Derry squeeze out Donegal in Leo Murphy opener

Derry just had a little too much for battling Donegal as Leo McLoone’s U-20s opened their Leo Murphy Cup campaign with a loss in Owenbeg.

Derry 1-14 Donegal 0-12 

The visitors had trailed at one stage early on in the second-half by seven points after Charlie Diamond had fired in a 34th minute goal for Derry. But Donegal admirably dragged themselves back to within a single goal nearing full time. 

However, Derry would close matters out with the last two points of the contest to cross the line, in the end, with five to spare. 

Donegal enjoyed a decent enough opening quarter as they went 0-4 to 0-2 up. The hosts had grabbed the early initiative as Diamond landed a pair of points, one from a free and one from play. 

However, Donegal settled and four overs on the bounce pushed them two clear by the 13th minute. Shaun Ward got that spurt going with a fine burst through the middle while on six minutes David Boyle tied matters from a free. 

Blake McGarvey then kicked the visitors ahead for the first time before Ward again, this time from a free from distance, doubled that advantage. 

Diamond, from way out, halved the gap before Niall McGonigle again levelled things when he was gifted too much room just right of centre. Another Diamond free then helped the young Oak Leafers back into the lead. 

Rattled, Donegal allowed powerful midfielder Sean Deehan to advance forward and he was unfortunate in the extreme to see his drilled effort crack back off the butt of the post. Callum Downey twice, including Derry’s fifth on the trot, then helped open up a three point gap at 0-7 to 0-4.

Senan Quinn stemmed the tide for Donegal, an opportunity from which the Four Masters man could possibly have progressed on and even attempted to raise a green flag. 

However, it was Derry that finished the opening period strongest with McGonigle and Diamond helping to bring their end of half tally to 0-9 with Donegal locked back on 0-5. 

Substitute Daniel Marely got Donegal off to an encouraging start when things resumed but with Deehan stroking that out and Diamond immediately following up with that crucial Derry goal, the home side suddenly found themselves 1-10 to 0-7 to the good. 

David Boyle and McGonigle swapped points as six remained the gap. Derry then lost Eoin Higgins to a black card and three successive Donegal points - from Ward (free), Marley and Karl McGee, helped slingshot their team back in to within four at 1-12 to 0-11. 

Things  got even better when Marley added another Donegal point on 59 minutes. However, Derry would regroup down the stretch and final overs from McGonigle and Peter McCullough helped ease the winners over the line. 

Derry scorers: Sean Deehan (0-2), Peter McCullough (0-2), Charlie Diamond (1-4,2f), Niall McGonigle (0-4,3f), Callum Downey (0-2).

Donegal Scorers: Shaun Ward (0-4,3f), Daniel Marely 0-3), David Boyle (0-2,2f), Blake McGarvey (0-1), Karl McGee (0-1), Senan Quinn (0-1).  

Derry: James Gribbin; Jude Moore, Adam McLaughlin, James Murray; Danny McDermott, Conor Shields, Ronan Walls; Patrick O’Kane, Sean Deehan; Peter McCullough, Charlie Diamond, Ruairi Ó Mianain; Ciaran Chambers, Niall McGonigle, Callum Downey. 

Subs:  Eoin Higgins for Ó Mianain (40), Conall Heron for Walls (45), Cormac Bateson for Downey (59). 

Donegal: Mark Gordon; Ferdia Doherty, Sean Doherty, Cian Mulligan; Kyle Murray, Aaron Ward, Karl McGee; Oisin Caulfield, Senan Quinn; Fionnan Coyle, Shaun Ward, Christy Mulligan; Conor O’Neill, David Boyle, Blake McGarvey. 

Subs: Daniel Marley for McGarvey (18,inj), Daire Ó Fearraigh for Mulligan (40), Donal Gallagher for Coyle (45), Kevin Lynch for Murray (49), Cian Rooney for  C Mulligan (59), 

Referee: Conall Roberts (Antrim).