Derry target place in Ulster showpiece with semi-final win over Monaghan
Derry aim to brush aside the Farney challenge to book their place in the May 17 final.
Derry v Monaghan, Throw-in: 5pm, Box-It Athletic Grounds
Ciaran Meenagh’s Derry senior footballers will continue their AIB Ulster Championship campaign this weekend when they face Monaghan at 5pm in the Box-It Athletic Grounds in Armagh in the provincial semi-final.
The Oakleaf County eased past their Saffron neighbours in the quarter-final at Find Insurance Celtic Park, recording an emphatic 2-23 to 1-13 victory.
Slaughtneil’s Shane McGuigan was in inspired form against Antrim, finishing with 0-9, while Lachlan Murray and Paul Cassidy both found the net.
The margin could easily have been even greater were it not for the heroics of Antrim goalkeeper John McNabb, who pulled off a number of fine saves. Still, despite the convincing nature of the victory, it was very much the expected outcome for a Derry side hoping to make a serious impact in Meenagh’s first full season in charge.
Derry now face the challenge of a Monaghan side who overcame neighbours Cavan to book their place in the final four, with a provincial final berth against either Armagh or Down awaiting the winner.
Monaghan saw off Cavan 0-27 to 2-14 at St Tiernach’s Park, with Stephen Mooney and Rory Beggan both contributing 0-5 apiece. Dessie Ward and Michael Bannigan also made significant contributions, combining for 0-7 between them.
Gabriel Bannigan’s men put a disappointing Allianz League campaign behind them to secure that win over Cavan and advance to the semi-finals. The Farney County had endured seven straight defeats in the league, a run which saw them relegated straight back down to Division Two for 2027, where they will be joined by a Derry side who missed out on an immediate return to the top flight, having been relegated in 2025.
Recent championship history slightly favours Derry, who have had the upper hand in three of the last five meetings between the sides.
The most recent encounters came in 2023 at this very stage of the provincial championship as well as the subsequent All-Ireland series, when Derry eased to a 1-21 to 2-10 victory in Omagh and played out a stalemate weeks later.
Shane McGuigan again led the way that day with a tally of 0-9, while Padraig McGrogan, Conor Glass, Paul Cassidy and Ethan Doherty combined for a further 0-8.
Later that same year, the counties played out a gripping 0-14 apiece draw in the opening round of the All-Ireland group stage. McGuigan once again carried the scoring threat with 0-9, while Conor McCarthy, Micheál Bannigan and Rory Beggan contributed 0-8 for Monaghan.
Derry supporters will once again be looking to their talisman McGuigan to continue his rich vein of form in Armagh next weekend, with the Slaughtneil forward central to Derry’s hopes this season. McGuigan had only one off day during the league campaign, and it coincided with the costly defeat to Louth in Ardee that ended Derry's promotion hopes.
Meanwhile, Monaghan will look to the attacking threat of Michael Bannigan and Dessie Ward as well as the long-range scoring ability of Rory Beggan’s two-pointers to help carry them over the line against the 2023 provincial champions.
On the other side of the draw, Down will face 2024 All-Ireland champions Armagh in Clones on Sunday. Armagh have been in formidable form this year, highlighted by a pulsating one-point win over arch-rivals Tyrone as well as another dominant championship display over Fermanagh.
The Orchard County will be hoping to lift their first Anglo-Celt Cup since 2008, but standing in their way is a Down side who stunned defending double champions. Donegal on their own turf last weekend.
Down’s remarkable 3-21 to 1-21 victory over Jim McGuinness’s men in Letterkenny has blown the provincial championship wide open, with Pat Havern, Daniel Guinness and Mícheál Rooney producing heroic displays for Conor Laverty’s side.
The winners of the two semi-finals will meet in the provincial final on Sunday, May 17.