Derry 0-20 V 1-14 Donegal Derry came back from a 8 point half-time deficit to beat Donegal by three points in this Christy Ring Cup clash at Owenbeg . Donegal led by 1-12 to 0-07 at the break , Dylan Duffy getting the goal when he flicked Sean McVeigh’s long ball into the net for Donegal’s opening score. However they could only add two points to their tally in the second-half as Derry came storming back to shoot 13 second-half points and take the victory by a three point margin. Without both Declan Coulter and Lee Henderson it was Danny Cullen who took over the free taking responsibilities for Donegal and the Setanta man didn’t disappoint with some fine scores. Donegal led by 1-07 to 0-05 after 28 minutes and finished the half impressively to lead 1-12 to 0-07 at the break. However Derry improved significantly in the second-half with Slaughtneil’s Cormac O Doherty leading the way for frees and open play and slowly but surely the home team began to eat into Donegal’s lead. Mickey McCann’s men still led by a single point with two minutes of normal time remaining 1-14 to 0-16 , but O Doherty , Gerard Bradley , Brian Og McGilligan and Se McGuigan all added late points to give Derry the win and send a gallant Donegal to their second defeat in the Group. In the Group’s other Down beat Wicklow by 2-25 to 2-19 and they will provide the opposition for Donegal at O Donnell Park in two weeks time.
Donegal Hurlers beaten by Derry in Christy Ring Cup
written by
Chris McNulty
May 18, 2019
Chris McNulty
Author of 'Boxing In Donegal: A History (2021)' - the definitive history of the sport in County Donegal - and 'Relentless: A Race Through Time', the 2019 memoir of former Irish Athletics Team Manager Patsy McGonagle. From St Johnston and now based in Letterkenny, Chris was a nominee for NUJ Sports Journalist of the Year in 2010. Honoured by the Donegal Boxing Board in 2016 for his coverage on the sport.