Derry get past Donegal in classic Ulster final

Derry 1-16; Donegal 1-14

(AET)

This was football played with deadly intensity and while Donegal led for much of the second half, you got the distinct impression that this year the force was with Rory Gallagher and Derry.

And so it proved at sun-baked Clones on Sunday when the Oak Leaf boys bridged a 24-year gap to edge home in extra time. And who could begrudge them their victory following this action packed game which was a real step up in class to anything we have seen on any of the provincial fronts this year?

It took extra time before the deadlock was broken between these two great adversaries as late scores from the high-scoring full back Brendan Rogers and one from influential midfielder Conor Glass finally swung the pendulum in the Derry direction.

This wasn’t a free-flowing game but became absorbing because of the on-field tactical battle as both sides probed to find areas of penetration. Derry’s ability to put their noses in front in the final strait is testament to the way they have matured this past year. In this series alone in Ulster they have had to down the colors of All Ireland champions Tyrone, Monaghan and now Donegal to claim the Anglo-Celt Cup. How many All Irelands have been won by team having to face less difficult opponents? Dozens, I’d hazard to guess.

A good start is such a confidence booster and when Niall Loughlin finished off a pacey Derry incision in the 11th minute to shoot home, it gave the Derry fans a massive lift.

Michael Murphy was tracked everywhere by man of the match Rogers and for once played second-fiddle to an opponent.

When Shea Downey and Paul Cassidy and a Shane McGuigan free thrust the Foyle siders 1-3 to 0-1 ahead, it seemed like they might be out of sight before the interval.

However Donegal are made of sterner stuff and a couple of Peadar Mogan points raised their dander while Murphy finally found his range from 45 to shoot the best point of the half.

Paddy McBrearty was another who came off second-best against his marker Chrissy McKaigue, and with the main men being deprived of oxygen, there was little forward reward for the men from Tír Conaill.

Derry were having more joy with Niall Loughlin and Rogers pushing them ahead by five before Mogan again and finally McBrearty reduced arrears to a goal – 1-6 to 0-6 at the break.

When Odhran McFadden Ferry got in for a goal within the first minute of the restart after Michael Langan shot was stopped but not cleared, it began to look good for Donegal. This view was enhanced when the ubiquitous Ryan McHugh leveled matters up – one of five times they would find themselves on Even Steven Street in this moiety.

It went forward and backwards with Shane McGuigan getting some great scores but Murphy with a confident long ranger and Jason McGee pushing the green and gold two to the good.

McGuigan was immense from placed balls to keep the Derry boys on their coat-tails as the ref blew for the end of normal time on 1-12 each.

You still couldn’t prise a cigarette paper between the two heavyweights in extra time as Aaron Doherty and Emmet Bradley swopped scores points, but down the strait big game players Rogers and Glass stood up to break Donegal hearts with two hammer blows.

Derry: O Lynch; C McKaigue, B Rogers (0-3), C McCluskey; C Doherty (0-1), S Downey (0-1), P McGrogan; C Glass (0-1), G McKinless; P Cassidy (0-1), N Toner, E Doherty; B Heron, S McGuigan (0-6, 0-5f), N Loughlin (1-2, 0-1f) Subs: E Bradley (0-1) for Loughlin (47), L Murray for Heron (63), B McCarron for Toner (67), P McNeill for Downey (71), Heron for Murray (81), Toner for McCarron (81), O McWilliams for Doherty (87).

Donegal: S Patton; C Ward, B McCole, S McMenamin; R McHugh (0-1), E Ban Gallagher, O McFadden Ferry (1-0); C McGonagle, J McGee (0-2); P Mogan (0-3), S O’Donnell (0-2), M Langan; P McBrearty (0-2f), M Murphy (0-2), J Brennan Subs: C O’Donnell for Brennan (57), A Doherty (0-01m) for McFadden Ferry (63), N O’Donnell for S O’Donnell (71), H McFadden for McGee (71), C Thompson (0-1) for McGonagle (80), P Brennan on for Gallagher (81)

Ref: S Hurson (Tyrone).

