Derry's quarry face looks more imposing than ever in victory over Monaghan
CLOSE CALL: Niall Toner of Derry has a shot on goal saved by Monaghan goalkeeper Rory Beggan during the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi Final match between Derry and Monaghan at O’Neills Healy Park in Omagh, Tyrone. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
After a spit in the palm and a roar from the line, Rory Gallagher cut a content figure as the final whistle sounded in Omagh having steered Derry to an eight-point victory over Monaghan and one step away from defending their 2022 Ulster crown.
“To encounter Beowulf,” Derry’s renowned son Seamus Heaney once said of the awkward text, “is like taking a sledgehammer to a quarry face.”
He may well have been describing what it is like to try and overcome his native county. Here they were clinical up front and in control throughout. Shane McGuigan gave an exhibition of shooting and scored nine in total, acrobatically getting shots off while under pressure and nailing his frees. Midway through the first half, Darren Hughes was left shaking his head after diving on the full forward’s boot and watching as somehow the shot squeezed under his arms and over the bar. It was a resigned nod to a superior foe.
The only chinks in what is becoming fearsome armour were exposed by Karl O’Connell’s awesome pace and a short shot that dropped in the square. The second a stroke of luck rather than a systematic error.
By the time Sean Hurson sounded his whistle for the break, Derry’s dominance was reflected with the 1-12 to 1-5 scoreline. Rory Beggan cleared the archetypal set-piece wall twice in the opening half and O’Connell made the most of a Ryan Wylie handpass, collecting at the 45 and storming to goal. He skinned Ethan Doherty moments after but was pinged twice for subsequent attempts, once for steps and once for pulling the defender’s arm.
Derry dictated the terms all afternoon. It started with a Conor Glass boomer before Paul Cassidy curled over two sweet right-footed strikes. Goalkeeper Odhran Lynch took away Beggan’s beloved pocket deep on the right, picking off several kickouts. Christopher McKaigue manned the square, initially cancelling out Jack McCarron until he was withdrawn before the half-hour mark.
Thanks to gross stupidity, entirely self-inflicted it should be said, this writer was forced to follow Con Houlihan's great example and occupy the terrace having failed to submit an application for the press box. The parade’s arrival coincided with an announcement that throw-in would be delayed be five minutes due to Monaghan’s bus being delayed by traffic in town. No harm as it only prolonged a building buzz that had been momentarily interrupted. It was a curious thing to see how an excited crowd did their best to quell pre-game anticipation and stay respectful such was their sympathy for the preluding match.
The curtain raiser in Healy Park saw Tyrone’s minors stroll to an 8-17 to 0-2 win over Antrim. Yet another reminder that while the impetus behind the age grade alteration was admirable, there is more change needed. These are teenagers playing at a development grade and it is an enormous gulf in every sense from the minor ties that previously played out before championship encounters. There are better and fairer fixtures that can be paired together for a double header.
By the time Conor McCluskey collected a handpass and raised their only green flag, the Oakleaf faithful were in full voice. The committed defender sized up McManus and identified a mismatch. The tables had truly turned.
A second half pot-shot produced Monaghan’s second goal. Glass was on the edge of the square, Wylie won it first and was denied. Karl Gallagher responded first to snatch a ray of hope.
‘Send it in!’ came the call from the concrete steps. Maybe that was their best bet because nothing else was working. Glass settled his side down and kicked his second to make the gap six. From there they cruised home, with the final roar for Ciaran McFaul as he came on to mark his return to the fold.
Glass is the glue for this outfit and their on-field conductor. He was in constant conversation with those around him and midway through the first half, he turned to his goalkeeper and let loose.
“I had a go at him just for going up the pitch when he didn’t need to,” he told us with a laugh when reminded of it post-match. “I guess with goalkeepers you want to keep them in the backline as a plus-one. When they get ahead of defenders and midfielders, you don’t want them in that position. It was an open and honest conversation. I wasn’t having a go really; I know him and I’m friends with him. He didn’t take it personally!”
They march on to a consecutive Ulster final where they will face Armagh or Derry. Safe in the knowledge they are a better team this time round.
Shane McGuigan 0-9 (5 frees), Conor McCluskey 1-0, Paul Cassidy 0-2, Conor Glass 0-2, Ethan Doherty 0-2, Padraig McGrogan 0-2, Conor Doherty 0-1, Odhran Lynch 0-1, Niall Toner 0-1 (1 free), Brendan Rodgers 0-1.
Karl O’Connell 1-1, Karl Gallagher 1-0, Conor McManus 0-3 (3 frees), Rory Beggan 0-2 (2 frees), Conor Boyle 0-1, Michael Bannigan 0-1, Kieran Hughes 0-1, Stephen O’Hanlon 0-1.
O Lynch; C McKaigue, E McEvoy, C McCluskey; C Doherty, G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Glass, B Rogers; P Cassidy, P Cassidy, E Doherty; N Toner, S McGuigan, N Loughlin.
B Heron for McKinless (34-37 temp), Heron for Cassidy (50), C McFaul for Loughlin (58), B McCarron for P McGrogan (64), P McNeill for McKaigue (66), L Murray for Toner (70).
R Beggan; R O’Toole, K Duffy, R Wylie; C Boyle, D Ward, K O’Connell; D Hughes, K Lavelle; S O’Hanlon, M Bannigan, C McCarthy; J McCarron, K Gallagher, C McManus.
S Carey for McCarron (30), K Hughes for Hughes (30), G Mohan for Ward (43), C Leonard for Gallagher (61), S Jones for Wylie (65).
S Hurson (Tyrone)
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
