Electric Ireland All-Ireland MFC final: Derry 1-13 Monaghan 0-9
THERE are 40-odd Derry supporters left sprinkled at the mouth of the Athletic Grounds tunnel as the roar rises up through the place.
Fionn McEldowney went sprinting down with the Tom Markham Cup in his hands, in through the dressing room door. That roar. You could feel it in your feet.
A group of the players, when the thing had settled down a bit an hour after the game, had just gone in having been sat around in their sock soles on the grass, shooting the breeze, basking in sunshine that feels as though it will live overhead forever.
Those are the moments you live for.
All-Irelands do not grow on trees for the Derrys of this world.
When Henry Downey climbed the Hogan Stand steps thirty years ago, half-a-dozen of the starting team and a handful more subs had won an All-Ireland minor in either 1983 or ’89.
The county will snake down the road on Sunday to see if the seniors can cause a tremor against Kerry, but knowing that this is only a beginning, not an end.
For the second time in four years, the Tom Markham Cup will spend its winter in the Oak Leaf county.
They’ve won four Ulster titles from seven finals in nine years.
There are no guarantees, but a golden generation is at their fingertips.
Damian McErlain has yet again done a superb job in his second spell as Derry minor manager. They’ve learned many things, not least how to play with 14 men as if they weren’t.
But one thing you can’t coach is bravery.
It’s either in you or it’s not. And it is in Johnny McGuckian, in every fibre of his being.
Playing like his elder brother Conleith spat out again, the Glen youngster was the difference as Derry won their second All-Ireland minor title in four years, and their sixth in history.
How had he prepared for the biggest game of his life?
“Ah I like my sleep now. I suppose I got up a wee bit earlier today, maybe,” he laughed, totally nonplussed, the smile beating across his face.
It was willingness to get hurt that caused Monaghan so much trouble in the first half. They had three different men on him across the 60 minutes, but couldn’t contain him.
McGuckian had a direct hand in five of Derry’s eight points, and made the break for James Sargent’s goal chance that was brilliantly saved by Monaghan ‘keeper Jamie Mooney.
At 0-8 to 0-6 ahead with a wind at their backs in the second period, Derry had a lot of the work done by half-time.
All they required from there was a bit of composure. For a group of 16 and 17-year-olds, it is a notable quality of theirs.
They played the entire second half of the semi-final and the last 23 minutes of this game with 14 men. Having outscored the Dubs 3-3 to 0-3 in the last 24 minutes of that game, they won this one 1-3 to 0-3 through a numerical disadvantage.
“That’s up to the players,” said winning manager McErlain.
“We play our matches in training, and having 30 men every night. Full games, and you’d say to maybe [James] Sargent, you’re off, boys you’ve 14, cope.
“It maybe suited our game a wee bit. It’s dropped in here and there. It maybe happened in February and not happened until April again, but the group listen, they take it on board. They’re smart and they’re quality.”
There were flickers for Monaghan when Cahir Spiers – who was outstanding – left a bit in after a tackle on Tomás Quinn, earning a straight red card on the word of the linesman, but Derry quickly blotted out the light.
Dermot Malone’s lads went after the Derry kickout hard but the understanding the Oaks had of how to play against it was outstanding. Karl Campbell, thrown in at the deep end since Jack McCloy’s half-time red card the last day, was more than an able deputy. His decision-making off the tee all day was something senior goalkeepers could learn from.
The goal that settled it came when Monaghan squeezed right up and Campbell blazed it right out over the top of them. Conall Higgins won the ball and fed Oisin Doherty who kept his head, broke the tackle and squared unselfishly for James Sargent to palm home with 12 minutes to go.
There were battles all over the shop. It would be no surprise to see Fionn McEldowney’s tussle with Matthew Finn be renewed at senior level in a few years. Finn is a born finisher and got two great first half scores, one off either foot, but Derry’s captain stemmed him for a full half-hour in the game’s key stage.
Finbar Murray on Max McGinnity, Cian Greenan against Conall Higgins, Matthew Carolan and Conor Jones on Tommy Rogers and Cahal McKaigue in midfield. For all the structure of it, minor football retains its sense of identity too, a sense solidified by playing this in a rammed Armagh in front of 13,754 supporters, mostly of a Farney persuasion.
Their own year has been phenomenal under a budding coach in Malone. He was left to rue the opening 30 minutes. Just six points registered with the breeze never looked like being enough.
Tommy Mallen and Conor Meehan did their best to drive the thing on, and Sean O’Connell early in the second period until he ran out of steam, but Derry remained confident and composed regardless of what was thrown at them.
A third of the panel are underage again next year.
Whatever happens in Croke Park on Sunday, Derry look like a county that will be back and back and back again for the next decade.
MATCH STATS
Derry: K Campbell; F McEldowney, L Grant; C Spiers (0-1), F Murray, R Small (0-1), O Campbell; T Rogers, C McKaigue; E Young (0-1), J Sargent (1-0), G Dillon (0-6 frees), J McGuckian; C Higgins (0-3), O Doherty (0-1)
Subs: KB Mullan for Doherty (56), J Boyd for Higgins (58)
Red card: C Spiers (41)
Monaghan: J Mooney; A Stuart, C Greenan; C Meehan; S Óg McElwain, D Connolly (0-1), J Lynch; M Carolan, C Jones; T Mallen, S O’Connell (0-1), M McGinnity (0-3 frees), T Quinn; M Finn (0-4, 0-1 free), L McKenna
Subs: C Clerkin for Lynch (17), C Murphy for O’Connell (40), E McCaffrey for Stuart (49), M Maguire for Jones (49), J McCaughey for McGinnity (59)
Blood sub: E McCaffrey for Quinn (41-43)
Yellow card: L McKenna (17)
Referee: S Lonergan (Tipperary)
Attendance: 13,754
