Monaghan U20s fall to Derry in opener

Ulster U20 FC

Monaghan 1-8

Derry 0-14

Colm Shalvey in Castleblayney

Monaghan started the Ulster U-20 Football Championship with a 0-14 to 1-8 loss to Derry in Castleblayney on Wednesday night. In a repeat of the 2023 All-Ireland MFC Final, with 17 of the starting teams from that day starting once again, Derry did enough to claim the win, courtesy of a late flurry of scores from Cody Rocks, Tommy Rogers and Cahir Spiers.

Monaghan started brightly with points from Max McGinnity and Luke McKenna, but Derry kicked four in a row between the 19th and 23rd minutes, including two from Johnny McGuckin, as they claimed a slender lead at the interval: 0-6 to 0-5.

Tommy Rogers kicked a couple of long-range scores as Derry pushed further ahead after the restart, before Monaghan hit the only goal from a McGinnity penalty. The hosts led by the minimum on 53 minutes, but Rocks equalised and Rogers landed the only two-pointer to regain the advantage for Derry.

The all-action Spiers added the final point as Derry began the group stage with a win.

See next week's print edition for full coverage.