DERRY staged a remarkable revival to come back from 3-7 to 0-2 adrift midway through the first half to eventually overhaul Down and book an Ulster U21 final date with Antrim.
Down looked to have done enough as they led by a point with just seconds of the three additional minutes remaining, but super-sub Tommy Gallagher had other ideas as he netted in the dying to seal the win.
The Ardsmen made an extraordinary start to this high scoring semi-final.
Three superbly taken goals from Oisin McManus, Conal Fitzsimmons and Brooke Byers in the opening quarter put them in total control of the game, with Derry scoring just two points in this spell through Declan Foley.
However, the Oak Leafs fought back to reduce the deficit to four at the break, 3-8 to 1-11, Declan Foley finishing the half with six points and Mark McGuigan with three, while Cormac O’Doherty scored a stunning goal in the final minute of the half with a deft aerial touch that sent the sliothar past stranded Down ’keeper Jamie Crowe.
Midway through the second half O’Doherty gave Derry blasted to the net from a 20 metre free to make it 3-11 to 2-13.
Down went four points ahead five minutes from time before Foley, Bradley and McGuigan made it a one-point game, and the Oak Leafs completed their dramatic comeback with that late, late Gallagher goal.
Derry manager Tom McLean was delighted with the resolve his players had shown to bounce back from such a poor start.
He said: “That’s under 21 hurling and there’s no point in polishing it up. It’s that time of year where there’s not a lot of preparation put into it.
“Derry came together there this evening and it took them a wee while to get settled, but before they got settled there were three goals past them.
“But that’s a seriously good Down team and let nobody be under any illusions about that, so that was a powerful victory for Derry to get.
“It was a great team effort. We could name individuals but everybody out there played their part in the win.
“They just kept plugging away and didn’t drop the heads and battled right to the end and it was nice to see wee Tommy [Gallagher] getting the winning goal.”
Derry: C Owens; C Quinn, B Óg Corbett, S Doyle; M Mulgrew, M McGrath, N Farren; T McCloskey, G Bradley (0-3); J Shaw, M McGuigan (0-4), D Foley (0-8, 0-5 frees); J O’Dwyer, C O’Doherty (2-1), J McEldowney. Subs: G Farren for B Óg Corbett (20), T O’Kane for J McEldowney (37), T Gallagher (1-0) for J Shaw (49).
Down: J Crowe; M Fisher, R Branagan, D Mallon; C Taggart, C O’Neill, J McGrath; B Byers (1-2), R Courtney (0-1); J Doran (0-2), M Nicholson (0-1), R McCusker (0-1); O McManus (1-2), C Fitzsimmons (1-4), E Sands (0-1). Subs: C Fay (0-1) for J McGrath (33).
Referee: Owen Elliott (Antrim)
