Gaelic Games

Defending champions Derry march on to Ulster final at under par Monaghan’s expense

Nine points from Shane McGuigan and a goal courtesy of Conor McCluskey helped the Oakleafers to victory

Ulster GAA Senior Football Championship Semi-Final, O'Neill's Healy Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone 29/4/2023 Derry vs Monaghan Monaghan's Conor McManus and Christopher McKaigue of Derry Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
Ulster GAA Senior Football Championship Semi-Final, O'Neill's Healy Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone 29/4/2023 Derry vs Monaghan Monaghan's Conor McManus and Christopher McKaigue of Derry Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo
Steven Doherty
Sat Apr 29 2023 - 19:21

Derry 1-21 Monaghan 2-10

Derry returned to the Ulster final with a comprehensive and comfortable win over Monaghan at Healy Park. Shane McGuigan contributed nine points for the victors – four of those from play – with rampaging full-back Conor McCluskey scoring the Derry goal.

Karl Gallagher and Karl O’Connell scored goals for an under par Monaghan side that failed to reproduce the heroics that took them past Tyrone in the previous round.

The high scores notched up in both quarter-final wins might have suggested another attack minded game at Healy Park. And even when a pregame deluge of rain emptied its worst over Omagh, a magnificently pristine presented itself for champagne football.

Derry, so clinical with their shooting, ran in seven up at the break. A quiet, nervy opening quickly threatened to become a Derry procession. Conor Glass and Rory Beggan swapped opening scores before points from Paul Cassidy, Derry’s clear and present danger Shane McGuigan and Padraig McGrogan shifted the Oakleafers to a 0-4 to 0-1 lead.

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That advantage quickly became 0-6 to 0-2 before a cracking 18th minute goal from Karl O’Connell pulled the Farney right back into contention.

Shane McGuigan continued to work the Healy Park scoreboard at regular intervals, from play and with his deadly free-taking, to stretch the Derry lead to 0-9 to 1-3 after 25 minutes.

Rory Gallagher’s men tapped again on the accelerator, and when the high-octaned Conor McCluskey sped through on goal and dispatched a clinical finish it left Derry six ahead with five to play in the opening half.

Monaghan's Karl O Connell and Conor Glass of Derry contest the ball during the Ulster SFC semi-final on Saturday. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Monaghan's Karl O Connell and Conor Glass of Derry contest the ball during the Ulster SFC semi-final on Saturday. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

Two late half Conor McManus frees book-ended points from McGuigan, Conor Doherty and Derry goalkeeper Odhran Lynch to leave the reigning Ulster champions 1-12 to 1-5 ahead at half-time.

Derry started the second half strongly before a Karl Gallagher goal briefly threatened to ignite Monaghan’s performance. Little of real significance occurred in the final quarter other than the return of the mercurial Ciaran McFaul on the hour mark. The Glen man brought an extra spark of energy to a contest that had long fizzled out.

Bursting with confidence and conditioning, and with as many as eleven different men finding points, the Oakleaf men cruised towards victory with the wind billowing in their sails.

Brendan Rogers, along with partner Glass lorded the middle third in Derry’s favour, dropped the shoulder to burn his man and pop over to confirm Derry’s dominance and their return to the provincial final.

DERRY: O Lynch (0-1), C McKaigue, E McEvoy, C McCluskey (1-0), P McGrogan (0-2), C Doherty (0-1), G McKinless, C Glass (0-2), B Rogers (0-1), P Cassidy, E Doherty (0-2), P Cassidy (0-2), N Toner (0-1, 1f), S McGuigan (0-9, 5f), N Loughlin. Subs: B Heron for P Cassidy (50), C McFaul for N Loughlin (58), B McCarron for P McGrogan (65), P McNeill for C McKaigue (69), L Murray for N Toner (70)

MONAGHAN: R Began (0-2, 2f), K O’Connell (0-1), K Duffy, R Wylie, C Boyle (0-1), S Ward, R O’Toole, D Hughes, K Lavelle, S O’Hanlon (0-1), M Bannigan (0-1), C McCarthy, J McCarron, K Gallagher (1-0), C McManus (0-3, 3f). Subs: S Carey for J McCarron (29), K Hughes (0-1) for D Hughes (29), G Mohan for D Ward (43), C Leonard for K Gallagher (62), S Jones for R Wylie (65)

Referee: S Hurson (Tyrone)