Derry: 1-16
Donegal: 1-14
Declan Bogue reports from Clones
DERRY WON THEIR first Ulster title since 1998 on a day of days for the county in Clones, by sealing the first-ever provincial final that went to extra-time.
In an exhausting afternoon, it came down to one last play at the end of the second period of extra-time with Donegal captain Michael Murphy standing over a 14 metre free. He let fly with a vicious drop-kick, seeking to wipe out Derry’s two-point lead.
But one of the multiple of Derry players got their body in the road. Nobody cared. The ball broke out wide, Derry players infused with an adrenaline shot as they chased up the field only to hear the three late, sweet peeps of referee Sean Hurson’s whistle.
As captain Chrissy McKaigue said in the opening words of his address after pumping the Anglo-Celt Cup to the heavens, “It was just our time!”
An early goal from Niall Loughlin on eleven minutes sent them on their way to building an early lead. At times Donegal looked oddly passive and only for the spritely movement and scoring of Peader Mogan, they would have been in serious peril.
After the break, they decimated Derry’s lead with an early Odhran McFadden-Ferry goal after Derry goalkeeper Odhran Lynch could not hold a drive from Michael Langan.
Thereafter the game swung around the place wildly, but the last quarter belonged to Derry with six of the last nine scores, the last score from a Shane McGuigan free coming ten long minutes from the end of normal time.
Derry outscored Donegal 0-4 to 0-2 in the extra-time periods, with full-back Brendan Rogers both scoring his third, and then setting up Conor Glass for the last point of the game.
It was manager Rory Gallagher’s first Ulster title at the fourth attempt as a manager in his own right.
Scorers for Donegal: C McGonagle (0-3), O McFadden-Ferry (1-0), J McGee (0-2), M Murphy (0-2), S O’Donnell (0-2), P McBrearty (0-2f), R McHugh (0-1), C Thompson (0-1), A Doherty (0-1mark)
Scorers for Derry: S McGuigan (0-6, 5f), N Loughlin (1-2, 1f), B Rogers (0-3), C Doherty, C Glass, E Bradley, P Cassidy, S Downey (0-1 each)
DONEGAL: S Patton; C Ward, B McCole, S McMenamin; R McHugh, EB Gallagher, O McFadden-Ferry; C McGonagle, J McGee; P Mogan, S O’Donnell, M Langan; P McBrearty, M Murphy, J Brennan
Subs: C O’Donnell for Brennan (57 mins), A Doherty for McFadden-Ferry (64 mins), N O’Donnell for S O’Donnell (72 mins), H McFadden for McGee (ET 1 mins), C Thompson for McGonagle (ET 10mins), P Brennan for Langan (ET 11 mins)
DERRY: O Lynch; C McKaigue, B Rogers, C McCluskey; C Doherty, G McKinless, P McGrogan; C Glass, E Doherty; P Cassidy, S Downey, N Toner; B Heron, S McGuigan, N Loughlin
Subs: E Bradley for Loughlin (46 mins), L Murray for Heron (64 mins), B McCarron for Toner (68 mins), P McNeill for Downey (72 mins), N Toner for McCarron (ET 11 mins), B Heron for Murray (ET 11 mins), O McWilliams for Doherty (ET 16 mins)
Referee: Sean Hurson (Tyrone)
That was anti football. Should have been sponsored to endure it.
@Dave Kilmartin:
Watching The Ulster finall was like having a conversation with Uncle Colm Derry Girls
@Gerard Moroney: brilliant.
Thank God that’s over
Always have had and will have a soft spot for Donegal, but I’m delighted for Derry today. First since ’98 totalling 24 years, just amazing to see an underdog do it even tho they’ve been up and coming for some time now. They’ve kinda done the Real Madrid on it beating the 3 best in Ulster: Tyrone, Monaghan, and Donegal. Special day for the Oak Leaf County. Glass, Rogers, and McGuigan brilliant throughout, amongst others too. Bradley did the job off the bench too.
@Ultan Corcoran: Always have had and will have a dislike for Donegal. They introduced puke football.
@Rob Jones: Actually Puke football was a term coined by Pat Spillane to describe Tyrone tactics when they played Kerry in the 2000s. What Donegal or rather Jim McGuiness did was to take it to a further level. And plenty of counties have adapted this at different times.
@Bert Carolan: Was going to say the same. As for the adaptation by others it’s totally true. Yes, maybe some counties more so than others in bigger games, but people can’t help but accept every county does it to an extent. I’d personally just love to trial a shot clock when the attacking team crosses the opposition 45, but I know how unlikely and possibly unappealing it would be… just feel it could do away with the ball going over and back for 3 or 4 mins.
