ULSTER FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
QUARTER-FINAL
DERRY 2-23
ANTRIM 1-13
At Celtic Park, Derry

ANTRIM travelled to Celtic Park on Saturday evening as they combatted with neighbours Derry in the quarter-final of the Ulster Football Championship as they hoped to cause an almighty upset in the tie.

The hopes of an upset were beginning to stir when the Saffrons opened the scoring after Niall Burns cut inside and the let fly an effort between the posts for his side and the away support roared with optimism.

Despite the early signs Derry soon replied when Lachlan Murray managed to put the pieces on the end of a terrific move from the home side and level the scoring inside the opening few moments of play.

Derry then looked to take the ascendency in the game as they struck a second score through Shane McGuigan and Niall Loughlin extended the gap to two scores at the quarter hour mark.

Antrim's hopes of a shock upset where given a new lease on life after Adam Loughran managed to overturn the kick-out from Shea McGuckin and the Saffrons would find the net after Conor Hand's pass found Niall Burns who dispatched his goal with conviction and the lead was switched for the team in yellow.

The lead would be short-lived for Antrim but it gave the travelling support a huge lift in a game which next to nothing was expected from the Saffrons.

Eventually, Antrim became masters of their own downfall as some possession play at the back between Dominic McEnhill and Kavan Keenan was duly intercepted by Eoin McEvoy and keeper McNabb was roaming in the midfield leaving a free net for Derry to strike into. The ball came into the path of Lachlan Murray who drilled his effort low and beyond the covering John Morgan on the line.

Soon the game would get slowly out of reach for Antrim. Shane McGuigan continued to press home his presence on the game and struck his side's first two-pointer of the game with a terrific free.

Lachlan Murray's curved shot from just inside the arc gave Antrim relief as it only counted for a single score as the forward managed a carbon copy effort a moment later, again only for the single score but brilliant nonetheless.

Niall Burns found his range again after his brilliant clipped strike ended the temporary Antrim drought as the St Gall's star continued to pave the way for the Saffrons in the bright sunlight.

Cassidy's score kept Derry firmly in the driving seat and Shane McGuigan proved to be one of the best talisman in the country as he struck time and time again for Derry.

Antrim gave a strong account of themselves and were seven to the detriment of Derry at the break following a hearty display.

The second-half saw the Celtic Park men slowly but surely pull away as Eoin McEvoy and Niall Loughlin both tried their efforts from distance and it came up trumps for the Oak Leaf county.

Murray once again proved a tough job for Keenan as he struck another brace of scores for Derry and the game was virtually out of sight for Antrim.

The Saffrons, despite the deficit, did show some encouraging signs when captain Eoghan McCabe led from the front and thumped a terrific effort for his first score of the evening and then followed it up with a tremendous two-pointer from play.

Pat Shivers soon got in on the temporary resurgence, but eventually the alarm bells rang for Derry and they refused to let up as McGuigan, and a goal from Paul Cassidy, put the lid on any chance of a real story at Celtic Park.

McGuigan's obligatory two-pointer as the clock began to dwindle gave Derry a strong ten-point lead with minimal time remaining in the game.

Antrim did have an unlikely chance at a second goal, with the ball falling to Paddy McAleer but his attempt at goal mirrored a back-pass with tired legs failing him to generate any real power in the effort.

Ryan McQuillan gave a great account of himself as the Glenravel forward struck three scores in quick succession, including a terrific two-pointer, but unfortunately it was too late to cause any hassle for the hosts.

Shivers struck a late score and McAleer got a consolation free from inside the 13-yard line, but the scoreline of 13 was the gap in the end and Derry were deserved victors over the Saffrons.

A chance to perform for the Tailtean Cup in a month's time is Antrim's reward for their defeat in Derry, with the Ulster Football Championship drought now sitting at 12 years without a victory in the competition.

ANTRIM: John McNabb; John Morgan, Eunan Walsh, Kavan Keenan; Eoghan McCabe 0-3 (1xTP), Peter Healy, Marc Jordan; Paddy McAleer 0-1f, Joseph Finnegan; Conor Hand 0-1, Adam Loughran, Ronan Boyle; Niall Burns 1-3, Pat Shivers 0-2, Dominic McEnhill

Subs: Cathal Hynds 0-3 (1xTP)

DERRY: Shea McGuckin; Diarmuid Baker, Ruairi Forbes 0-1, Conor McCluskey; Conor Doherty 0-3, Gareth McKinless, Padraig McGrogan 0-1; Eoin McEvoy 0-1, Brendan Rogers 0-1; Ethan Doherty, Conor Glass, Paul Cassidy 1-1; Niall Loughlin 0-1, Shane McGuigan 0-9 (2xTP 0-2f), Lachlan Murray 1-4

Subs: Ruairi Ó'Mianian 0-1