Electric Ireland MFC QF: Derry edge out Roscommon

Electric Ireland Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final

Derry 2-12 Roscommon 1-9

By Ian Cooney at Kingspan Breffni

Derry powered their way into a last four meeting against Cork after a commanding first-half display paved the way for a deserved victory against Roscommon at Kingspan Breffni.

The Oak Leaf County made little of their Ulster final defeat against Tyrone eight days earlier to physically overpower their opponents who produced their most disappointing display of the season, ensuring they were only provincial winners not to progress to the semi-finals.

Gabriel Gormley and Joey Mullan were dominant, while Lorcan Higgins was excellent at wing-back.

Derry didn’t lack for speed and firepower up front too where Rocco Devlin caught the eye with a personal haul of 1-2 that included a brilliant 55th minute goal to effectively kill off the tie.

The winners were the better team in the opening half against lethargic opponents that never got to the pitch of the contest.

They set out their stall early, keeping the ball for 90 seconds before Rocco Devlin spotted a gap and breeze into the space to fire over a score.

Impressive wing-back Lorcan Higgins doubled his side’s lead before Joshua Coyne, having missed two earlier frees, pointed a ’45 to get the Rossies off the mark.

But Derry were winning the middle third battle, and when Tomás Devlin and Higgins made inroads from the left flank, the latter squared possession for Gabriel Gormley to palm the ball into the net after 22 minutes.

Roscommon responded immediately through a free from Cathal Nerney but a hat-trick of well-constructed points from Don Mulholland, Neil McDermott and Tadgh Bradley moved Derry six points ahead.

Indeed, they should have been further in front, but Mulholland blazed his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.

Still, a 1-5 to 0-2 half-time lead for Derry was an accurate reflection of the opening half’s trajectory.

Kieran Glackin’s side padded out that buffer on the resumption with rapid-fire scores from Higgins, Jarlath McCartney and Rocco Devlin.

Then, out of nowhere, Roscommon manufactured a lifeline. Substitute Seán Duggan kicked a two-pointer before Seamie Carthy teed up Jayden Concannon for a goal to, unbelievably, leave just before points between the teams.

Crucially, Derry continued to dominate their own kickout, and that superiority ensured they were always able to create opportunities.

Neil McDermott converted a two-point free, and even though an orange flag from Ronan Carr kept Roscommon in touch, Devlin’s superb individual goal with five minutes remaining sealed his side’s place in the last four.

A second yellow card for Conor O’Kane failed to disrupt Derry’s momentum and even though Seamie Carthy landed Roscommon’s third two-pointer of the half, the Connacht champions were left to rue a disappointing performance as Derry marched on to the last four.

Scorers for Derry: Rocco Devlin 1-2, Gabriel Gormley 1-0, Neil McDermott 0-3 (1 2pf), Lorcan Higgins 0-2, Tadhg Bradley 0-2, Don Mulholland 0-1, Jarlath McCartney 0-1, Tomás Devlin 0-1.

Scorers for Roscommon: Seamie Carthy 0-3 (1 2pf, 1f), Jayden Concannon 1-0, Seán Duggan 0-2 (1 2p), Ronan Carr 0-2 (1 2p), Joshua Coyne 0-1 (1’45), Cathal Nerney 0-1 (1f).

Derry: Michael Doherty; Dan McEldowney, Conor Sargent, Dara McKaigue; Jarlath McCartney, Connail Campbell, Lorcan Higgins; Gabriel Gormley, Joey Mullan; Conor O’Kane, Dan Mulholland, Neil McDermott; Tomás Devlin, Tadhg Bradley, Rocco Devlin.

Subs: Cormac McGuckian for Campbell (51), Fionn McGilloway for Gormley (58), Pól McPeake for McDermott (59), Tadhg Scullion for McCartney (59), Donnacha Collins for Rocco Devlin (60).

Roscommon: Zac Mullally; Dara Kelleher, Conor Tighe, Colm Fitzgerald; Tadgh Fallon, Jack Brooks, Enda Browne; Jack Lally, Seamie Carthy; Ronan Carr, Joshua Coyne, Bobby Lenehan; Cathal Nerney, Jayden Jennings, Jayden Concannon.

Subs: Seán Duggan for Coyne (HT), James O’Brien for Jennings (35), Aaron Martin for Nerney (35), Dylan Goode for Lenehan (53), Daniel Nerney for Browne (59), Mickey McTeigue for Martin (temp, 60).

Referee: Eamonn English (Dublin).