Derry 1-10 Monaghan 0-10:Derry may have lost their influential skipper Fergal Doherty after a second yellow card offence but they still had enough in reserve to deny Monaghan by three points in today's Ulster Championship quarter-final clash at Celtic Park.
Both sides were level when Doherty was given his marching orders but Derry still finished stronger and crucial points from James Kielt, Joe Diver and Paddy Bradley sealed the win.
Derry played against a strong breeze in the first half but took the lead with a goal and two points against Stephen Gollogly's opening point for Monaghan.
Chris McKaigue landed his first Championship point before Bradley scored the only goal of the match in the early stages, but that still didn’t stop Monaghan pressing forward.
Bradley, the All-Star forward, fisted in after getting on the end of Enda Lynn's lofted effort from the left which was drifting off target.
Eoin Bradley's point from play gave Derry a four-point cushion but they were then held scoreless for the best part of 30 minutes as Monaghan fired five unanswered points to lead 0-06 to 1-02.
The margin could have greater had Monaghan not been more accurate for they shot no less than eight wides in the first period.
Bradley then ended Derry’s barren spell by landing a free in first-half stoppage-time to leave the sides level at the break.
The second half was a tense affair with both sides still level at 1-07 to 0-10 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Paddy Bradley, Eoin Bradley, Barry McGoldrick and Kielt all scored from play for Derry with Paul Finlay (two frees), Thomas Freeman and Rory Woods on target for Monaghan.
Doherty was sent-off for charging into Gary McQuaid after play had already stopped. He had already been booked in the first half and was shown a second yellow by referee Jimmy White.
Another fine long-range point from Kielt edged the home side ahead again and then Diver made it a two-point gap with Bradley ensuring the three-point win.
Derry will face Armagh or Tyrone in the Ulster semis on Sunday, June 21st.
Elsewhere Wicklow defeated Longford 2-12 to 1-13 in the first round of the Leinster Championship at Portlaoise.
Paul Earls' 68th-minute goal was Wicklow's crucial score.
Longford led by 0-07 to 0-06 at half-time with Francis Magee kicking three points and Tony Hannon (0-04) taking the bulk of Wicklow's scores.
Rory Nolan set the tone with a Wicklow goal on the restart, but a Padraig Berry goal brought Glenn Ryan's charges into contention.
However, Earls' late strike ensured Wicklow's provincial progress.
Today’s Fixtures/Results
Ulster SFC Quarter-final
Derry 1-10 Monaghan 0-10
Munster SFC Quarter-finals
Waterford 1-07 Cork 2-18
Tipperary 1-09 Limerick 1-11
Connacht SFC Round 1
London 1-07 Galway 1-18
Leinster SFC Round 1
Longford 1-13 Wicklow 2-12
Kildare 1-16 Offaly 1-10