Derry finish strong to pip Monaghan as Donegal come from behind against Fermanagh

Conor McCahill of Donegal was hauled off after sustaining an injur against Fermanagh. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Group A of the Ulster U-20 Football Championship got underway on Wednesday night with wins for Derry and Donegal.

Derry finished strongly to pip Monaghan in Castleblayney. In a repeat of the 2023 All-Ireland MFC Final, Derry once again did enough to claim the win, courtesy of a late flurry of scores from Cody Rocks, Tommy Rogers and Cahir Spiers.

Monaghan started brightly with points from Max McGinnity and Luke McKenna, but Derry kicked four in a row between the 19th and 23rd minutes, including two from Johnny McGuckin, as they claimed a slender lead at the interval: 0-6 to 0-5. 

Tommy Rogers kicked a couple of long-range scores as Derry pushed further ahead after the restart, before Monaghan hit the only goal from a McGinnity penalty. 

The hosts led by the minimum on 53 minutes, but Rocks equalised and Rogers landed the only two-pointer to regain the advantage for Derry. The all-action Spiers added the final point as Derry won by 0-14 to 1-8.

Donegal had to come from behind to pip Fermanagh by the narrowest of margins in Buncrana.

Senior star Finnbarr Roarty didn’t start for Donegal, who also lost Conor McCahill to injury early on as Fermanagh raced into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead after just ten minutes, with Mattie McDermott scoring the goal and Nathan Beattie kicking 0-4. 

Goals from Kevin Muldoon and Donnacha Ó Baoill brought Donegal level at 2-4 to 1-7, but Dáire Chapman replied for Fermanagh, who led by 2-8 to 2-5 at half-time. 

The teams were level when Rory Smyth hit Fermanagh’s third major to put the Erne County within reach of a big win, but Shane Callaghan and Thomas Lenihan responded for Donegal, before Kalvin McLaughlin’s late winner.

Monaghan host Donegal in round two next Wednesday, while Fermanagh are away to Antrim.