Four goal Donegal end Derry's Ulster reign in packed Celtic Park

Derry 0-17, Donegal 4-11

Derry's reign as Ulster senior football champions is over after Jim McGuinness' Donegal ended Oak Leaf hat-trick dreams with a ruthlessly executed game-plan in front of 14,714 spectators in Celtic Park on Saturday night.

The Tir Chonaill men was the last team to defeat Derry in the provincial championship, back in 2021, and Mickey Harte's men never get close to their normal levels in a game decided by Donegal's ability to fashion goal chances from an excellent long kick-out. Three of the visitors' goals arrived via kicks from Shaun Patton and substitute Gavin Mulreany which exposed Derry's high press.

Donegal only hit 12 scores in total but with Ryan McHugh superb around the breaking ball, Daire O'Baoill clinical with two excellent lobbed finishes and a defensive game-plan that was vintage McGuinness, Derry struggled to make any inroads. Their cause wasn't helped by a controversial penalty for Donegal's crucial third goal but there was no denying McGuinness' men fully deserved the victory.

The result will sting Derry, coming only weeks after the high of lifting the Division One league title in Croke Park. There'll be some soul searching but Derry's 2024 record reads: played 13, won 11, lost 2 so there will be no panic either.

The opening minutes were going to script for the Ulster champions with Ethan Doherty opening the scoring inside 90 seconds, a lead that was doubled four minutes later by a Paul Cassidy 'mark'.

At that stage Derry had won Donegal's opening three kick-outs and could have been further ahead. Donegal needed inspiration and found it through Caolan McGonagle and more specifically McHugh whose ability to win break ball gave McGuinness' team a real foothold.

The Tir Chonaill men switched kick-outs to a percentage game, going long and filling their target area with bodies and it paid real dividends. It was from one such kick that McHugh sent McGonagle clear but the Buncrana man's shot was saved by Lynch at the expense of a '45' from which Gallen got Donegal opening point.

A huge Conor Doherty score suggested Derry weren't unduly fussed by the near miss but they should have been as Donegal hit 1-03 in seven minutes without response to take a grip of the half.

Points from McHugh and Daire O Baoill levelled before McHugh's second had Donegal in front for the first time on 15 minutes. Better was to follow though as three minutes later McHugh again won the break and fed O Baoill to superbly lob a retreating Lynch for 0-3 to 1-04.

From there until half-time it was tit-for tat, a Gallen free being cancelled out by a huge Paul Cassidy effort. Chrissy McKaigue had a hint of a goal chance but elected to fist a point before Peadar Mogan and Ethan Doherty swapped scores.

Derry's display prompted early changes with Niall Toner and Gareth McKinless being introduced for Niall Loughlin and Padraig McGrogan who were both carrying injuries going into the game. McGuigan's first score of the game, a free, brought it back to a one point game at 0-8 to 1-06 but Ciaran Moore responded before Brendan Rogers had the final say of a half to leave it a one point game and Derry with work to do.

And that workload increased greatly within two minutes of the restart when Patton's brilliant long kick-out saw Niall O'Donnell flick forward to O Baoill. Just like in the opening half, the Gaoth Dobhair spotted Lynch off his line and retreating. And just like in the opening half O Baoill took the shot on and flighted a lovely effort Lynch could only help over the line as he chased desperately back. Niall O'Donnell tagged on a point and suddenly Donegal were in complete control at 0-9 to 2-08.

A 'big ask' became almost 'mission impossible' on 45 minutes when a superb individual run from Shane O'Donnell took him inside the Derry square where Chrissy McKaigue's tackle was harshly deemed illegal by referee David Gough. Up stepped Gallen to despatch the penalty and Donegal were in dreamland at 3-08 to 0-10.

A black card for Niall O'Donnell offered Derry hope and points from Murray and McGuigan (f) brought them back into it but even with Patton forced off by injury, the Oak Leafer's faint hopes were extinguished by a fourth Donegal goal with Gavin Mulreany showing he was equally adept at kick-out as Patton.

His long clearance was touched over the advanced Lynch which left the Tir Chonaill with a three on two but Jamie Brennan didn't need help, blasting past the final Derry defender to kill the game as a contest. Derry were down as far as the Ulster Championship goes; but not out.

Scorers for Derry: Ethan Doherty 0-4, Shane McGuigan 0-4 (2f), Paul Cassidy (0-2, 1m), Brendan Rogers (0-2), Gareth McKinless (0-1), Chrissy McKaigue (0-1), Lachlan Murray (0-1), C Doherty (0-1)

Donegal scorers: Daire O Baoill (2-1), Oisin Gallen (1-3, 1pen, 1f, 1 '45'), Jamie Brennan (1-0), Ryan McHugh (0-2), Peadar Mogan (0-1), Ciaran Moore (0-1), Niall O'Donnell (0-1), Patrick McBrearty (0-1, 1f), Ciaran Thompson (0-1),

Derry: Odhran Lynch, Conor McCluskey, Christopher McKaigue, Diarmuid Baker, Conor Doherty, Eoin McEvoy, Padraig McGrogan, Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Ethan Doherty, Ciaran McFaul, Paul Cassidy, Niall Loughlin Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray. (Subs) Niall Toner for N Loughlin, 27mins; Gareth McKinless for P McGrogan, 28mins; Emmett Bradley for L Murray, 50mins; Donncha Gilmore for C McKaigue, 58mins; Eunan Mulholland for C McFaul, 65mins.

Donegal: Shaun Patton, Mark Curran, Ciaran Moore, Peadar Mogan, Ryan McHugh, Caolan McGonagle, Shane O'Donnell, Ciaran Thompson, Michael Langan, Brendan McCole, Niall O'Donnell, Daire O Baoill, Jason McGee, Oisin Gallen, Aaron Doherty. (Subs) Gavin Mulreany for S Patton (inj), 55mins; Jamie Brennan for A Doherty, 57mins; Partrick McBrearty for N O'Donnell, 58mins; Odhran DOherty for J McGee, 66mins; Kevin McGettigan for M Curran, 69mins.

Referee: David Gough (Meath)