Derry 5-9 Fermanagh 2-12:DERRY NEEDED two late goals from Benny Heron and Aaron Kerrigan to close out a score-fest they initially looked like winning easily.

The opening 15 minutes were desperately one-sided. The alarm bells were ringing for Fermanagh after only two minutes as Derry carved open their defence for Lee Kerrigan to blast to an empty net. And, by the 13th minute, Lee Moore had scored Derry’s second.

Fermanagh did rally as Derry eased off and closed the gap to 2-3 to 0-5 as the half went into injury-time, but Moore blasted home his second goal to give Derry a seven-point interval lead.

But Fermanagh roared back, and, despite losing Joe O’Brien to a second yellow – with two Chris O’Brien goals they led 2-9 to 3-5.

But Derry settled and, with Caoleain O’Boyle leading the charge from midfield, they took over in the final 10 minutes.

DERRY: A Warnock; D Bell, C McWilliams, O Duffy; C Nevin, B Doyle (0-1), B McCallion (0-1); A Kelly, C O’Boyle (0-1); C McFeely, J Kielt (0-1, f), E McGuckin (0-1); A Kerrigan (2-0), L Moore (2-1), L Kennedy (0-2). Subs: B Heron (1-1) for Kelly (40), C McGoldrick for McFeely (48).

FERMANAGH: M Jackson; C Mulligan, R Foy, M Maguire; P O’Brien, B Cox, N McElroy; R O’Callaghan, R Jones (0-2); J O’Brien, D Keenan (0-6, 3f), D McCusker; T Corrigan (0-1,f), C O’Brien (2-2, 1f), K Connolly (0-1). Subs: S Carters for Maguire (14), A Boyle for Connolly (60).

Referee: S McNamee (Tyrone).