Dublin’s 5-goal salvo sinks Kildare

Dublin 5-17; Kildare 1-15

Reports of Dublin’s demise have indeed been greatly exaggerated this spring as Dessie Farrell’s boys sank Kildare without trace in Croke Park on Saturday evening thanks to a five-goal salvo in a 25-minute first-half explosion of attacking football.

Poor Kildare, all they could do was lie on the ropes as big blow after big blow rained down on them and rendered them defenceless for the rest of the game. They had travelled with what many considered their most potent forward line in a generation, but it was their rear-guard that was torn to shreds by a Dubs attacking force that played with such hunger, it looked as if their very lives depended on raising green flags.

So from tragedy to triumph, Dublin appears to have turned their season around in the past month and now, having collected their 61st provincial crown, they go in search of the big one – the Sam Maguire.

With a remarkable 12 successive Leinster title in the bag, they now go automatically into the quarter-final without having had to use the higher gears against patently inferior opposition.

This looked more like a challenge match or in-house A v B game than a genuine provincial decider.

Two goals from Cormac Costello following a well-worked opener from Ciaran Kilkenny and another from the best player afield Con O'Callaghan and John Small had the Lilies wilting under the heat of such constant fire.

O'Callaghan, who hadn’t togged out for the Metropolitans during their relegation from Division 1 in the league, not only looked refreshed himself but seemed to breathe new life. Into everyone around him in the forward division.

As well as helping himself to 1-05, he made the first goal for Kilkenny and caused the Kildare rearguard all sorts of headaches with his movement and speed of thought.

Kildare were enthused that Paul Cribbin kicked the first score of the game after three minutes but after that, it was all downhill as Dublin brutally bludgeoned them to an early grave.

Near the end, the elusive Jimmy Hyland got consolation goal for Kildare but it was a case of putting a slightly more respectable look on the scoreboard.

Dublin: E Comerford; E Murchan, M Fitzsimons, L Gannon (0-2); J McCarthy, J Small (1-0), B Howard; B Fenton (0-3), T Lahiff; S Bugler, L O'Dell, C Kilkenny (1-0); C Costello (2-1), D Rock (0-4f), C O'Callaghan (1-5, 0-1m) Subs: N Scully (0-1) for O'Dell 45, C Murphy for Murchan 51, A Byrne (0-1) for Rock 59, J Cooper for Lahiff 65, B O'Leary for Costello 70.

Kildare: M Donnellan; M O'Grady, S Ryan, R Houlihan; K Flynn (0-1), J Murray, T Archbold; K Feely (0-1), K O'Callaghan; A Beirne, B McCormack (0-5, 0-1m), P Cribbin (0-1); D Kirwan (0-1), D Flynn (0-1m), J Hyland (1-4, 0-3f) Subs: D Hyland for Murray h/t, P Woodgate (0-1f) for Kirwan h/t, P McDermott for Cribbin 49, D Malone for Archbold 60, F Conway for Beirne 68.

Ref: P Neilan (Roscommon).

Kerry outclass Limerick

Kerry 1-28; Limerick 0-8

This was National League Division 1 winners versus a team that got promoted out of Division 3. In truth the chasm in class seemed more than just two divisions as Kerry, minus their talisman David Clifford, had a 23-point advantage at the end of this game at Fitzgerald Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

And while such a drubbing was definitely no good for Billy Lee’s squad, you could argue that it was little better for Kerry boss Jack O'Connor because after facile wins against Cork and now Limerick, he doesn’t have his team tried and road tested for the big challenges that lie ahead in the quarter-final.

Concerning the long lay-off to the next match, O’Connor said: "Four weeks is an inordinate amount of time to have between matches. We’ll have to make sure we manage it properly. That’s why the league is such a great competition. You have games week on week and the odd time two weeks between matches."

O’Connor had one or two complaints about a series of first half misses but added:

“Very happy with the second half but obviously bigger tests ahead. We set our stall to be as good and professional every day we go out and the opposition is almost incidental then if you have your own targets. We’re happy enough with the way we went about our business.”

Kerry led by nine points at half-time – 0-12 to 0-3 and totally dominated the second period when they landed another 1-16.

The crowd of 14,587 will hope that Kerry can bring Sam back to the Kingdom after losing out over the past eight seasons. However it was worrying the Kerry only managed to get in from one goal- from Adrian Spillane – and that might not be enough if they finding a team which hits the ground early.

