McKenna Cup 2024

[GrandMasterFlash]

Derry progress to McKenna final
Derry set up a Gaelic Life McKenna Cup final clash against Down on Saturday by edging out Fermanagh 2-12 to 1-10 in Wednesday's second semi-final at Omagh.

[Maguire01]

Final in Casement or Omagh then, i'd guess.

[orangeman]

5 points is a fair edge ! 

[slow corner back]

The Final is on Saturday at 7.30pm in Casement.

Will Casement be playable, it was unplayable last Sunday?

[never kickt a ball]

Derry progress to McKenna final Derry set up a Gaelic Life McKenna Cup final clash against Down on Saturday by edging out Fermanagh 2-12 to 1-10 in Wednesday's second semi-final at Omagh.
Amazingly, all Derry's scores came from play including their goals from Colin Devlin and Sean Leo McGoldrick.

Devlin's goal helped Derry lead 1-6 to 0-5 at the interval.

Sean Doherty's goal helped Fermanagh take the lead but McGoldrick's goal, after a Paddy Bradley pass, turned the game in Derry's favour again.

Matthew Keenan's accuracy from free kicks kept the Erne men in touch early on, and with 24 minutes played, they were just a point adrift at 0-5 to 0-4.
But Devlin's superb goal gave Derry some breathing space on 27 minutes.

He picked up possession 45 metres out on the left before sprinting through to blast past Chris Breen.


Paddy Bradley managed just one point in the opening half, off his less favoured right foot, late in the half, to send the Oak Leafers in with a 1-6 to 0-5 advantage.

McGoldrick stretched the lead within 15 seconds of the restart, but just two minutes later, the Erne men did get the goal they had been threatening and probably deserved with Doherty supplying the finish.

It was a remarkable response from Malachy O'Rourke's charges, who in the space of seven minutes went from five points behind to a point in front.

Mark Little levelled from a free, before Maguire sliced over the lead point, but Derry were soon level again with a typical Paddy Bradley effort, effortlessly floated between the posts from the left wing.

And Bradley turned creator for Derry's second goal, crossing from the left for McGoldrick to net from close range 15 minutes into the half after substitutes Paul Murphy and Enda Lynn had combined impressively.

The goal turned the game in Derry's favour again and they went on to set up a decider against Down at Casement Park on Saturday evening (1930 GMT).

Derry : B Gillis, K McGuckin, L Hinphey, F McEldowney, M McBride (0-1), J Keenan, P O'Hea, J Conway (0-2), M Friel, A McElhone, C O'Kane (0-1), R Wilkinson, C Devlin (1-1), P Bradley (0-4), S McGoldrick (1-1). Subs: P Murphy for Friel, E Lynn (0-1) for O'Kane, D McBride for O'Hea, F Doherty (0-1) for McElhone, R Kealy for Wilkinson.


Fermanagh : C Breen, S Goan, P Mohan, D O'Reilly, T McElroy, S McDermott, D Kelly (0-1), M McGrath, M Murphy, M Little (0-2, 2 frees), S Doherty (1-2), C McElroy, P Cadden, M Keenan (0-3, 3 frees), E Maguire (0-1). Subs: P Sherry for O'Reilly, R Johnston for T McElroy, R Keenan (0-1) for C McElroy, C Boyle for Keenan, B Mulrone for Doherty.

Referee : M Sludden (Dromore).
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7206016.stm

See they give the ref's club rather than his County.

[Aristotle Flynn]

When will they tell where the final will be played?

[screenexile]

Derry progress to McKenna final Derry set up a Gaelic Life McKenna Cup final clash against Down on Saturday by edging out Fermanagh 2-12 to 1-10 in Wednesday's second semi-final at Omagh.
Amazingly, all Derry's scores came from play including their goals from Colin Devlin and Sean Leo McGoldrick.

Devlin's goal helped Derry lead 1-6 to 0-5 at the interval.

Sean Doherty's goal helped Fermanagh take the lead but McGoldrick's goal, after a Paddy Bradley pass, turned the game in Derry's favour again.

Matthew Keenan's accuracy from free kicks kept the Erne men in touch early on, and with 24 minutes played, they were just a point adrift at 0-5 to 0-4.
But Devlin's superb goal gave Derry some breathing space on 27 minutes.

He picked up possession 45 metres out on the left before sprinting through to blast past Chris Breen.


Paddy Bradley managed just one point in the opening half, off his less favoured right foot, late in the half, to send the Oak Leafers in with a 1-6 to 0-5 advantage.

McGoldrick stretched the lead within 15 seconds of the restart, but just two minutes later, the Erne men did get the goal they had been threatening and probably deserved with Doherty supplying the finish.

It was a remarkable response from Malachy O'Rourke's charges, who in the space of seven minutes went from five points behind to a point in front.

Mark Little levelled from a free, before Maguire sliced over the lead point, but Derry were soon level again with a typical Paddy Bradley effort, effortlessly floated between the posts from the left wing.

And Bradley turned creator for Derry's second goal, crossing from the left for McGoldrick to net from close range 15 minutes into the half after substitutes Paul Murphy and Enda Lynn had combined impressively.

The goal turned the game in Derry's favour again and they went on to set up a decider against Down at Casement Park on Saturday evening (1930 GMT).

