DERRY................................... 1-20

FERMANAGH........................... 2-9

A much sharper Derry team proved to be too hot for Fermanagh in this under 21 quarter final played at Celtic Park on Saturday afternoon.

The home side had an especially quick moving and slick full forward line which was never contained by a stretched Fermanagh full back line and over the course of the hour, Derry were to score practically at will, all but three of their hefty tally of scores coming from open play.

Corner forward Eoghan Brown was to emerge at the game's most prolific marksman and he finished with a personal tally of nine points, eight of these from play and full forward Paul McWilliams chipped in with a goal and a point.

Fermanagh team manager Michael Cassidy acknowledged that the sharpness of the Derry full forward line was a key factor in deciding the contest. He felt however that Fermanagh were in the game for a considerable period.

" We ended with a tally of two goals and nine points, enough to win many a game," he stated, " and we did trouble their defence. But we were to waste one very good chance of getting a third goal at a very critical moment. If we had got that goal it would have brought us right back into it with ten minutes remaining.

As for the plus points coming out of the game for us, I felt that Darren McQuaide and Brian Og Maguire did a good job of work for us in the middle of the park and Anthony McGuinness was effective at wing half.

However our forward line was to lose possession too easily and from quite a number of turnovers, Derry went on the attack and got crucial scores."

Derry boss Paddy Crozier was understandably well pleased with his team's all round effort but he singled out the marksmanship of wing half forward Sean Leo McGoldrick who hit three points and the accuracy of Brown.

"There were a lot of positives from our forward play," he declared, " while I would have a special word for corner back Michael McShane who cleaned up a lot of ball."

Derry who faced into the wind in the opening half had their first score inside two minutes when midfielder Mark Craig strode through but the home side were to be jolted when Fermanagh struck for an excellent goal.

Enda Ferris threaded through a finely judged pass and Darren McQuaide was to come in on the end of it to take his goal opportunity with assurance.

It was to be a relatively lone success for Fermanagh however and for quite sometime the game was controlled by a superior Derry side who regularly hit the target with a string of points.

The Derry advantage was to be trimmed down by a second Fermanagh goal, a neat movement carving out the chance and corner forward Ciaran Leonard smartly tucked home his shot. Fermanagh were also to have a four point tally which left them three adrift at the interval on a scoreline of 0-13 to 2-4.

On the restart it was Derry who were quickest out of the blocks and they added a couple of points and were on their way to a chalking up a strong win. They were to have just one moment of anxiety when Fermanagh really should have notched a third goal.

This came on the forty minute mark but half forward Lee McQuaid failed to find the net in a one on one situation his shot going wide. It was a pivotal moment and the miss more or less killed off Fermanagh's faltering hopes.

Ten minutes from time the game was definitely settled when Derry collected their goal, Paul McWilliams punishing Fermanagh for a terrible defensive lapse.

Second half points for Fermanagh had mainly come from Ciaran Leonard and Enda Ferris this duo shooting a combined total of a goal and seven points.

Teams;

Fermanagh;

Chris Snow; Michael Jones; Mark McGovern; Niall McGovern; Anthony McGuinness; Barry Mulrone; Paul O'Brien; Brian Og Maguire; Darren McQuaid; Lee McQuaid; Ciaran Flaherty; Sean Meehan; Paul McCusker; Enda Ferris;Ciaran Leonard; Subs; John Doonan for N McGovern; Chris O'Brien for S Meehan and Stephen Carters for L McQuaid;

Derry;

Michael O'Neill; Declan Bell; Niall Holly; Michael McShane; Brian Og McAlarey; Christopher McKeigue; Dermot McBride; Mark Craig; Blaine Gormley; James Kielt; Ryan Kealy ; Sean Leo McGoldrick; Paul McWilliams; Enda Lynn and Eoghan Brown; Subs; Liam Morrow for C McKeigue; Cormac McKenna for P McWilliams and Dan Murray for E Lynn;

Referee Stephen McNamee Tyrone.