Derry ease past Fermanagh

Ulster Senior Football Championship Quarter Final
Derry 1-18 Fermanagh 1-10

Derry were safely through to the semi-final of the Ulster GAA Football Championship by half time after an eight-point victory over Fermanagh at Celtic Park.

Eoin Bradley’s goal as well a number of other well-taken scores had paved the way for the Oak Leafers in the opening 35 minutes.

Fermanagh looked to be off to a good start after Terry O’Flanagan slotted over a simple free, but Derry chose to play with the strong breeze and made full use of it.

Three defenders, as well as six other players, managed to get on the scoresheet for Derry before the half-time break.

The ninth minute was the turning point in the game. A quick free found the alert Bradley and he did not need to be asked twice to fire home Derry’s goal from an acute angle.

Mark Lynch, Seán Leo McGoldrick, Bradley (0-2), Conleith Gilligan and Enda Muldoon added points and Derry were 1-7 to 0-1 up inside the opening 15 minutes.

Fermanagh managed only to notch up one other score in the first half and that came through Daniel Kille, to leave the score at 1-12 to 0-2.

The scoreline actually got worse for Fermanagh at the start of the second period as Derry’s Muldoon, Joe Diver, Bradley and Lynch all got their names on the score sheet playing against the strong breeze.

Kille sottled over a free before corner-back John Woods advanced high up the pitch to net a superb right-footed strike but it was too little too late.

Ryan Jones, Kille, Chris O’Brien and Barry Mulrone got points to lessen the one-sided look of the scoreline.

Gilligan and Michael Bateson got Derry’s other second-half points which saw them run out comfortable winners in the end.