Ulsters Minor Football Championship Semi-Final

ARMAGH 0-14 DERRY 1-17

By Orla Bannon at Clones.

Ulster minor football champions Derry scraped through to this year's provincial final but needed extra time to get past Armagh at Clones.

Derry sub Caolan Devlin finished top-scorer with 0-6, scoring four points in extra-time in today's semi-final as the Oak Leafers fought back to book their place in the decider against Donegal or Monaghan.

Armagh, managed by 2002 All-Ireland winner Paul McGrane, will feel they should have closed the game out in normal time. They were five points up early in the second half, the brilliant Crossmaglen prospect Rian O'Neill kicking them into a 0-8 to 0-3 lead after 34 minutes.

Derry midfielder Patrick Coney scored the only goal of the game two minutes later, his low shot was partially blocked by Armagh goalkeeper Michael Nugent but still ended up in the back of the net.

Derry grew in confidence, with full-forward Fergal Higgins kicking the first of his five points in the 40th minute. Armagh had a couple of goal chances towards the end of normal time but the game was slipping away, with Higgins and Devlin leading the way for Derry.

Armagh wing-back Cahair McGeary kicked the equaliser for the orchard county in the fourth minute of injury time to take the game to extra time, at 0-12 to 1-9.

Champions Derry outscored Armagh by eight points to two in the additional 20 minute period to coast through to the final on July 17.

**Scorers for Derry – **C Devlin 0-6 (4f, 1 '45',) F Higgins 0-5 (2f), P Coney 1-1, P Quigg 0-2, E Bradley 0-2, S Higgins 0-1

**Scorers for Armagh – **R O'Neill 0-5 (3f, 1 '45'), R Owens 0-3, J Duffy 0-2, C McConville, S Loye, E McDonnell, C McGeary 0-1 each

DERRY: B McKinless; C McCluskey, G McLaughlin, C Doherty; P McGrogan, E Concannon, S McErlain; P Coney, O McWilliams; L Kielt, L McWilliams, P Quigg; S Downey, F Higgins, E Bradley

**Subs: **S Higgins (0-1) for Kielt (HT), C Devlin (0-6, 4f, 1 '45') for L McWilliams (42), JP Devlin for O McWilliams (51), A Bradley for Concannon (60), B Cassidy for Bradley (63), O McKeever for McErlain (66), O Hartin for McKinless (BC, 69)

**ARMAGH: **M Nugent; J McAlinden, B McCambridge, D Loye; C McGeary, C O'Neill, R Owens; C O'Neill, E McDonnell; R McQuillan, R O'Neill, C McConville; J Duffy, S Loye, R McSherry.

Subs: M Girvan for McDonnell (58), K McAlinden for Loye (58), E McCabe for C O'Neill (69), F Mackin for McAlinden (70)

REFEREE: Niall Cullen (Fermanagh)