Ruairi Convery: Derry’s man of the match.
Derry 2-16 Antrim 2-17
Fourteen-man Derry put in a magnificent performance only to lose in the dying seconds against Antrim in a thrilling Ulster Senior Football Championship final at Owenbeg in Dungiven this afternoon.
Derry made a disastrous start, conceding a goal from PJ O’Connell within the opening 20 seconds.
But two frees and two 65s from Swatragh’s Ruairi Convery, playing a captain’s goal, made sure the Oakleafers were always within touching distance of the defending champions after 20 minutes on the watch on a scoreline of 0-06 to 1-05.
Convery then netted in the 24th minute to bring Derry level but the lead lasted only two minutes before Paul Shiels, with his fifth point of the game, put Antrim back in front.
Another point doubled the Antrim lead before Banagher’s Tiarnan McCloskey was sent off four minutes from the break.
Both sides exchanged points to leave a single point between them at half-time on a scoreline of 1-09 1-08 in advantage of Derry.
A point from Ballinascreen’s Aaron Kelly 30 seconds after the restart double the Derry advantage.
However, Antrim struck back to level with scores from Shiels and McKernan.
Derry’s man of the match Convery put over two frees to restore the Derry lead before McCann put Antrim back in front when he fired past Darrell McDermott after link up play with McCambridge.
Paddy McCloskey extended Derry’s lead to four points with a goal before the advantage was halved with scores by McCann and Shiels – his eighth of the game – with just 10 minutes remaining.
Antrim fought back to level the scores before Convery was on hand once again to restore his side’s lead with a point five minutes from time.
Antrim then went by a single point with scores from McKenna and McKernan before Convery brought Derry level with a point in the last minute.
However, McKernan struck in the dying seconds to secure a 13th consecutive Ulster senior title for Antrim on a scoreline of 2-17 to 2.16.
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