Derry and Monaghan turn on style to earn spots in the Ulster U20 Semi-Finals

Derry's Eoin Higgins helped pave the way for his side

John Campbell

Derry and Monaghan booked their places in the Ulster U20 Football Championship Semi-Finals when they overcame Cavan and Armagh respectively in Wednesday night’s last-eight duels.

It was Hugh McGrath’s Derry side who seized the early initiative against Cavan with Niall O’Donnell and Eoin Higgins posting scores before Barry Donnelly and Darragh Lovett responded for the Breffni side.

Derry’s pace and clever build-ups forced their opponents onto the back foot for a spell during which Oisin Doherty, Ruairi Forbes and O’Donnell cemented their lead.

Cavan found it difficult to penetrate the Oak Leaf defence but Cian Keaney landed a brace of points to keep the side very much in contention.

Derry led 0-8 to 0-4 at the half-way stage and with Doherty and O’Donnell particularly active, they sought to press home their advantage in the third quarter.

And they certainly did this in style in a frenetic two-minute spell when Doherty pounced for a superb goal before embellishing it with another point.

Further points from Forbes and Doherty cemented Derry’s 1-11 to 0-7 victory.

Armagh, meanwhile, found the going tough against Monaghan for whom Stephen Mooney was in superb free-taking form as he posted eight points in all. Monaghan led by 1-7 to 0-7 at the break with Bobby McCaul’s well-taken goal proving a vital score before his team fought a rugged second-half battle.

With Dara McKenna and Sean Callan also snapping up points, Monaghan eased into a 1-11 to 0-8 lead as they tightened their grip on the game.

Ace marksman Mooney along with Oisin McGorman posted late points for Monaghan while Gareth Murphy, Tiernan Brown and Padraig O’Keefe were on target for Armagh but it was rather too little as they ultimately surrendered on a final score of 1-15 to 0-13 after a pulsating contest.