Monaghan and Derry to meet in 2020 Ulster minor football decider

Dylan O’Reilly’s stoppage-time goal helps Monaghan beat Fermanagh at the death


Monaghan and Derry will contest the 2020 Ulster minor football final after both counties came through dramatic semi-final contests against neighbouring counties on Saturday afternoon.

Fermanagh, who lost all four Ulster minor finals they contested – the most recent in 2003 – looked to have done enough to advance when points from Seán Conlon, Fionán O'Brien and Diarmuid King gave them a narrow lead going into stoppage time at Kingspan Breffni Park.

Heartbreak was to be their fate, however, as Monaghan's Dylan O'Reilly fired in a goal in the first minute of stoppage-time, followed by an insurance point from Cian Conlon.

Derry took on Tyrone at the Athletic Grounds where some very high-scoring football suddenly dried up in an incredibly tense final quarter.

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Matthew Downey’s penalty put Derry 3-9 to 2-11 up after 40 minutes, but the teams added just a single point each thereafter.

In the 2021 competition, there were wins for Laois, Kildare, Louth and Carlow in the first round of this year's Leinster championship. Goalkeeper Conor Brown was the hero for the O'Moore County as he saved two penalties and scored one of his own in a dramatic penalty shoot-out win against Wexford. Laois had two players sent off in normal time but still rallied to come from three down to force overtime.

Liam Flynn (two) and Kieran McArdle were the goalscorers at TEG Cusack Park for a Louth side that were comfortable throughout in their 3-10 to 0-10 victory, while corner forwards Elliot Byrne and Gavin Thompson shot 2-8 between them in Kildare's comfortable 4-10 to 1-12 win over Longford. The visitors took an early lead through a stunning Paddy Moran goal but struggled to keep pace from then on.

Meanwhile, time ran out for Wicklow at Netwatch Cullen Park, where Carlow just about held on to edge out their neighbours, 3-14 to 2-15, despite having led by nine points early in the second half.