Mark Lynch: put Derry in front.
Derry 0-11 Donegal 1-11
Derry crashed out of the Ulster Senior Football Championship when defeated by near neighbours Donegal at a sold-out Celtic Park this afternoon.
Derry led by two points on a scoreline of 0-06 to 0-04 after an uninspiring first 35 minutes but the second half proved to be a thrilling affair as first, Donegal took the game by the scruff of the neck to quickly snuff out the deficit and establish a comfortable lead, only for Derry to fight back to set up an exciting final 10 minutes.
Captain Mark Lynch put Derry in front when he popped a free over the bar in the fifth minute.
Darragh O’Connor opted for a point instead of going for goal following a brilliant solo run to bring the 2012 All-Ireland champions level in the eighth minute.
Another Mark Lynch free in the 12th minute put the home side back in front.
Niall Holly was brought on the 15th minute to replace Fergal Doherty who was forced to leave the field with a back injury.
Christy Toye with another point from play once more levelled the scores in the 18th minute.
Emmett Bradley immediately put the home side back in front with Derry’s first point from play but Lacey straight away brought the visitors level once again.
Holly produced the score of the game when he restored Derry’s lead in the 23rd minute, finishing off a period of lengthy possession.
Emmett Bradley put two points between the sides for the first time when he pointed a free from distance in the 26th minute.
Kieran McFaul put Derry three clear in the 33rd minute.
Michael Murphy reduced the lead in the first of two minutes of injury time at the end of the first half.
Thompson curled over a brilliant point within 30 seconds of the restart to put just one between the sides before Leo McLoone finished off a defence-splitting move to chip Mallon in the Derry goal to put Donegal ahead for the first time in the 38th minute.
Michael Murphy extended the Donegal lead a minute later with a brilliant point and he pointed again in the 42nd minute as the visitors began to show the sort of form which saw them crowned All-Ireland champions two years ago.
Another point from Murphy put five between the sides before McBrearty blasted over the bar when he looked certain to find the back of the net in the 48th minute to put the visitors firmly in control on a scoreline of 1-09 to 0-06.
After an injured Holly was replaced by Benny Heron, a Mark Lynch free in the 50th minute – Derry’s first score in the second half – reduced the arrears.
A point from play by Benny Herron three minutes later reduced the deficit to four points.
Emmett Bradley made it three unanswered scores for Derry when he pointed a free in the 59th minute to reduce the deficit to three points.
Martin McElhinney settled the Donegal nerves a little with a point in the 60th minute to put four between the sides before a Benny Heron “45” reduced the visitors lead to just the one score.
Derry were brought right back into the game in the 63rd minute when Mark Lynch put over the bar from distance.
McLoone scored Donegal’s first point in 10 minutes as the game went into injury time to settle the visitors’ nerves once again.
James Kielt, who had come on as a second-half substitute, was sent off in the final minute to complete Derry’s woes.
Earlier, Derry’s minors also lost out to Donegal.
Trailing by six points at half-time on a scoreline of 1-06 to 0-03, the Oakleafers fought back in the second period and were only two points behind with five minutes from the final whistle.
However, Stephen McBrearty added a couple of scores to settle the Donegal nerves and see them through to an Ulster MFC semi-final.
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