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| | Sunday, 16 June, 2002, 16:59 GMT 17:59 UK Donegal oust Derry Adrian Sweeney spins away from a Derry defender Derry 0-10 1-09 Donegal Donegal nudged through to an Ulster Championship final against Armagh on 7 July when they buried the Derry bogey at Clones. Played under a surreal atmosphere in the first half, the game really only came alive after the break, and particularly when Derry were reduced in numbers. The crowd was minimal because of Ireland's World Cup distractions. The decision by the Ulster Council not to change the start time will come in for criticism. In the end, though, it was gloom for Derry at the end of the game with defender Sean Marty Lockhart breaking his arm in injury time. Niggly game He will miss next week's back-door qualifying game. Derry, though can have no qualms about the result. Despite the heroics of Gareth Doherty, Donegal deserved their victory. While Doherty was head and shoulders above his colleagues with a terrier-like performance in a niggly game, Donegal had a number of players right on their best form. Young Chris Toye and Brian Roper had outstanding games in the midfield, while Adrian Sweeney was a menace up front.
Sweeney scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot five minutes after the restart while he also added three vital points. The only time that there was more than three points in the game was in the first quarter. Enda Muldoon had given Derry the lead in the second minute, but for the next 26 minutes it was all Donegal. Points by Toye, Brendan Devenney, Jim McGuinness, Sweeney and Paul McGonigle rifled gave Donegal a 0-5 0-1 lead. Batled on But not for the first time in the game, Derry fought back and midway through the second half they levelled the game with Paddy Bradley knocking over his third point from a free. But when it is all boiled down, it was that penalty by Sweeney that decided this tie. Devenney was brilliantly picked out by John Gildea in front of goal, but he was fouled by both Lockhart and goalkeeper Michael Conlon. Sweeney stepped up and coolly blasted the ball into the top left-hand corner. Derry battled on, even when they first lost John McBride in the 50th minute and then Cormac Gilligan two minutes from the end. But Donegal's short-passing game did the trick in very difficult conditions and late points by Toye, Sweeney and Roper saw them take the honours. Derry: M Conlan, G Doherty, N McCusker, SM Lockhart, C McNally, P McFlynn, G Coleman, A Tohill (0-1), F Doherty, C Gilligan, D Dougan, J McBride (0-1), P Bradley (0-3), E Muldoon (0-1), G Diamond (0-4). Donegal: T Blake, S Carr, M Crossan, N McGinley, R Sweeney, B Monaghan, K Cassidy, J Gildea, J McGuinness (0-1), C Toye (0-2), M Hegarty, B Roper (0-1), A Sweeney (1-3), B Devenney (0-1), P McGonigle (0-1). Referee: Michael Collins. Results: Bank of Ireland Leinster semi-final: Bank of Ireland Munster semi-final: Bank of Ireland Ulster semi-final: | |
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