25'

    McGuigan with another free has Derry ahead by eight

  • 24'

    Benny Herron makes it two goals for Derry, goalkeeper Odhran Lynch with a wonderful kick up field in the build up

  • 18'

    Shane McGuigan lands a second point of the afternoon

  • 15'

    Monaghan have a goal chance but Ethan Doherty makes a crucial tackle to keep them out

  • 15'

    McCarron with a second free, this one curling beautifully from a free outside the 21m line

  • 12'

    Monaghan finally on the scoresheet as Jack McCarron taps over a short range free off his left boot

  • 12'

    Gareth McKinless buries a shot to the roof of the net and Derry get a crucial goal

  • 10'

    Derry go two ahead from a Shane McGuigan free

  • 6'

    A string of wides for both teams as Derry remain ahead

  • 2'

    Niall Toner with the opening score of the game

  • 1'

    The referee throws the ball in the air and the game is on in Armagh

  • Very hard to call this tie as both teams look on par with the other, expect fireworks in the Athletic Grounds

  • One change for both teams Monaghan have Shane Carey starting over Andre Woods, while Niall Toner starts ahead of Emmett Bradley

  • The weather in Armagh looks phenomenal today, a first meeting of the two in the Ulster Championship since 2009, both chasing a provincial crown with Derry aiming to end a famine of titles and also final appearances, my name is Diarmuid Kearney and I will keep you updated on the action in this Ulster Senior Football Semi Final at the Athletic Grounds

Ground

BOX-IT Athletic Grounds

Diarmuid Kearney is a freelance Sports Journalist based in Co Kerry. He has more than 5 years experience covering domestic and international soccer for different media organisations, while also working for local and national print and digital organisations covering GAA.