Relentless Derry still on an upward curve after Monaghan cruise

BATTLE: Players from both sides contest possession during the Ulster SFC semi-final between Derry and Monaghan at O’Neills Healy Park in Omagh, Tyrone. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

Ulster SFC semi-final

Derry 1-21 Monaghan 2-10

Relentless. Dominant Derry cruised past Monaghan and into the Ulster final with an eight-point triumph in Healy Park on Saturday. From day one of 2023, they have gone flat to the mat. This was no different.

They started the season by defeating Tyrone to lift the Dr McKenna Cup. They then stormed to promotion in Division 2. Now they march on to try and defend their crown on May 14 in Clones.

Conor Glass kicked them off with a boomer and they led for the rest of the contest. 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 tremendous pace and a short shot that dropped in the square. The second a stroke of luck rather than a systemic 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. A pair of Rory Beggan long-range frees and two darting bursts from O’Connell kept it from turning ugly. O’Connell came in as a late change for Thomas McPhillips and made his mark, collecting a handpass on the 45 and running the ball all the way past Odhran Lynch.

At the other end, Conor McCluskey summed the challenge Derry now present. With all 15 pressed forward, Conor McManus was pulled back into defence. He sized up McManus and identified a mismatch, racing through for a goal. The tables had truly turned.

“Credit to Derry,” said Monaghan boss Viney Corey post-match. “That is the way they are playing and that is the way they are used to playing. They go mass defence. They go mass attack. They flush out sweepers. They pull boys deep and they pull boys wide. They open up space and they are very good at it.” 

Monaghan will now prepare for the All-Ireland series with the draw taking place next Tuesday at 1pm, live on GAAGO.

Derry kept rolling until the final bell. Ciaran McFaul came on to a huge roar. Brendan Rogers brought another with a booming point of his own.

“Ciaran is a great player,” said Gallagher. “A great competitor. He is really, really focused and arrived back in phenomenal shape. I was just delighted and I think it is great for Ciaran to be part of our group as well.” 

They arrived in Omagh with the added pressure of being the favourites. Not that it bothered them.

“It is different this year, you are going in as the frontrunners even though we were in Division 2. Look, we haven’t won it. We are in the final now,” he reflected.

“The destination that everyone wants to get to is very obvious. We want to be provincial and All-Ireland champions, but you can’t just look that far. It is the road you go and the direction you take to that is very fulfilling. All we want to do is fulfil our potential. You can actually live with losing some games when you do that. To be able to compete with the heavyweights in your sport.” 

A year after they made it to the decider and ended a 24-year wait, they are back. And better.

Scorers for Derry: S McGuigan 0-9 (5 frees), C McCluskey 1-0, P Cassidy 0-2, C Glass 0-2, E Doherty 0-2, P McGrogan 0-2, C Doherty 0-1, O Lynch 0-1, N Toner 0-1 (1 free), B Rogers 0-1.

Scorers for Monaghan: K O’Connell 1-1, K Gallagher 1-0, C McManus 0-3 (3 frees), R Beggan 0-2 (2 frees), C Boyle 0-1, M Bannigan 0-1, K Hughes 0-1, S O’Hanlon 0-1.

Derry: 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.

Subs: 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).

Monaghan: 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.

Subs: 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).

Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone).