Ben McCarron came off the bench to hit a stunning hat-trick as Derry overcame Fermanagh in the Dr McKenna Cup.
Fermanagh 2-8 Derry 3-9
The Steelstown youngster came into the fray for the injured Ryan Bell after only 11 minutes and McCarron scored 3-1 as the Oak Leaf men earned a four-point win.
McCarron, star of the Ulster-winning Derry minor side from 2017, was just in for nine minutes when he rattled the Fermanagh net.
Conor McAtamney and Padraig Cassidy were involved early in the move before Emmett Bradley picked out McCarron and he lashed past the helpless James McGrath.
Derry led 1-7 to 1-4 at half-time with Ryan Lyons netting for Rory Gallagher’s Fermanagh.
McCarron bagged a second major early in the second half, but Enda Lynn was sent off soon after to temper the jubilation.
Darragh McGurn’s penalty had Fermanagh on Derry’s coat-tails once more, but McCarron found a way for a superb third, lofting over McGrath to complete his treble.
Fermanagh: James McGrath; Kevin McDonnell (0-2), Tiarnan Daly, Cian McManus; Kane Connor (0-1), Lee Cullen, Ultan Kelm; Eoin Donnelly, Ryan Jones; Aidan Breen, Ryan Lyons (1-0), Ciaran Corrigan; Daniel Teague, Tom Clarke, Darragh McGurn (1-3, 1-0pen, 2f). Subs: Conor McGee for Teague, James McMahon for Lyons, Daniel Teague for Breen, Garvan Jones (0-2, 1f)for Daly. Jonathan Cassidy for McGurn,;
Derry: Odhran Lynch; Eoghan Concannon, Conor Mulholland, Sean Quinn; Ryan Dougan, Eamon McGill, Jason Rocks; Conor McAtamney, Padraig Cassidy; Patrick Coney, Christopher Bradley (0-3, 2f), Padraig McGrogan (0-1); Ryan Bell, Emmett Bradley (0-2, 1f), Enda Lynn (0-2). Subs: Ben McCarron (3-1) for Bell, Ciaran McFaul for Rocks, Declan Hughes for McAtamney, Simon McErlain for McCarron, Sean McKeever for Dougan
Referee: Martin McNally (Monaghan).
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