AFTERWARDS, Damian Cassidy looked like a man in a hurry to get back away to think about the match.

This was another impressive chapter in his debut season as manager to his native county and, as has been his style on the sideline throughout the season, he gave a cool analysis of a hot-tempered match afterwards.

With 15 minutes remaining, his players faced a stark choice. Having lost a senior player and midfielder when Fergal Doherty was hit with a second yellow card, they could either fade from contention or deliver on their promise that this year things would be different.

Having already lost veterans such as Seán Marty McGoldrick and Enda Muldoon to injury, it was apparent that Derry’s inspiration would have to come for a new source.

And right on queue, James Kielt stepped up to the mark. Kielt had been given plenty of league time by Cassidy with which to advertise both his athleticism and consummate ball skills, but it remained to be seen if he was ready for the intensity of championship fare.

“Well, you know, various people in Derry would have questioned James’s mettle prior to the game and I would like to think he answered that in the second half,” Cassidy said.

“That is a high pressure situation out there, you have very little time or room to think clearly and he executed those scores in great style.

“You put your players out on the pitch and you hope that when the game becomes a test that they will respond. That was maybe the catalyst that really challenged our players so, from our point of view, it was fantastic to see the Derry players rising to it in the last 15 minutes.”

James Kielt stood in front of the Derry dressingroom beaming.

He may have been just happy to have survived the rush and push of Ulster fare. This match comes bang in the middle of his examinations and he planned on celebrating the victory with a late night in a Belfast library.

“Straight back into it,” he promised. “I’m heading up the road immediately. But yeah. That was definitely a big step up from club football or the under-21 championship.

“Everyone knows that the national league is a cut below the heat of the championship, so it was tough out there today.

“But the attitude of the team is great and in training now it is hot and heavy competition for boys to get their place on the 15. That is the way you want it – it is like that for teams like Tyrone and Kilkenny. We know that the players are there in Derry.”

Séamus McEnaney stood with his arms folded. He has masterminded some famous victories for Monaghan and, although the honesty and application were in evidence today, the finish was not.

“We are out of the Ulster championship, but, at the end of the day, every team wants to win the Sam Maguire and that will be our aim. Monaghan fought tooth and nail here. It was 50-50 until the last seven minutes of the game, we fought for the result and, unfortunately, came out the wrong side of it.

“The goal ended up being a very crucial score in the game and we missed a few chances. This is a setback, but there is a serious spirit in this group of players.

“We planned for the 2009 championship and winning Sam is still our goal.”