DERRY overcame a lethargic Donegal at a wet and windy Celtic Park yesterday. Playing into the teeth of the breeze in the first half, Donegal never came to terms with the conditions and were fortunate to trail by only four points at the interval.

Derry began in the ascendancy and points from Anthony Tohill, Joe Cassidy, and Seamus Downey had them 0-3 to no score ahead by the 12th minute. Donegal struck back with a vengeance in the 14th minute when Derry keeper, David Hasson, fumbled a weak free by Adrian Sweeney and Tony Boyce pounced to fist to the net.

It was more than Donegal deserved, the score coming from their first attack. Derry replied with points from Joe Brolly and four Anthony Tohill frees, before Tony Boyle added a free to leave Donegal trailing 0-8 to 1-1 at the break.

The expected Donegal resurgence in the second half did not materialise as Derry got to grip with the conditions and played some slick football. Points from Dermot Heaney, and Brolly extended Derry's lead before Adrian Sweeney scored a brace of points for the visitors. Joe Cassidy added to Derry's tally, before Seamus Downey fired low to the Donegal net in the 41st minute, to put Derry eight points ahead.

The goal effectively ended the Donegal challenge and as a result, the game died as a contest. Manus (two) and Tony Boyle added further points for Donegal in the closing minutes, but Derry had the game well under control and replied with two further Tohill scores.