Injury time winner for Derry as Dublin beaten at Celtic Park!

Derry 1-11

Dublin 0-13

Brendan Rogers scored a late, late point to secure victory for Derry at the end of a thrilling game against Dublin at Celtic Park.

Rogers struck to cap off an incredible comeback from the Oakleafers, who were five points adrift of their opponents at half time following a disappoint first half. But it was a different second half entirely as Rory Gallagher’s side dug deep again to make it five wins from five so far this season.

Celtic Park was packed out for this highly-anticipated game between two teams with 100% records.

But it was Dublin who started the big game on top and had the better of the first half.

Cormac Costello opened the scoring, and although Paul Cassidy got Derry off the mark, Dublin responded strongly with scores from Costello, Lee Gannon and Con O’Callaghan to go 0-1, 0-4 clear midway through the half.

A free from Shane McGuigan put two points between the sides, but again Dublin pulled away, with two points from Brian Fenton and one from Jon Small making it a five-point difference at the break.

Derry finished the first half frustrated with work to do to maintain their unbeaten record, with Dublin 0-2, 0-7 in control.

Tom Lahiff actually extended the Dublin lead early in the second half, but it was all Derry after that. Etan Doherty and Niall Loughlin ate back into the Dublin lead, and the comeback was well and truly on when Niall Toner found the net with a close range finish for the first and only goal of the game to make it 1-4, 0-9 on 44 minutes.

A score from Conor Doherty took Derry to within one point and with all the momentum with Derry, Paul Cassidy hooked over a point to level the game at 1-6, 0-9 with 55 minutes on the clock.

The game was there for the taking and Ciaran Kilkenny put Dublin back in front briefly before Oisin McWilliams responded for the hosts.

It was back and forth at this stage and the crowd was completely hooked with Colm Basque and Ciaran Kilkenny putting Dublin two clear with time quickly running out. But there was no denying Derry and they fought back yet again, this time courtesy of two frees from Shae McGuigan, to leave the score 1-9, 0-12 with just three minutes left.

The Celtic Park crowd let out a huge roar when Lachlan Murray kicked Derry into the lead for the first time a minute later and the hosts held that lead heading into four minutes of added time. It seemed as if Costello had denied Derry a famous win when he levelled the game, but the drama was just unfolding.

Michael Fitzsimons was red carded for Dublin very late in the game and there was still time for one last attack, with Rogers the man to split the posts to take Derry to the verge of promotion, and send thousands of fans home happy from Celtic Park.