EirGrid Ulster U20 Football Championship quarter-final
Fermanagh 0-8 Derry 3-12
DERRY sailed through to the last four of the Ulster U20 Championship with a comfortable victory over Fermanagh in Roslea on Wednesday night.
The Oak Leafs took control of the contest early and never looked in trouble at any stage of the game as goals from Ruairi Forbes and Lachlan Murray left them nine points clear at the break before they cruised through the second half to secure their passage into the semi-finals, where they will face Donegal on April 12.
Derry dictated the exchanges in the middle third from the outset, while their strong running from deep caused all sorts of problems for the Fermanagh defence.
Matthew Downey opened the scoring from a free for the visitors in the third minute before Niall O’Donnell fired over.
And the Oak Leaf county then swooped for the first goal of the contest in the seventh minute. Derry turned over the ball deep in their own defence before breaking at pace with Donnacha Gilmore before the ball was fed to Ruairi Forbes who finished to the roof of the Fermanagh net to make it 1-2 to 0-0.
The gap was out to six soon after, when Downey again pointed from a free, although Fermanagh did start to settle after this.
The home side landed their first point through a Justy McDade mark and they worked their way back into it with Cathair Leonard fisting over while Conor O’Hanlon popped over a free to make it 1-03 to 0-03.
However, Derry went up through the gears again as they pulled away in the closing spell of the half. Charlie Diamond slotted over two points before another burst from deep resulted in Murray being put in on goal and he finished low past Erne goalkeeper Ethan McCaffrey.
With Downey adding a further point from a free it left Derry with a commanding 2-6 to 0-3 half-time lead.
Derry continued to control matters on the resumption, with the lively Downey clipping over a point from a free and another from play before they then bagged their third goal of the night.
Diamond was fouled as he closed in on goal and from the resultant penalty Downey fired to the net, McCaffrey getting his hand to it but was unable to keep it out.
Fermanagh did keep battling away and O’Hanlon, McDade and substitutes Dan McCann and Cian O’Brien lofted over scores but they were always playing second fiddle and with Forbes, O’Donnell and Downey on target Derry ran out convincing winners.
