Derry defend their All-Ireland minor football crown with win over Armagh

All-Ireland MFC Final: Derry 2-7 Armagh 0-10

A storming second-half performance propelled Derry to consecutive All-Ireland minor football titles at Healy Park in Omagh on Sunday.

Goals in each half from captain James Sargent and Cody Rocks proved the key scores as Derry, who trailed by two points after 40 minutes, captured their seventh All- Ireland crown and their third in the last five years.

Once again it would be an all-Ulster pairing in the All-Ireland final, with Armagh taking the place of Monaghan as Derry’s latest opponents.

Armagh caught the eye when they swept Leinster champions Longford aside 1-16 to 1-3 in the All-Ireland quarter-final. But Aidan O’Rourke’s young side were just warming up. They produced their best of the season in their semi-final demolition of a much fancied Mayo outfit, running out even more convincing victors than the 0-16 to 1-6 scoreline suggested.

Defending champions Derry had yet to taste defeat all season. However, Damian McErlain’s men have had the gun to their heads ever since their straightforward league and group campaigns. They scraped past Sunday’s opponents in that tightly contested Ulster final, but they were also forced to dig deep to defeat first Dublin in the quarter-finals before that come from behind win over Kerry 1-13 to 1-12 semi-final victory.

The favourites will have run in at half-time the happier team, despite the scoreboard showing parity at 1-3 to 0-6. In truth Derry were sloppy and lacked anything touching their usual potency and penetration. After a very early scoring blitz where they raced into a 0-3 to 0-1 advantage, the rain came bucketing down from the skies and Derry’s play dropped a few gears all over the park.

Having weathered that storm, Armagh took control and but for a couple of butchered goal chances they really should have taken a lead into half-time.

Points from Ger Dillon, Eamon Young and Dylan Rocks drew first blood for Derry. Armagh returned fire through Ross Marsden, Diarmaid O’Rourke and Fionn Toale.

A converted penalty kick from Derry skipper Sargent handed his side a three-point advantage but with the underdogs on top in the second quarter, points from Gavin O’Rourke, Eoin Duffy and goalkeeper Michael Finnegan left the sides level at the interval.

A second 45 from Finnegan opened the second-half scoring and handed Armagh the lead for the first time in the contest. Further scores from free-taker Diarmaid O’Rourke and impact sub Aaron Garvey stretched the their lead to 0-9 to 1-4. with Armagh looking like the team most likely to push on towards an upset win.

But after that Derry finally found something like their top gear, and nailing the next four scores on the trot would prove the winning of the game. Man of the match Sargent and Young – Derry’s two best players this season – proved integral to the fightback.

They both dissected the posts as did Luke Grant – another survivor from last year’s side. And when Dylan Rocks dropped the shoulder, burned his marker and found his cousin Cody Rocks it set up the second Derry goal. Rocks fisted home from close range in the 51st minute to hand give side a four-point lead. It was a cushion that a valiant Armagh never really looked like breeching.

Diarmaid O’Rourke converted his third free of the day in the 56th minute but it would prove to be his side’s last.

Led by the outstanding Ronan Canavan, Derry’s defensive wall withstood a very late Armagh offensive to be crowned champions once more.

DERRY: J McCloy; P O’Kane, R Canavan, P Haran; L Grant (0-1), C Ó Mianain, D McGuckin; J Sargent (1-1), C McBride; E Young (0-2), T McHugh, C Hargan; G Dillon (0-2, 2f), C Rocks (1-0), D Rocks (0-1).

Subs: Rian Collins for Caoimhín Hargan (46 mins); Ruairi Biggs for Pádraig O’Kane (55).

ARMAGH: M Finnegan (0-2, 2 45s); T Fox, G O’Rourke (0-1), C Wilson; F Toale, S Woods, D O’Rourke (0-3, 3f); J Loughran, D O’Callaghan; R Marsden (0-1), J McCooe, K McEntee; F Toale (0-1), E Duffy (0-1), S Loughran.

Subs: Aaron Garvey (0-1) for R Marsden (36 mins); Aodhan McGrane for Fergus Toale (51); Oisín Gribben for Fionn Toale (55).

Referee: Barry Tiernan (Dublin).