@Rob Jones: Wrong on that, Tyrone and Armagh introduced it, in fact Donegal were behind the curve on it for several years, they had to introduce it to become competitive in Ulster. Although all that said, today was up there with the most pathetic display of utter nonsense over 70 minutes I’ve seen in a while. I’m a Donegal supporter and I’m embarrassed that with a full minute left in normal time and with possession Donegal decided to not risk attacking, like seriously. Had they got through they’d have taken a hiding from a team with any courage and a bit of guile. Good luck to Derry but they need to cut out some of that negative nonsense and bad sportsmanship too. Rant over!
@Ultan Corcoran: Agree, the thirty sideways and back handpasses is not a spectacle of any description.
I recall the 1990 world cup which was so short on entertainment that FIFA were compelled to bring in rule changes ( we Irish thought the tournament was mighty) Among the changes were the backpass rule, tweaks to the offsde rule and a couple of others. Within a short enough time there was a big improvement in the entertainment value of soccer. Something similar is needed in Gaelic football, it needs the association to have the courage to make the decisions.
@Bert Carolan: Interesting. Yeah, personally I could only see it enhancing the game. Obviously fairly impossible to do it at any level under Intercounty or Senior Club, but I think that suits as most standard non-senior club teams don’t prioritise possession like the borderline professional edge the intercounty teams have regarding it.
The negative and defensive style football is absolutely horrible to watch. That is not football.
@Ciaran: Unfortunately it is. Donegal particularly in the first half were very slow transitioning from defence to attack. Can’t see either Dublin or Kerry being so slow.
Ulster may be the most competitive province but for for most of the last 10 years (with exception of Tyrone last year) the degree of cautious/negative play has been hard to watch.
Donegal in particular don’t seem to have realised that football has moved on from what McGuinness & Gallagher introduced. County teams are still very defensive but the better ones from from defence to attack rapidly to allow opposition defences as little as possible to put the blanket in place inside their 45.
@Ciaran: why did you watch it then
Can’t disagree it was defensive safe and unadventurous football throughout, but as a Derry man, I don’t really care this one time! Needed that silverware, and for all the haters, we beat the all Ireland Champions, we beat Monaghan and now Donegal, but go ahead and criticise all you want, that was some path we had to take to get out of Ulster! DOIRE ABU!
@Seamus O’Caolaidhé: Congrats. A win is a win whether its ugly or not doesn’t matter for the victors. As you say, beat probably the top 3 teams in Ulster (maybe excluding Armagh) so a memorable one indeed. Have the nicer side of the draw if they can go far too I would add!
Derry won’t care tonight, but that was an awful game of “football” there was a huge crowd there today and you could hear a pin drop for most of the match nothing for them to get excited about or cheer for,over 350 hand passes from both teams and both of them dropping 15 players back into there own 45 when the opposition had possession passing sideways and back just terrible stuff.
Derry for Sam
There’ll be some ears burned by Brolly over the next few weeks
There has to be a rule brought that both teams have to have one, two or three or more players in each half of the field at all times. As it is there can be 29 and even 30 players in one half of the field. No room to swing a cat or a boot. Just think about it before it bores us to death. I was close to sleep this afternoon.
@JG: Or no one allowed cross the half way line. The half of the pitch you start in , that’s it. Could do with reducing to 13 a side, players much better able to cover the ground these days.
@JG: Jesus would you ever stop moaning
We are ulster champions for the first time in 24 year. we have had club teams in all Ireland finals in both codes but this was needed. I have been to div 3/4 matches watching Derry and I was there in 08 when we won division 1. This is going to lift the county and it’s well overdue.
@Conor: Well done delighted for ye but this wasn’t football,I’m a limerick man and would take a win like that every day but this isn’t football, enjoy the celebrations,well deserved.
Poorest excuse for a game of football in a while to be honest, where is Pat Spillane and his “puke football” saying now??
That game was 2 hours of my life that I’ll never get back!
Puke football!
A disgrace of a game off gaelic football. I love my gaa. But both teams. Handpass back and forward. It was like handling baby. Please don’t put that rubbish on TV again
Would anyman rather see 1 sided games like Munster, Leinster again? We might not be entertaining but we give it a go. It means more up here and fair play to Derry..
Twas worse than watching galway
The match was so bad,it made the Munster final look good.
That has to be the end of Bonner now please. Paying Rochford to hold his hand too for this? A horrible era for Donegal.
Just read above that Murphy kicked the last free as a drop kick. Never realised you could do that for a free?
@Joe Kennedy: why not?
@John O Reilly: mainly as I’ve never seen it done before I think….so I’d assumed you couldn’t do it?!
I usually find certain soccer games a bore fest. Yesterday I couldn’t have been more bored watching a football game. You can’t blame Derry as they were the underdog and being their first win in 24 years just had to get over the line.
But Donegal are a disgrace. They reluctantly kick the ball and only seem to kick the ball as a last resort. The amount of hand passing was way over the top. Shame on you and you got what you deserved.
You surely can’t call that giving it a go.