DERRY GAA: Sean Dolan's edge thrilling city derby against Doire Colmcille in JFC

Sean Dolan's 3-12, Doire Colmcille 1-15

It took a huge Eamon McGinley two-point free deep into added time to finally settle Saturday’s rip roaring city derby at Piggery Ridge and hand Sean Dolan's top seeding for the Premier Electrics Junior Football Championship quarter-final draw.

Just as they had against Glack in their opening game, Geoffrey McGonagle's Dolan's flew from the blocks and led by six after only five minutes, a lead that was still intact by half-time, though the home side had played with the breeze at their backs for the opening half hour.

But Colmcille had been growing steadily into the game and the second period was their time to shine. With Dee Watson the driving force and John McCorry and Eoin McLaughlin superb alongside Malachy Campbell, whose fantastic season continued with another 1-05, the Colmcilles twice reduced Dolan's lead back to the minimum without ever being able to fully pin the Creggan men back.

McGinley's superb late free, his second point effort of the day, was a big part of that but even more critical was Niall Friel's brilliant solo goal five minutes from time.

With Colmcille's back to within one at 2-10 to 1-12 and having all the momentum, the Dolan's half back was isolated when he picked up possession wide on the right and facing two visiting defenders. Undeterred, Friel went at both, showing excellent footwork and strength to force his way through and even when the ball was eventually dislodged from his grasp, he had the presence of mind to fire home off the ground for a goal that gave Dolan's enough breathing space to get over the line.

The only sour note was Friel barely got time to celebrate, picking up a second booking just seconds later as he chased back to defend an attack meaning his afternoon was over.

That was one of a number of decisions Dolan's felt went against them and in at least one they had grounds for appeal as an early second half defensive breach was called against them despite the home side having FIVE players in the opposition half!

It was an obvious mistake but one which Dolan's almost let get under their skins and disrupt an otherwise excellent display with Oisin Porter, returning after missing the victory over Glack, probably the best player on the pitch alongside his Colmcille counterpart, Watson.

Porter was both playmaker and running power house for the Creggan men, dictating tempo when needed and expertly picking passes. Paul Clifford, Ryan McLaughlin and Caoimhin Thompson were also standouts for McGongale's team who can head into the knock-out stages in confident mood. That said, so too should Colmcilles after this display.

Not that it started well for the visitors as within 45 seconds of throw-in Clifford was splitting the posts with a wonderful two point effort that was added to by Porter and Kevin Nixon.

Ryan Loughran got Colmcille on the scoreboard on four minutes but things got worse for Colmcille when, just 60 seconds later, a flowing Dolan's move saw Emmett Coyle feed Porter who then picked out Clifford, the corner-forward’s fierce left footed effort finding the far top corner of the net via the finger-tips of Colmcille No. 1 Mickey Nash.

Campbell's first score of the day followed courtesy of an eighth minute free but when Dolan's response was McGinley's first two-point free for 1-06 to 0-2 after 11 minutes, you feared for the visitors. As it turned out, there was no need!

Gradually, with Colmcille finally getting a degree of parity on the kick-outs, they started to enjoy some possession and even if they had only closed the gap to six by the break, they had shown they were still well in the game.

Indeed they started the second half intent on proving it. A Campbell point had concluded the first half scoring and it was his free that opened the second after that incorrect breach decision. It rattled Dolan's and Colmcille took advantage as points from Campbell (f) and Eoin McLaughlin (2), either side of one from Porter, had it back to 1-10 to 0-09.

Yet Dolan's have a nice habit of finding a goal just when they need one and produced that party trick once again on 38 minutes, completely against the run of play.

The major owed everything to Nixon, who refused to give up a wayward shot drifting wide. His persistence kept the ball in play for Clifford to play the pass of the game to Liam McNulty who applied the finish the pass deserved for Dolan's second goal.

With the seven point lead reinstated, Colmcille could have crumbled; instead the redoubled their efforts with Ethan Cooper's superb two pointer the perfect response.

Campbell then tagged on a free before, with still 13 minutes left, Joe McCartie sent the talismanic forward off into space and Campbell produced a piledriver of a finish into the roof of the net from 20 yards for 2-10 to 1-12.

Dolan's would score only twice more in those remaining 13 minutes but crucially the scores were Friel's goal and McGinley's two point free to finally settle a great game that had plenty for both sides to take as they head into the business end of the championship.

Sean Dolan's scorers: Paul Clifford 1-2 (1tp), Liam McNulty 1-1 (1f), Niall Friel 1-0, Eamon McGinley 0-4 (2tpf), Oisin Porter 0-2, Kevin Nixon 0-1, Luke Clarke 0-1 (1f), Emmett Coyle 0-1.

Doire Colmcille scorers: Malachy Campbell 1-6 (4f), Ethan Cooper 0-5 (1tp, 1f), Ryan Loughran 0-1, John McCorry 0-1, Eoin McLaughlin 0-2.

Sean Dolan's: Charlie Green, Paul Thompson, Ryan McCallion, Ryan McLaughlin, Ruaidhri McGurk, Caoimhin Thompson, Niall Friel, Sean O'Donnell, Eamon McGinley, Oisin Porter, Liam McNulty, Emmett Coyle, Paul Clifford, Luke Clarke, Kevin Nixon.

Doire Colmcille: Michael Nash, Eamon McDaid, Fergal McAnaney, Callum Dunnion, David O'Connor, Conor Murphy, Ethan Cooper, Joe McCartie, Matthew Carlin, John McCorry, Dee Watson, Ryan Loughran, Eoin McLaughlin, Malachy Campbell, Joshua Leonard. (Subs) Shane Wallace for J Leonard, 34mins; Feargal McErlean for R Loughran, 51mins.

Referee: Gavin Walker