Derry conquer Dublin after penalties in thrilling league final 

KEY MEN: Eoin McEvoy of Derry celebrates with Conor Glass, left, after scoring their side's third goal. Pic: Ramsey Cardy, Sportsfile

Allianz FL Division 1 final: DUBLIN 2-21 DERRY 3-18 

Derry won 3-1 on penalties Derry echoed their 2023 Ulster final win with another penalty shoot-out victory in this enthralling Division 1 final.

The 33,145 crowd were treated to a spectacle of a final in Croke Park, which saw Derry convert all three of their penalties to capture their first top-flight title in 16 years.

Shane McGuigan, Conor Glass and Ethan Doherty all found their mark while Paul Mannion was the only Dublin player to convert after Con O’Callaghan smashed his shot against the crossbar and afterwards Lorcan O’Dell’s attempt was saved by Odhrán Lynch and Tom Lahiff’s strike hit the butt of the post.

It was a deserving win for Derry who could have doubled their three-goal haul by the end of extra-time.

Substitutes Niall Toner and Killian O’Gara had exchanged a brace of points in the first additional 10 minutes. A Conor Doherty point ensured the Ulster champions went in ahead at the turnaround, 2-18 to 1-20.

Stretching so well for a Cormac Murphy pass, Eoin McEvoy blasted his second goal in the third minute, which seemed to be sending them on their way to a first Division title since 2008 when substitute Greg McEneaney retrieved the ball after hit-and-hope into the square and fired an equalising goal.

Just before that, Dublin had lost Fenton to a harsh red card for a push on Eunan Mulholland and after that Paddy Small was dismissed for a second yellow card offence.

GETTING TO KNOW EACHOTHER: Derry’s Conor Glass and Paddy Small of Dublin clash. Pic: James Crombie, Inpho

For the 100 or so minutes, Dublin had 10 different scorers from play and the list did not feature any of their three leading men Fenton, Ciarán Kilkenny and Con O’Callaghan. If that was unusual, so too was the fact three goal openings went astray for Derry in the second half.

Level at half-time 1-7 to 0-10, a Conor Doherty foul on Cian Murphy after Donncha Gilmore lost possession gave Con O’Callaghan the chance to send the game into extra-time as the scoreboard read Dublin 1-18 Derry 2-15.

Two Derry goals in four early second half minutes had threatened to turn the game on its head. Eoin Murchan was deemed to have fouled on Ethan Doherty in the 39th minute after Brendan Rogers found him with a pinpoint pass. Shane McGuigan obliged from the penalty spot to put Derry a point up.

Evan Comerford was beaten a second time less than three minutes later when Paul Cassidy struck across his goalmouth but his effort was marginally off target. 

However, they were celebrating another green flag when a long kick-out was touched on and Eoin McEvoy blasted high to the net. The goal, which had hallmarks of Ryan McHugh’s in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final, put Derry three ahead.

They led by two in the 54th minute when an Ethan Doherty shot was half blocked by Evan Comerford and Murchan came to the rescue to put it out for a 45, which Conor Glass converted.

Derry stretched their cushion to four points through a Lachlan Murray mark and could have closed out the game when they again caught Dublin on a restart break but Murray’s strike was kept out by Comerford.

At the Davin Stand End, Seán MacMahon’s speed had created a crevasse in Derry’s cover but his shot blazed over the bar. McGarry followed with another point in the last minute of normal time before O’Callaghan sent the final into extra-time.

Derry had opened up with the first two points of the game, both from McGuigan, one from play, although that advantage was cancelled out by the seventh minute as Tom Lahiff finished off a kick-out break and Con O’Callaghan punished a Murray foul on Colm Basquel.

Derry, with a bellowing wind behind them, hit back with the next three scores, the third of them a fine Niall Loughlin point that originated with great pressure exerted on the Dublin attack and Ciarán Kilkenny being turned over.

After Brian Howard hit back with a point, Basquel found the net in the 16th minute. Killian McGinnis’ kick was punched out by Odhrán Lynch to Basquel who duly took advantage of the good fortune.

Dublin pushed two points up seven minutes later and Niall Scully had a shot kept out by a Diarmuid Baker block in the 29th minute. 

However, Derry were back on level terms seconds later and hauled Dublin back to parity on two more occasions before the break.

Scorers for Dublin: C. O’Callaghan (0-5, frees); C. Basquel (1-1); G. McEneaney (1-0); T. Lahiff, R. McGarry, K. O’Gara, C. Murphy (0-2 each); B. Howard, S. Bugler, N. Scully, K. McGinnis, P. Mannion (free), P. Small, S. MacMahon (0-1 each).

Scorers for Derry: E. McEvoy (2-2); S. McGuigan (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees); L. Murray (0-4, 1 mark); C. Glass (1 45), N. Toner (0-2 each); E. Doherty, N. Loughlin, B. Rogers, C. Doherty (0-1 each).

DUBLIN: E. Comerford; C. Murphy, S. McMahon, E. Murchan; B. Howard, J. Small, T. Lahiff; B. Fenton, K. McGinnis; S. Bugler, C. Kilkenny, R. McGarry; N. Scully, C. O’Callaghan (c), C. Basquel.

Subs for Dublin: P. Mannion for K. McGinnis (52); P. Small for C. Basquel, L. O’Dell for N. Scully (both 57); K. O’Gara for R. McGarry (70); T. Clancy for E. Murchan (80); C. O’Connor for S. MacMahon (e-t h-t); G. McEneaney for S. Bugler (87).

Red card: B. Fenton (90+2), P. Small (second yellow, 90+4).

DERRY: O. Lynch; D. Baker, C. McKaigue, C. McCluskey; P. McGrogan, E. McEvoy, C. Doherty; C. Glass (c), B. Rogers; E. Doherty, C. McFaul, P. Cassidy; L. Murray, N. Loughlin, S. McGuigan.

Subs for Derry: G. McKinless for P. McGrogan (h-t); N. Toner for G. McKinless (53); C. Murphy for N. Loughlin (66); D. Gilmore for P. Cassidy (70); E. Bradley for L. Murray (78); D. Cassidy for C. McKaigue (80+1); E. Mulholland for C. Doherty (88).

Referee: C. Lane (Cork).