Brilliant Derry Minors retain Ulster title!

Derry 0-12

Armagh 1-7

Derry minors retained their Ulster Minor Football title, withstanding a very late concerted Armagh fightback to hold out for a deserved two point victory.

Ger Dillon and Eamon Young top scored with five points apiece, while Eoin Duffy hit 1-3 for the losers. But this was a win built on courageous defending at key times, of belief and relentless hard work.

Winners Derry now progress to a quarter-final meeting with Leinster runners up Dublin.

Eye catching wins over Monaghan and Donegal had manoeuvred Armagh to their first provincial decider since 2014. Manager Aidan O’Rourke had since shuffled the pack and made five changes from that defeated team at Owenbeg in a group encounter and they have impressed mightily since.

Derry arrived at Healy Park burdened by a heavy favourites tag after that comprehensive 17 point group stage win over the Orchard County just over three weeks ago. Indeed, the Oakleaf County have attained the reputation as the provincial blue chip county at minor grade – having featured in eight of the last ten Ulster Finals, and lifting the Fr Murray Cup in 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2023.

Indeed, Damian McErlain was able to call upon four players that started the Ulster Final this time last year – Jack McCloy, Luke Grant, James Sargent and Eamon Young as the Oakleafers looked to retain their provincial crown.

But all of that counted for nothing by the time that referee Barry McMenamin threw the ball in near perfect playing conditions in Omagh.

Little of real consequence, however, occurred in a listless opening quarter.

Derry sprayed the ball left to right and back again prodding and probing for unlikely space in a wee marshalled Armagh rearguard. After 18 minutes of shadow boxing the contest had gone score for score with the sluggish Healy Park scoreboard  0-3 apiece.

The left peg of Eamon Young accounted for two of the Derry scores with a Ger Dillon belter of a free the other. A second from Dillon, possibly even further out the field, edged Derry one ahead before a 20th minute goal from the Orchard County finally ignited the contest into something much more dramatic and enjoyable.

The reigning champions didn’t panic, however, and systematically began to reel that lead in. Eamon Young burst through on goal only to see his powerfully struck effort blast the wrong side of the crossbar before a third Dillon point pulled the sides level at 1-3 to 0-6.

Armagh lost nippy forward Ross Marsden to a 28th minute black card before James Sargent, holding the reins at midfield, scored his first of the half to hand Derry a one point half-time lead, Indeed, the skipper might have slipped the ball below the out-rushing Armagh ‘keeper for a goal but his shot, like Young’s before, arrowed just over the bar.

Half-time: Armagh 1-3  -  0-7 Derry

Derry’s five unanswered points either side of half-time threatened to cut the legs off their opponents and would prove crucial to winning this tie. With Sargent and Eamon Young looking to pierce holes in that stubborn and heavily manned Armagh defensive wall, frees from Young and Dillon stretched Derry’s advantage to 0-9 to 1-3.

But Aoidan O’Rourke’s side continued to keep a tight grip to Derry’s coat-tails and tagged on a couple of points themselves.

Again Derry rallied. Luke Grant – excellent throughout in defence and attack – dropped the shoulder, found a modicum of space to tap over a fine point. Ger Dillon nailed his 5th point of the afternoon in the 54th minute before Eamon Young scored his 5th point, this time with the uncustomary right peg.

Armagh weren’t done yet though. Desperate for a goal the Orchard men scored two more points to leave them just 0-12 to 1-7 adrift. Referee Barry McMenamin’s 5 minutes of injury time would seem like an age as the underdogs huffed and puffed for what would have been a game winning goal.

Derry’s defence had other thoughts and to a man dived, blocked and tackled all and every Armagh attack to repel that late, brief rebellion.

A short time later captain James Sargent was holding aloft the Fr Murray Cup. Derry are Ulster champions again.

Teams and Scorers 

Derry scorers: G Dillon 0-5 (3f), E Young 0-5 (3f), L Grant 0-1, J Sargent 0-1

Armagh scorers: E Duffy 1-3 (3f), T Foale 0-1, A Garvey 0-1, K McEntee 0-1, F Toale 0-1

Derry: Jack McCloy, Caomhan McNally, Ronan Canavan, Rian Collins, Luke Grant, Cathal O Mianain, Dara McGuckin, James Sargent, Cathair McBride, Eamon Young, Ger Dillon, Caoimhin Hargan, Chris McCullagh, Ruairi Biggs, Dylan Rocks.

Subs: P Haran for C McNally (42), C Rocks for C Hargan (48), T McHugh for C McBride (54), G McIvor C McCullagh (61)

Armagh: Michael Finnegan, Tomas Fox, Gavin O'Rourke, Conall Wilson, Fergus Toale, Sean Woods, Diarmuid O'Rourke, Jack Loughran, Daithi O'Callaghan, Aaron Garvey, James McCooe, Keelan McEntee, Fionn Toale, Eoin Duffy, Ross Marsden.

Subs: L Bellew for R Marsden (37), S Loughran for A Garvey (53)

Referee: Barry McMenamin (Cavan)