Derry's wait is finally over after extra-time Ulster final defeat of Donegal

“It was just our time,” declared Derry captain Chrissy McKaigue with Clones a sea of red and white as Derry ended their 24-year wait for an Ulster title, with an extra-time victory over Donegal.

Donegal 1-14
Derry 1-16
(After extra-time)

It all came down to an 82nd minute free on the edge of Derry’s square, where Michael Murphy’s free with Donegal two points down, was blocked by a sea of red jerseys who were on the goalline to protect. From the follow-up Ryan McHugh also had a pop and again it was Derry who put their bodies on the line.

Derry finished just outside of the promotion places in Division 2 and to win Ulster having to topple last year's All-Ireland champions Tyrone, away, then Monaghan and Donegal, is an impressive a way to do it as you can get.

An early Derry goal from Niall Loughlin set Rory Gallagher’s side on their way to a 1-6 to 0-6 half-time lead. And although Odhran McFadden Ferry’s goal seconds into the second half got Donegal back on terms and then Declan Bonner’s team went in front by a couple of points, Derry kept in it in extra-time and then in the second period scored three points - through Shane McGuigan, Brendan Rogers and Conor Glass to win the Anglo-Celt.

Eleven minutes passed without so much as a score from either side, with both having huge chunks of possession whilst the other dropped back.

The first man to penetrate that was Niall Toner, who got in behind the Donegal defence and laid back to Niall Loughlin, who bundled the ball past Shaun Patton and the first score of the match was a goal.

Derry were the better side in the first half and playing the match on the terms of Rory Gallagher, with Donegal out of sorts with Michael Murphy putting two 45s wide and also landing an effort short into Odhran Lynch’s hands.

Twelve minutes in and Shane O’Donnell registered Donegal’s first score but with McGuigan and Paul Cassidy leading the way, Derry were five ahead on three occasions. Peadar Mogan was keeping Donegal in with some sort of a chance and his three points were vital at a stage in the contest when Donegal were struggling.

Brendan Rogers, detailed to follow Murphy, wasn’t letting it derail his own offensive ambitions and he stroked Derry 1-6 to 0-4 in front. Donegal finished the half better and following Mogan’s third point, Patrick McBrearty, who wasn’t getting an inch from Chrissy McKaigue, popped over a free. 

Derry headed for the dressing room 1-6 to 0-6 and although certainly off colour, Donegal weren’t in that bad a spot. It might’ve been better had as late in that opening period, Michael Langan went for power and precision as he tried to plant the ball into the top corner after Lynch had spilled a routine dropping ball from Caolan Ward. Langan, however, was off target. 

At half-time, the consensus was that Donegal needed to lift it a bit and they certainly managed that. Only 44 seconds of the second half had passed when McFadden Ferry swept home a goal from a rebound after Odhran Lynch failed to hold onto a Langan shot. It made the score 1-6 apiece.

Rogers eked Derry in front but points from Jason McGee and then Ryan McHugh, the second of which came on 42 minutes to give Donegal the lead for the first time. Shane O’Donnell’s second point of the afternoon moments later meant a 1-9 to 1-7 Donegal advantage.

Points from  McGuigan and Conor Doherty got Derry back level before Patrick McBrearty edged Donegal one up only for Shane McGuigan to tie it up again at 1-10 apice with 15 to play. Then, enter Michael Murphy. The Donegal captain had been playing a withdrawn role but supplemented the attack to flash over an incredible long-range score, which was followed up by another Jason McGee score.

Two down, Derry played their way back on terms through two McGuigan frees for 1-12 each and Paul Cassidy, on the run, shot wide with only 90 seconds to play with nerves evident all around the ground. Conor Glass also missed a late opportunity to win it, although Donegal would’ve been furious as the move began with referee Sean Hurson getting in the way of Eoghan Ban Gallagher on the attack.

So, Donegal headed for extra-time for only the fourth time - against Kildare in 2001 and 2011 and then when Derry came to Ballybofey in the 2009 All-Ireland qualifiers.

Having been level on five different occasions in the second half, which ended 1-12 each, the parity remained at half-time in extra-time, with Aaron Doherty’s marked point cancelled out by Emmet Bradley for 1-13 to 1-13. 

With the pace of the game slowed right down in the baking heat with players cramping all over the place, McGuigan’s sixth point of the day had Derry in front ahead in the 84th minute.Then, three minutes from time, Rogers doubled that lead and St Tiernach’s Park almost exploded. And although substitute Ciaran Thompson halved that deficit to set up a nervy finale, it was Derry who stood up with Glass hitting the final score.

Donegal scorers: Odhrán McFadden Ferry 1-0; Shane O’Donnell 0-2, Peadar Mogan 0-3, Michael Murphy 0-1, Patrick McBrearty 0-2, 2f, Jason McGee 0-2, Ryan McHugh; Aaron Doherty 0-1, 1m

Derry scorers: Niall Loughlin 1-2, Shane McGuigan 0-6, 5f; Brendan Rogers 0-3; Conor Doherty 0-1 Paul Cassidy, Shay Downey, Emmet Bradley 0-1, Conor Glass 0-1

Donegal: Shaun Patton; Caolan Ward, Brendan McCole, Stephen McMenamin; Ryan McHugh, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Odhran McFadden Ferry; Calan McGonagle, Jason McGee; Peadar Mogan, Shane O’Donnell, Michael Langan; Patrick McBrearty, Michael Murphy, Jamie Brennan. Subs: Conor O’Donnell for Brennan (58), Aaron Doherty for McFadden Ferry (65), Niall O’Donnell for S O’Donnell (70+3); Hugh McFadden for McGee (extra-time), Ciaran Thompson for McGonagle (80), Ethan O’Donnell and Paul Brennan for Langan and Mogan (half-time, extra-time)

Derry: Odhran Lynch; Conor McCluskey, Brendan Rogers (0-3), Chrissy McKaigue; Padraig McGrogan, Conor Doherty (0-1), Shea Downey (0-1); Gareth McKinless, Conor Glass (0-1); Paul Cassidy (0-1), Shane McGuigan (0-5, 4fs), Ethan Doherty; Benny Heron, Niall Loughlin (1-2, 1f), Niall Toner. Subs: Emmet Bradley (0-1) for Loughlin (47 mins), Lachlan Murray for Heron (63), Ben McCarron for Toner (58), Paul McNeill for Downey (72), Benny Heron for McCarron (81), Oisin McWilliams for E Doherty (87).