Gaelic Games

Derry quell Longford resistance in All-Ireland minor quarter-final

Ulster champions make second-half comeback as they bid for first title since 2002

Derry’s Shane McGuigan in action against Cavan in the Ulster minor final. Photograph: Andrew Paton/Presseye/Inpho
Derry’s Shane McGuigan in action against Cavan in the Ulster minor final. Photograph: Andrew Paton/Presseye/Inpho
Sun Aug 02 2015 - 16:01

Derry 0-12 Longford 2-4

A stirring second-half comeback from Derry kept the Ulster champions on course for a first All-Ireland since 2002.

They found themselves four points down at the interval and were lucky the gap wasn’t wider, with Longford’s Conor Berry’s a real handful on the edge of the square. Heset up both goals for Darragh Doherty and Peter Hanley.

Conor Glass tried to rouse Derry with a fine score from the right wing but the favourites trailed by 2-2 to 0-4 at the break. But Derry dominated the whole of the second half and slowly clawed the arrears back, with the superb Jack Doherty at the heart of the fightback.

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Shane McGuigan, man-of-the-match in the Ulster final, also stepped up in attack, while Niall Keenan was again magnificent in the Derry defence.

DERRY: B McKinless; N Keenan, C McGrogan, C Maunsell; O Duffin, M McEvoy, E Concannon; P Kearney, J Doherty (0-2); P Coney, S Downey, C Glass (0-2); B Cassidy (0-1), B Grant, S McGuigan (0-7, two frees). Subs: S Higgins for Grant (35 mins), F Higgins for Cassidy (38 mins), N McAtamney for P Kearney (41 mins), G McLaughlin for Duffin (50 mins), F Kearney for Maunsell (53 mins).

LONGFORD: M Hughes; M Cahill, R Sheahan, R Harkins (0-1); C Brady, R Moffatt, K Sorohan; C Berry (0-3, two frees), E Farrell; C McCabe, P Hanley (1-0), J Matthews; R Brady, P Lynn, D Doherty (1-0). Subs: R Hawkins for Moffatt (29 mins), C Finnan for Doherty (53 mins), L Barry for Sheahan (58 mins), J Kelly for Hanley (59 mins).

Referee: L Devenney (Mayo)