Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship quarter-final: Derry 1-13 Galway 0-4
DERRY minors booked their All-Ireland semi-final spot at the expense of reigning champions Galway in commanding fashion on Saturday afternoon.
Damian McErlain’s side had conceded under four points per championship outing in the build-up to the Ulster final, but needed extra-time and penalties to see off Monaghan in a dramatic decider.
This All-Ireland quarter-final was a case as business as usual with a commanding performance that saw Derry 1-5 to 0-2 up at the interval and in pole position.
Cahir Spiers ran the show with Johnny McGuckian heavily involved and 1-3 from Eamon Young brought the end product to a display Galway never came close to matching.
“It was a good performance,” Derry manager Damian McErlain said at the final whistle.
“We were frustrated in the first half where, at half-time, we felt anything Galway had got in the game we had nearly led to it ourselves by sloppy passes.”
Derry maintained their control after the interval. Leading 1-7 to 0-4, they rode their luck in the 43rd minute. A fist pass over the top had too much on it for Galway substitute Padraic Faherty. Had it gone to hand, a goal chance was on, but Finbar Murray gathered possession.
Within seconds, Ross Coen body checked Johnny McGuckian as Derry advanced and was shown a black card to add to the yellow he received for a similar charge on James Sargent in the first half and Galway were down to 14 men.
The game was running away from the Tribesmen by that point and they failed to raise a flag for the remaining 23 minutes of the game.
“The All-Ireland minor quarter final is a very tricky situation, particularly for champions. The teams that win their province, it’s (about) managing the heads,” McErlain added, having the experience of hard-fought wins over Longford (2015) and Sligo (2017) in his previous years as an Ulster minor winning boss.
Spiers was involved in Derry first three attacks. He hit the post before Odhran Campbell’s early wide. The next move saw him curl over the opener and his overlapping run made Oisin Doherty’s point.
Derry used width to great effect to keep the ball out of contact and with Cahal McKaigue edging his battle with Shay McGlinchey, it combined to give the Oak Leafers a foothold.
Brian O’Malley opened the Galway around before Johnny McGuckian – who was fouled for three of Ger Dillon’s points – passed to Eamon Young for a fine score.
The only goal of the game arrived after 15 minutes. Sargent’s ball was flicked away from the run of Conall Higgins only for Young to come on the support run to gather possession before finishing to the top corner to give Derry a 1-3 to 0-1 lead.
Two Dillon frees had Derry six points clear at half time and after they controlled possession for the first two minutes after the break McGuckian was fouled with Dillon adding another.
Galway were left chasing the game with 14 men. It was right up Derry’s street. Any forced pass or run into contact saw the Oak Leafers turn them over with Spiers, Dillon and Dara McGuckin picking off points at the ither end to put the icing on the cake.
Derry: J McCloy; F McEldowney, F Murray, L Grant; C Spiers (0-2), J Sargent, O Campbell; C McKaigue, T Rogers; E Young (1-3), R Small, J McGuckian (0-1); G Dillon (0-5, 4f), C Higgins, O Doherty (0-1)
Subs: D McGonigle for L Grant (43), KB Mullan for T Rogers (47), L O’Neill for O Doherty (56), D McGuckin (0-1) for J Sargent (58), D McNamee for C Higgins (59)
Galway: C Walsh; T Proulx, V Gill, S O’Flynn; O Kelly, R Coen, B O’Malley (0-1); S McGlinchey, R Walkin; M Mulryan, C Mulhern (0-1f), S O’Grady; C Cox (0-2, 1f), C McDonagh, D Fitzmaurice
Subs: C McNally for R Walkin (25), P Faherty for S O’Grady (41), F Ó Conghaile for C McDonagh (43), S Rhattigan for B O’Malley (52), C Gannon for D Fitzmaurice (56)
Black card R Coen (44)
Yellow cards: M Mulryan (30), R Coen (30), O Kelly (35), C Cox (47)
Red card: R Coen (44)
Referee: C Dourneen (Cavan)
Electric Ireland All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
Semi-final draw
Kerry v Monaghan
Dublin v Derry
Ties to be played Saturday June 24