Kerry must wait a full four weeks for their next assignment while Limerick’s next game will take place on the weekend ending June 12.

Kerry: S Ryan; G O’Sullivan, J Foley, T O’Sullivan (0-3); B Ó Beaglaoich (0-2), T Morley, G White (0-1); D O’Connor, J Barry; P Clifford (0-2), S O’Shea (0-6, 0-1 ‘45, 0-1f) (capt.), S O’Brien (0-1); T Brosnan (0-3), P Geaney (0-4, 0-1m), K Spillane (1-3) Subs: D Moran for O’Connor (temp 26-28); A Spillane (0-1) for O’Brien, D Casey for Foley, Moran for O’Connor (all 51 mins); M Burns (0-2) for K Spillane (53 minis); P Murphy for Morley (56 mins); G Crowley for Ó Beaglaoich (temp 57-full time).

Limerick: D Ó Sullivan; S O’Dea, B Fanning, M Donovan, C Sheehan (0-3), I Corbett (0-2), P Maher, D Treacy, C Fahy, A Enright, B Donovan, J Naughton, P Nash, J Ryan (0-2, 0-1 ’45, 0-1f), H Bourke Subs: R Bourke for H Bourke (half time), C McSweeney for Nash (47), G Brown (0-1) for Maher (47), T Griffin for Enright (47), R Childs for Fanning (61)

Ref: M McNally (Monaghan).

Galway gain revenge vs. Rossies

Galway 2-19; Roscommon 2-16

Galway just weren’t going to lose this one – they would have lost their own confidence entering the qualifiers and indeed the backing of their own supporters as well if they did.

In front of 21,419 at Pearse Stadium, it just wasn’t an option to lose and in fact they ran out much easier winners than the above scoreline might suggest as Roscommon came with a late flurry of scores to cut the final deficit to three points.

Galway scored 2-16 from play and had no less than eight players on the scoresheet as they prevented a fourth Connacht final loss in a row.

A measure of their dominance was the fact that Galway led by 2-7 to 0-8 at the break with all their scores coming from play in the opening half. They played with a real purpose and their main men stood up – something that will give their fans a lift as they head into the quarter-finals.

The teams were level four times early on before Shane Walsh struck for the first goal to leave his side 1-4 to 0-4 to the good after 17 minutes. Roscommon worked hard to get back into the frame but then a second goal from Patrick Kelly, who hit a brace against Leitrim, left the Tribesmen 2-7 to 0-8 ahead at the interval. Even with Killian Molloy off on a black card, the winners continued to dictate the play and Damien Comer raised three white flags as his side led by

Points from Heaney and Comer, with Conor Cox responding for Roscommon, meant that Galway outscored them by 1-03 to 0-02 while down a man 2-14 to 0-12 going down the last quarter. A goal from Conor Daly lifted the Rossies but they were always playing catch-up and Diarmuid Murtagh got in for a consolation goal in the sixth minute injury-time – which gave the respectable look to the scoreboard but couldn’t mask the fact that they had been outplayed on the day.

Galway: C Gleeson; L Silke, S Kelly, J Glynn; D McHugh, J Daly, C McDaid (0-1); P Conroy (0-1), M Tierney; K Molloy (0-1), D Comer (0-3), J Heaney (0-2); R Finnerty (0-5), P Kelly (1-0), S Walsh (1-6, 0-2 '45, 0-1f) Subs: N Daly for Tierney (59), F Ó Laoí for Comer (65), O Gallagher for Finnerty (70), P Kelly for P Kelly (70), C Sweeney for Molloy (74).

Roscommon: C Lavin; B Stack, C Daly (1-1), D Murray; C Hussey, N Daly, R Daly; U Harney (0-3), E Nolan; C Heneghan (0-1), E Smith (0-1), C Murtagh (0-1); C McKeon (0-1), D Smith (0-2, 0-1f), C Cox (0-5, 0-3f) Subs: N Kilroy for Heneghan (half-time), R Hughes for Murray (47), D Murtagh (1-1, 0-1f) for D Smith (48), A Glennon for McKeon (58), K Doyle for Nolan (58).

Ref: J McQuillan (Cavan).

Derry 1-16; Donegal 1-14