DONEGAL ARE AIMING to make a fourth Eirgrid Ulster Under-21 Championship and begin their 2016 campaign with Derry the opposition in tonight’s quarter-final in Ballybofey.
Donegal will play Tyrone in the semi-final on Wednesday, March 30. Tyrone, the All-Ireland champions, beat Cavan 2-10 to 0-1 tonight at Breffni Park.
FULL-TIME DONEGAL 0-14 DERRY 2-7
60+9 mins. Stephen McMenamin is off for a second yellow. We’re in the ninth minute of injury time.
60+4 mins. What a finish here! Stephen McBrearty with another close-range free, which he did brilliantly to win himself. Donegal 0-14 Derry 2-7
60+3 mins. Level again! Niall Toner with a fine effort. Donegal 0-13 Derry 2-7
60+2 mins – Donegal are in front. Stephen McBrearty free from in front of the posts, which was brought forward. Donegal 0-13 Derry 2-6
60 mins – Point for Cian Mulligan. Phew! We think. It could well have been a goal but Jack O’Brien, who broke in, saw his run and shot thwarted by Ciaran McCloy in the Derry goal. The rebound could’ve gone anywhere but it went over. Donegal 0-12 Derry 2-6
59 mins – Derry sub there, Eamon McGill has gone off and in his place is Tomás McCrossan.
58 mins – Meehaul McGrath is Derry is sent off for two yellows. Donegal need numbers of a different kind to work for them. Donegal 0-11 Derry 2-6
55 mins – Sub for Donegal about to happen. Aodhan McGinley for Conor O’Donnell. A free from Coalan McGonagle drops short into the hands of Derry goalkeeper Ciaran McCloy. Donegal 0-11 Derry 2-6
53 mins – GOAL FOR DERRY
Very untidy goal but the visitors don’t care. Niall Toner made his way down the right and as he lost the ball cutting in Donegal had three chances at least to clear as it bobbled around the square. Ruairí McElwee, we think, prodded it in from close range. Donegal. Donegal 0-11 Derry 2-6
51 mins – Niall Friel is on for Andrew McClean. Derry had a chance to put one between them but the shot from Niall Loughlin was just wide. Nervy. Donegal 0-11 Derry 1-6
49 mins – Donegal are reeling a bit here. A strong run from Terence O’Brien comes to nothing and at the other end a Donegal attack is snuffed out. Donegal 0-11 Derry 1-6
46 mins – Conor Doherty is off for Donegal and on instead is Ciaran Thompson. For Derry Ryan Lee for Michael McEvoy. Free for Derry is scored by Niall Loughlin. Donegal 0-11 Derry 1-6
GOAL FOR DERRY
44 mins – Niall Loughlin taps home from close in as Niall Toner cut in from the left. An unselfish pass from Toner and Derry are just three down. Donegal 0-11 Derry 1-5
41 mins – Andrew McClean from Kilcar floats one – it takes a while to come down but the kick is good – from Jamie Brennan’s pass. Yellow card for Conor Convery. Donegal 0-11 Derry 0-5
37 mins – Point for Derry and it’s Danny Tallon again, following a strong run from Meehaul McGrath. Sub too as Derry make a double switch – Ruairi McElwee and Conor Convery for McDevitt and Donaghy
For Donegal, Danny Monagle and Cian Mulligan on for Eamonn McGrath and Christian Bonner. Donegal 0-10 Derry 0-5
33 mins – A brilliant run by Eoghan Ban Gallagher, who makes almost 90 metres and is fouled. The free is brought in and Stephen McBrearty makes no mistake with the free from 10 metres. Donegal 0-010 Derry 0-4.
32 mins – First score of the second half is for Derry and for Danny Tallon. Great effort from the wing-forward who came deep and hie shot was true. Donegal 0-9 Derry 0-4
No changes for Derry.
Donegal are back out. No changes bar Stephen McBrearty is back on for his blood sub Ciaran Thompson. McBrearty is wearing number 30.
HALF-TIME – DONEGAL 0-9 DERRY 0-3
In between those last two points, Jamie Brennan had a great chance. The Bundoran forward nipped in to rob a short kick-out from Ciaran McCloy, the Derry goalkeeper. Brennan tried to lift the ball over the ‘keeper but got too much on it and it clipped the top upright. Donegal 0-9 Derry 0-3
28 mins – Goal chance for Derry and Donegal are lucky. Danny Tallon was under pressure but still managed to get an effort on the Donegal goal, which struck Danny Rodgers’ crossbar. The follow-up by Niall Loughlin is blocked and up the other end, Jamie Brennan scores his third point of the half and Christian Bonner chips in with another score. Donegal 0-9 Derry 0-3
24 mins – Vital block by Kieran Gillespie as Jason Rocks from Derry shot for goal from 10 yards having picked up a pass from Niall Toner. Derry’s Jamie Donaghy is booked for clattering Stephen McBrearty, who has walked to the dressing room with Dr Kevin Moran. Ciaran Thompson is on as a blood sub.
Caolan McGonagle nails the free. A brilliant effort from the 45-metre line not far in from the terraced side here in Ballybofey. Donegal 0-7 Derry 0-3
22 mins – Close range free restores Donegal’s advantage. Stephen McBrearty is the scorer. Donegal 0-6 Derry 0-3.
20 mins – Caolan McGonagle’s long-range frees won a county minor championship for Buncrana not so long ago and he scored an excellent free from 50 metres there. However, Niall Toner pulled one back at the other end for Derry. Donegal 0-5 Derry 0-3
18 mins – Great score from long range from play from Terence O’Brien of Derry. Donegal 0-4 Derry 0-2
The wide count here is Derry four, Donegal one
Niall Loughlin kicked nine points – five frees and four 45’s – in the preliminary round as Derry overcame Antrim last week 0-16 to 0-11. This week, though, he’s missed his first two placed balls.
13 mins – Coalan McGonagle with the best point of the night so far, a boomer from 40 metres. Donegal 0-4 Derry 0-1
In the one change to the match programme, Ciaran Thompson from Naomh Conaill is on the bench for Donegal having returned from injury.
9 mins – Jamie Brennan scores his second point of the evening, a right-footed effort at the River End. Well taken. Donegal 0-3 Derry 0-1
7 mins – Derry might’ve won a free in there but it doesn’t matter really as they get off the mark. A fine hooked effort from Jamie Donaghy. Donegal 0-2 Derry 0-1
4 mins – Donegal have dominated possession here on a crisp night in Ballybofey and a second point arrives from the boot of Jamie Brennan. Donegal 0-2 Derry 0-0
2 mins – Conor Doherty shoots Donegal into an early lead. Donegal 0-1 Derry 0-0
Here’s tonight teams:
Donegal: Danny Rogers; Jack O’Brien, Kieran Gillespie, Conor Morrison; Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Conor O’Donnell, Eamonn McGrath; Stephen McMenamin, Caolan McGonagle; Andrew McClean, Stephen McBrearty, Micheál Carroll; Conor Doherty, Jamie Brennan, Christian Bonner.
Derry: Ciaran McCloy; Niall Keenan, Conor McDevitt, Oisin Hegarty; Michael McEvoy, Eamon McGill, Jason Rocks; Jarlath Bradley, Meehaul McGrath; Danny Tallon, Terence O’Brien, Jamie Donaghy; Niall Toner, Niall Loughlin, Peter Hagan.
Referee: Niall McKenna (Monaghan).
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