Derry : B Gillis, K McGuckin, L Hinphey, F McEldowney, M McBride (0-1), J Keenan, P O'Hea, J Conway (0-2), M Friel, A McElhone, C O'Kane (0-1), R Wilkinson, C Devlin (1-1), P Bradley (0-4), S McGoldrick (1-1). Subs: P Murphy for Friel, E Lynn (0-1) for O'Kane, D McBride for O'Hea, F Doherty (0-1) for McElhone, R Kealy for Wilkinson.


Fermanagh : C Breen, S Goan, P Mohan, D O'Reilly, T McElroy, S McDermott, D Kelly (0-1), M McGrath, M Murphy, M Little (0-2, 2 frees), S Doherty (1-2), C McElroy, P Cadden, M Keenan (0-3, 3 frees), E Maguire (0-1). Subs: P Sherry for O'Reilly, R Johnston for T McElroy, R Keenan (0-1) for C McElroy, C Boyle for Keenan, B Mulrone for Doherty.

Referee : M Sludden (Dromore).
Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport1/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7206016.stm

See they give the ref's club rather than his County.

Read much

[el Chino]

Great that all the scores came from play last nite!

[never kickt a ball]

Great that all the scores came from play last nite!

You mean Derry's scores were all from play.

[orangeman]

Derry are lookng good this year and are bound to be worth a few £ at a big price for Ulster ??

[never kickt a ball]

Carr disgusted with McHugh's comments Gaelic Games
By Brendan Crossan
24/01/08

DOWN manager Ross Carr has slammed GAA media pundit Martin McHugh for painting a gloomy picture of the Mournemen in 2008.

In a newspaper column, McHugh argued Down had gone "backwards" after watching them lose to Tyrone in the Dr McKenna Cup earlier this month. And with Benny Coulter in their ranks, the 1992 All-Ireland winner also suggested the Mournemen were merely a one-man team.

McHugh stood by his comments yesterday - but Carr insisted the former Donegal player's views were totally unjustified and that the GAA columnist was suffering from "the Eamonn Dunphy syndrome".

"Unless you're confrontational [in the media], then you're no good," blasted Carr.

"On television, some former players have been very quick to ridicule Down football. I think it's jealousy because they seem to love getting a dig at Down.

"McHugh said after the McKenna Cup game against Tyrone that Down are going backwards and that they're a one-man team - all they have is Benny Coulter. To say that in the first or second week of January is ludicrous."

The Down boss, who won All-Ireland titles in 1991 and 1994, accused McHugh of glorifying his own playing era and castigating the standards of the modern game.

"We're getting into a situation now where pundits are saying: 'they were never as good as when we played'," Carr said.

"I find it amazing how quick they [pundits] are to judge a young fella's career. Based on what? A lot of guys who play the game are very much of the same ability. There are exceptions to the rule.

"There is maybe around 10 or 15 per cent of inter-county footballers who are above everybody else. They are the likes of Oisin McConville, Tomas O Se and Paddy Bradley - they are class acts. But everybody else isn't far away from each other in terms of talent.

"I played with players who were much more talented than me and I played against fellas in Down club football who were more gifted than me. I just happened to come along at a lucky time.

"Martin McHugh was a very good footballer, but he was very lucky to come along at a time when Donegal won an All-Ireland.

"What we're trying to do is put together a squad who will do their best on and off the pitch for Down football. No-one knows where that will take us."

Following their opening McKenna Cup defeat to the Red Hands, Down have reached the final by beating Donegal, UUJ and Cavan.

"What we've found out is not an answer to football ability, we've found out that these boys really want to play for Down," said Carr.

Yesterday, McHugh reiterated his stance. He said: "The game is all about opinions. I was very disappointed with Down against a Tyrone third string. They also beat UUJ and Donegal shadow sides. I don't like what I see in Down and I believe they have gone backwards."

McHugh added: "I don't like saying these things about Down football because when I played they were everybody's benchmark, and there would be nobody happier than me to see them improve. After all, they were the team who won two All-Irelands in the early '90s while Derry and Donegal managed only one title apiece."

Carr argued that the modern-day player who is prepared to meet the exceptional demands of the inter-county game should not have to endure "unjustified" criticism.

The Clonduff clubman said: "These boys give selflessly of their time whether it be for 12 months or five years. For that period of time they say: 'this is my life'.

"When it comes to the end of that period of time where they've given everything, their fall from grace is so sudden. Players who have won Ulster Championships or All-Irelands become very ordinary players after a season or two, not because they're bad or ordinary, they just lose that drive."
http://www.irishnews.com/irishnews/2008/1/597/5776/578371_334513012642Carrdisgu.html

Well that's the motivation sorted for Down. They must be certain to beat Derry now in the final.

[orangeman]

Wee Martin's just trying to stir the pot, be contreversial and sell newspapers !

[orangeman]

These areticles shouldn't be taken too seriously - I thought Ross would have known better - I know he's on a good run alright but he should keep his powder dry.........

[donelli]

Derry are lookng good this year and are bound to be worth a few £ at a big price for Ulster ??

I agree. I reckon they will oercome donegal and get revenge over Monaghan for last years defeat.
A final place against Tyrone i predict. And who knows , but Derry could just do it.

[never kickt a ball]

These areticles shouldn't be taken too seriously - I thought Ross would have known better - I know he's on a good run alright but he should keep his powder dry.........

Orangeman, Carr is using the comments shrewdly to accelerate Down's progress and drive them on to greater things. He doesn't want his team to be caught in the headlights on Saturday. The only fear is that with all the recent matches Carr's team will run out of petrol.