Dr McKenna Cup SF Final/Down 1-12 Derry 1-6:A fast and mobile Down team saw off Derry in this highly-entertaining Dr McKenna Cup final before an appreciative crowd of 5,335 at Casement Park on Saturday night.

"There are only a few other competitions that are there for the winning - the National League, the Ulster Championship and the Sam Maguire Cup. We are not at that level but we should be if we follow up this progress," said Down's manager, Ross Carr.

"We're looking seriously at the National League and, hopefully, we will get out of Division Three."

Both teams were short regulars, and Carr's new boys showed up best, Down dominating for all but a brief spell in the second half.

Yet their half-time lead of 0-6 to 0-1 looked tenuous, Derry having posted an amazing 11 wides to Down's five.

John Clarke rifled a Down point 30 seconds after the restart but points by Ryan Kealy and the All Star Enda Muldoon, in as a substitute, narrowed the gap before Jackie Lynch, Clarke and John Fegan (free) stretched Down's lead to 0-10 to 0-3.

Derry hopes flared when Paddy Bradley poked the ball into the Down net with over half-an-hour left. But Derry's Danny Hughes hit his fourth point and when Connor Gribben flicked the ball to the Derry net the game was up.

DOWN: B McVeigh; C McGovern, G McArdle, M Cole; D O'Hanlon, L Doyle (0-1, free), K McGuigan; D Gordon, J Lynch (0-1); J Fegan (0-1, free), K McKernan (0-1), D Hughes (0-4); J Clarke (0-3), C Magee, R Sexton (0-1). Subs: C Murney for McGovern, P Downey for Clarke (both 44 mins), C Gribben (1-0) for McKernan (60 mins), R Murtagh for Magee (66 mins).

DERRY: J Deighan; K McGuckin, L Hinphey, F McEldowney; M McBride, J Keenan, R Kealey (0-1); J Conway, A McElhone; E Lynn, C O'Kane, R Wilkinson; C Devlin, P Bradley (1-2, 0-1 free), SL McGoldrick. Subs: E Muldoon (0-1, free) for Devlin, P Murphy for O'Kane (both 27 mins), E Bradley (0-2) for Lynn (40 mins), K McCloy for McElhone (48 mins), C Mullan for Wilkinson (64 mins).

Referee: M Hughes (Tyrone).