Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC semi-final
Derry 3-11 Dublin 1-8
DRAMA once again followed Derry minors as they booked a place in next month’s All-Ireland minor final with a performance laced with character against Dublin last night.
Derry were 0-7 to 0-4 ahead at the end of a first half that could’ve easily produced five goals, with Dublin missing three chances as they ran through the middle at will.
By the time the teams emerged for the second half the Oak Leafers were down to 14 men after goalkeeper Jack McCloy was shown a straight red card for an incident in the tunnel as the players headed to the dressing rooms at the break.
In came sub ’keeper Karl Campbell, who hadn’t featured since their league final defeat to Donegal and Derry had to roll up their sleeves all over the pitch to make for a body less.
It was another setback after leading attacker Conall Higgins wasn’t fit to play any part due to an injury sustained in training.
“We knew at half-time there was the issue with Jack [McCloy],” McErlain said after the game.
“Fair play to Karl. That was some level of maturity to step in. He nailed every kick-out he had. We keep telling him all year, you have to be ready, you have to be ready, but he proved today his weight in gold.”
Derry had two first-half goal chances of their own. One came early on when James Sargent was denied by goalkeeper Murray only for Eamon Young to hoover up the break and kick over. Three Ger Dillon frees kept an ever-settling Derry side into control.
Leading by a point, John Boyle had a goal chance blocked with Sargent kicking over from the 45.
Gradually Derry got to grips with the Dublin runners, and when Tommy Rogers (left) curled over, they were three points ahead at the break.
After the red card and the unsettling nature of it, Dublin were level inside six minutes with Shane Mullarkey palming home their goal after 42 minutes, making the score 0-8 to 1-5. Now, it was crunch time, but Derry came out fighting with a level of energy on the overlap Dublin simply couldn’t match.
When goalkeeper Murray saved a Sargent shot, referee Laverty awarded a penalty for a foot block and up stepped Sargent to kick Derry into a 1-8 to 1-5 lead they never looked like losing.
Dublin were able to go short on their kick-outs with an extra man, but Derry’s greater hunger across midfield turned the tide.
Then, on every counter-attack, Dublin fouled and Dillon kept adding on scores as Derry got a total grip of the game.
With 10 minutes to go, Derry hit the game-clinching second goal. The move started with Luke Grant. Sargent and Spiers were involved before Grant finished to the net for a 2-10 to 1-5 lead.
Spiers put the icing on the cake with a third goal, a sublime lob over the goalkeeper from 35 yards after a Campbell kick-out won over the top.
“It means the clubs are doing something right, clubs are producing the right level of player,” McErlain said of the county’s second minor final in three seasons.
“It means the structures are right. One minor final isn’t enough to keep producing for a senior team, we need to keep the lads coming through.”
Derry J McCloy; F McEldowney, F Murray, L Grant (1-0); C Spiers (1-0), J Sargent (1-1, 0-1 45, 1-0 pen), O Campbell; C McKaigue, T Rogers (0-1); E Young (0-3), J McGuckian; R Small; G Dillon (0-5 frees); J Boyle, O Doherty (0-1)
Subs K Campbell for J Boyle (h-t), D McNamee for O Doherty (59), KB Mullan for J McGuckian (63),
Yellow cards J McGuckian (33), F McEldowney (51)
Red card J McCloy (31)
Dublin C Murray; S Keogh, C Emmett, J O’Sullivan; J Young, E Costello, R Mitchell (0-2); S Ryan, A Carolan; P Coleman, L O’Boyle (0-1 45), N Byrne (0-1); P Curry, H Curley, L Cahill (0-4 frees)
Subs A O’Reilly for P Coleman (30), S Mullarkey (1-0) for S Ryan (66), C O’Connor for J Young (50), C McAweeney for H Curley (53), B Kennedy for J O’Sullivan (54)
Yellow cards R Mitchell (29), S Mullarkey (39), A Carolan (39), S Keogh (46)
Referee S Laverty (Antrim)
