Report: Donegal Under-21s make hard work of it, but book semi-final spot

ON CHELTENHAM week, Donegal Under-21s won by a nose after stumbling on the final hurdle to reach the Ulster U-21 semi-finals.

Donegal 0-14 Derry 2-07

A useful first half had Declan Bonner’s team well in command, but second half goals from Niall Loughlin and Ruairi McElwee looked to have stolen the win for Derry.

However, Bonner’s men found a kick over the last furlong to claim a dramatic win.

They levelled it in the final minute of normal time with a point that ought to have been a goal.

Jack O’Brien, the corner back, saw a close-range shot saved by Derry ‘keeper Ciaran McCloy and the in-rushing Cian Mulligan fired over the bar with the goal yawning before him.

During seven heart-stopping minutes of added time, Stephen McBrearty saw a free cancelled out by Niall Toner before McBrearty’s power won a free that was pointed by the Kilcar man.

These nights are never usually straightforward, but Donegal made life unnecessarily difficuly for themselves.

With Caolan McGonagle and Jamie Brennan to the fore in the first half, Donegal opened up a six-point lead, but Derry eroded away at the deficit.

Loughlin bagged a goal that really brought his side back into it. Toner capitalised on poor defending by Donegal and his centre was easily steered home by Loughlin.

Greenlough man Loughlin was on the money last week with nine points from placed kicks when Derry defeated Antrim 0-16 to 0-11.

While he was off cue with his first two here, he netted the scores that made a game of it, following his goal with a free to pull Derry to within two points heading into the final ten minutes.

And they stole a march with a goal that won’t make good viewing for the Donegal defence.

Toner scorched past the Donegal defence soon after and his ball in was fumbled before McElwee steered home, only for Bonner to crack the whip and his team fell over the line.

Both teams finished with 14 men as Derry’s Meehaul McGrath and Donegal’s Stephen McMenamin were both sent off after collecting second yellow cards in a frenetic finale.

It seemed by then a long time since the game burst to life with Conor Doherty opening the scoring after Eoghan Ban Gallagher broke the line.

Brennan arched over a pair of points in quick succession before an excellent score from distance by McGonagle put the home side 0-4 to 0-1 up by the 13^th minute.

McGonagle landed a beauty of a free from 55 metres and McBrearty converted from 30 metres as Donegal kept themselves in front.

While Terence O’Brien and Toner responded to the Donegal frees, it took a fine block from Kieran Gillespie to deny Jason Rocks from a powerful drive.

Donegal survived again when Tallon hit the crossbar and Gillespie was again alert with Loughlin lurking.

McGonagle, this time with a wonderful free from the right-hand side and the home sight could have had a goal but Brennan’s attempted lob went awry and came off an upright.

Captain Ciaran Thompson missed out because of the knee injury sustained while in Tenerife with the Donegal senior team, but the Naomh Conaill man appeared as a blood sub in the 27^th minute when McBrearty took a ferocious hit from Jamie Donaghy.

Donegal did come into the game without a number of their leading lights, those marked absent included Darach O’Connor, Rory Carr, Lorcan Connor, Tony McClenaghan and Mark Coyle.

Yet, Bonner’s side still included seven players who started the 2014 All-Ireland minor final against Kerry, with Christian Bonner, Conor Morrison and Doherty – members of that panel of two years ago – also in from the off tonight.

And they finished well in the first half with McGonagle, Brennan and Christian Bonner giving them a 0-9 to 0-3 lead at the break.

Derry arrived in Ballybofey without the injured Aidan Keenan and Paul McNeill, with Jack Doherty set to play for St Pat’s, Maghera in tomorrow’s Danske Bank MacRory Cup final against St Paul’s of Bessbrook.

Conor Glass will also participate in the MacRory final, although the Glen man wouldn’t have been allowed appear here in any case. Glass will make the move to Australian Rules club Hawthorn in June and isn’t permitted to play county football as part of the deal.

Tallon hit the first point of the second half, but Donegal stayed in control. Stephen McBrearty won and then pointed a free to restore Donegal’s six-point advantage after Eoghan Ban Gallagher galloped 80 yards of MacCumhaill Park in one of the plays of the night.

When Andrew McClean pointed in the 41^st minute, it lookeed as if Donegal would win in style, but they were clinging on for dear life when referee Niall McKenna, finally, called time.

Donegal: Danny Rogers; Jack O’Brien, Kieran Gillespie, Conor Morrison; Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Conor O’Donnell, Eamonn McGrath; Stephen McMenamin, Caolan McGonagle (0-3, 2f); Andrew McClean (0-1), Stephen McBrearty (0-4, 4f), Micheál Carroll; Conor Doherty (0-1), Jamie Brennan (0-3), Christian Bonner (0-1). Subs: Danny Monagle for McGrath (38), Cian Mulligan (0-1) for Bonner (38), Ciaran Thompson for Doherty (46), Niall Friel for McClean (51), Aodhán McGinley for O’Donnell (55), Jack Scally for O’Brien (60).

Derry: Ciaran McCloy; Niall Keenan, Conor McDevitt, Oisin Hegarty; Michael McEvoy, Eamon McGill, Jason Rocks; Jarlath Bradley, Meehaul McGrath; Danny Tallon (0-2), Terence O’Brien (0-1), Jamie Donaghy (0-1); Niall Toner (0-2), Niall Loughlin (1-1, 1f), Peter Hagan. Subs: Ruairi McElwee (1-0) for McDevitt (38), Conor Convery for Donaghy (38), Ryan Lee for McEvoy (42), Tomás McCrossan for McGill (59), Eoin Devine for Bradley (60).

Referee: Niall McKenna (Monaghan).