Antrim 2-8: K Brady 2-0, S McQuillan 0-3 (one free), R Hamill 0-2, K Doyle 01, K Madden 0-1, A Morris 0-1.

Derry 0-14: A Tohill 0-4 (three frees), D Dougan 0-4, P Bradley 0-2, E Muldoon 0-2, R Rocks 0-1, G Coleman 0-1.

Referee: J Bannon (Longford).

Booked: Antrim - Morris, Kevin Doyle; Derry - Tohill, McCusker, Dougan.

The so-called Derry shredding machine, anticipated to go into overdrive and gobble up a helpless Antrim challenge was proven to be a mere figment of the imagination in front of 20,000 sun-baked spectators at Casement Park yesterday.

This pulsating Ulster semi-final draw was ultimately fashioned in the dying seconds by a gigantic leap by the 6 ft 6 in Derry midfielder Anthony Tohill on his own goal line.

Tohill had been pulled back into an over-worked Derry defence when he denied Antrim of certain victory by saving a certain point above his crossbar. But the nerve-tingling moment, a fitting climax to an absorbing, rather than spectacular, match, almost proved fatal for Derry when the ball bobbled from Tohill's grasp and onto a post before being scrambled away.

Tohill's industrious midfield opponent, head-shaven Sheeny McQuillan, had stretched the Derry giant to the limit with his last-ditch 50-yard free. The Antrim star had to admire Tohill's feat. "Only Tohill could have achieved that," commented McQuillan afterwards.

An abysmal first-half display by Antrim left them trailing by 0-9 to 0-2 having played into the slightly diagonal breeze, was followed by an inspired second half.

The introduction of Kevin Madden towards the end of the third-quarter played a major part in Antrim's great feat. Madden pointed a superb score moments after he entered the fray and, from that moment, Antrim's barnstorming effort took off.

Antrim's first-half display was a poor parody of their collective brilliance in the second half. They brought all their undoubted talents to the fore, combining skills with steely conviction and, above all, a superb level of fitness.

Their fitness levels relegated Derry to a very concerned side and panic, not to mention despair, was seen to be their companions as Antrim drove forward. Only some unforced errors seemed to prevent Antrim from taking the lead.

Had Antrim got their noses in front it is extremely doubtful, on reflection, if Derry would have had the ability, let alone the stomach, to fight back. Antrim's fitness, of course, is not an accident and is linked to Ulster's success in the European rugby cup success of last year. Time spent developing sprinting skills on the Mary Peter's track in Belfast under the guidance of Harry Brennan, the man behind the province's rugby triumph, has not been wasted.

Kevin Doyle, Kevin Brady, Ronan Hamill and Kevin Madden were a joy to watch in the Antrim attack, repeatedly taking up scoring positions, while working off the promptings of Gearoid Adams, Aidan Morris, John Kelly and, above all, Joe Quinn and McQuillan in the centre. But most of that effective play was reserved for the second half.

Major remedies had to be found by a head-scratching Eamonn Coleman and, like the astute manager he is, the response was well deployed with Enda Muldoon coming out to the middle and Tohill dropping back to deal with the home team's central threat up front. Tohill's earlier midfield partner Dermot Heaney was called ashore and Joe Brolly was drafted in at the death to try and contain the runaway Antrim men.

It was a little bit unfitting when Dermot Dougan, Derry's great attack leader, was just short with what would have been a lead point in the hectic dying moments after the wily Brolly had passed a free kick to the better placed Newbridge man. Brolly seemed to be amused by having been called in at the last moment. "Who was that old man they called on at the finish?" he joked.

Tohill won the toss and took first advantage of the wind but, while his team were slow to build up a worthwhile lead, Antrim seemed stuck to the ground.

Antrim's half forwards could not exploit the breaking ball and, by the time they opened their account in the 18th minute with a Ronan Hamill point, Derry had four points on the board and should have had twice that many. But they fumbled their way through the half and Tohill was denied a goal by a despairing effort from Sean McGreevy.

"Brian White told us at half-time that the breeze was worth about five points and we were in with a great chance," said Kevin Madden. Brady's goals turned the game on its head, the first boxed to the net 12 minutes into the second half.

The second, that put the sides on level terms in the 31st minute of the half, was a beauty, with Brady rounding his markers before slotting home from close range.

The Ulster Council will announce the replay date on Tuesday night.