Gaelic Games

Mayo Under-20s edge out Derry to reach All-Ireland final

Kildare await Mayo in the final as they hold on to take Carrick-on-Shannon thriller

Mayo’s Conor Diskin carries the ball as Cathal Horan blocks Derry’s Padraig McGrogan. Photograph: Tommy Grealy/Inpho

Sat Jul 14 2018 - 18:48

Mayo 2-14 Derry 2-11

After shading the second-half exchanges, Mayo edged out a determined Derry challenge to hold on for a deserved win at the end of a cracking All-Ireland Under-20 semi-final in Carrick-on-Shannon on Saturday.

Mayo got off to a dream start when Ryan O’Donoghue fired to the net in the second minute. Derry’s Declan Cassidy made it level pegging on 1-2 apiece when he scored 10 minutes later.

Oisín McWilliams added another Derry goal shortly afterwards. His side enjoyed a three-point advantage when Lorcan McWilliams scored an 18th minute point.

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Derry failed to score for the rest of the half. Mayo, for whom Ross Egan put over two frees - with Oisín McLaughlin and Evan O’Brien chipping in with a point each - led by 1 - 7 to 2 - 3 at halftime.

After the restart Derry went two points ahead by the 40th minute after Lorcan McWilliams, Ben McCarron and Mark McGrogan hit a point each. But a Paul Lambert Mayo goal two minutes later turned the tide for the Connacht side.

Derry reduced Mayo's lead to the minimum by the 46th minute after Brian Cassidy and Lorcan McWilliams (free) hit a point apiece. But after that Mayo held out for a victory that was secured with two late Tommy Conroy points.

Mayo: P. O'Malley; J. Maughan, B. O'Malley; J. Cunnane; P. Lambert (1-0), C. Horan, O. McLaughlin (0-2); E. O'Brien (0-1), J. Flynn; N. Moran, R. O'Donoghue (1-0), T. Conroy (0-2) ; C. Diskin (0-1), R. Egan (0-5, 5 f), C. Moran. Subs: J. Gallagher (0-2) for C. Moran (47mins); J. Dawson for Horan (52 BC); S. Óg Tighe for N. Moran (57).

Derry: O. Hartin; S. McKeever, C. McCluskey, E. Concannon; D. Cassidy (0-2), P. McGrogan, M. Bradley; C. Doherty (0-1, 1f 45), D. Rafferty; S. Downey (0-1), O. McWilliams (1-0), M. McGrogan (0-1); L. McWilliams (0-5, 3fs), C. Brown (1-0), B. McCarron (0-2, 1f). Subs: C. McShane for Bradley (36 mins); B. Cassidy (0 - 1) for M. McGrogan (43).

Referee: P. Faloon (Down).

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