Donegal goal glut sinks Derry in another Ulster upset

Derry's two-year reign as Ulster Senior Football champions was ended by a Jim McGuinness' ambush as Donegal hit four goals in front of 14, 714 at Celtic Park on Saturday evening.

The Tir Chonaill men fully deserved the victory, fighting back fro a slow start to take control thanks to Daoire O'Baoill's first half goal. The strike breathed life in Donegal's challenge with their ability to win breaks on a superb long kick-out routine, designed to expose Derry's high press. It brought countless goal opportunities with three of the four goals arriving off long kick-outs.

For Derry, this was a day to forget. The alarm bells won't exactly be ringing after what was only Derry's second defeat of 2024 but there will be plenty of soul searching ahead of the All Ireland Series.

The opening minutes were going to script for the Ulster champions for whom 2023 Young Player of the year Ethan Doherty was in excellent form. It was Doherty who opened the scoring inside 90 seconds, a lead that was doubled four minutes later by a Paul Cassidy mark.

By that stage Derry had won Donegal's opening three kick-outs to keep the visitors pinned back and could have been further ahead after Lachlan Murray fisted an effort off the post.

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Donegal needed inspiration and found it though Caolan McGonagle and more specifically Ryan McHugh whose ability to win break ball gave McGuinness' team a real foothold. The Tir Chonaill men switched kick-outs to a percentage game, going long and filling the target area