DOWN AND MONAGHAN will contest this year’s Ulster U20 football championship final after both recording comprehensive last-four wins tonight.
Down — managed by former Down forward Conor Laverty of Kilcoo, who has a star-studded backroom team in place with former AFL star Marty Clarke and Meath legend Sean Boylan among those involved — were six-point winners over Fermanagh at the Athletic Grounds.
An early Ruairi O’Hare goal proved decisive for the Mournemen, who had too much for Fermanagh, leading and controlling the game from start to finish. One concern is, though, they failed to score in the final 23 minutes.
John McGovern landed three points for the eventual winners, with several others impressing before the posts, while Darragh McBrien (0-05, 2 frees, 1 mark) top-scored for the Erne county, as goalkeeper Sean McNally kept them in it at times.
Semi Final full time scores!@OfficialDownGAA 1-13 @FermanaghGAA 0-10@officialdonegal 1-11 @monaghangaa 3-10
— Ulster GAA (@UlsterGAA) July 16, 2021
Down 🟥⬛️ & Monaghan ⬜️🟦 will contest the 2021 @EirGrid Ulster Under 20 Football Championship Final! 🏆
Meanwhile, in a thrilling encounter at Brewster Park, Donnach Swinburne was Monaghan’s hat-trick hero, his decisive goals and a sensational second-half performance ultimately sending the Farney through.
Swinburne’s first major was an early penalty, though Donegal — who ended defending champions Tyrone’s three-in-a-row bid — shook it off to lead 0-9 to 1-1 at the break.
It was a fiery affair in Enniskillen with black cards aplenty, and Monaghan pushed on in the second half to outscore Donegal by 2-9 to 1-2 in a simply stunning display down the home straight.
The 2021 @EirGrid Ulster Under 20 Football Championship Final between @OfficialDownGAA & @monaghangaa will be held in Athletic Grounds Armagh at 7pm on Saturday 24th July.#Ulster2021 pic.twitter.com/XewdCajQM7
— Ulster GAA (@UlsterGAA) July 16, 2021
The final is pencilled in for Saturday, 24 July, at Armagh’s Athletic Grounds.
U20 Ulster football semi-final results
- Down 1-13 Fermanagh 0-10
- Monaghan 3-10 Donegal 1-11
