Derry prevailed by 0-21 to 1-15 after extra time in a wonderful contest in Celtic Park to book an Ulster final derby with Donegal.

At the end of a truly breath-taking game of football played under lights until deep into the night, the visitors were out on their feet as Fergal McCusker's charges - who had home advantage after winning a coin toss seven days ago when the original fixture in Omagh was rained off prior to throw-in - plundered a run of late, late points to finally confirm that they would be advancing to next Monday night's last-ever Ulster U21 football championship final.

A point from Armagh's Oisin O'Neill in the fifth minute of injury time ensured that two periods of extra time would be required to separate the teams: Derry 0-14, Armagh 1-11 at full time. Nobody in the crowd was complaining because this was a superb contest...

A Shane McGuigan brace had the Oak Leaf County level after 56 minutes and top scorer Danny Tallon (0-8) had smashed over a terrific long-range free from the ground on the stroke of the hour to leave the hosts within touching distance of the decider. But O'Neill had other ideas and they would have to wait a little longer…

O'Neill had also registered the 26^th-minute goal that closed the first-half scoring to leave the Orchard County ahead by the minimum at the short whistle, 1-6 to 0-8.

This was a magnificent exhibition of open football, with the two teams going toe to toe and attacking with liberty. Tallon's third and fourth points of the night had the home team ahead after the resumption but Shea Hoey notched Armagh's first score of the second half on 41 minutes to make it 0-10 to 1-7.

It was all about the O'Neills then for a few minutes as Oisin, Rian and Callum all pointed for the Orchard County as they led by three entering the final ten minutes. Two apiece from Glen clubman Tallon and McGuigan almost gave Derry the win but not quite…

The winners outscored their opponents by three points to one in the first additional ten-minute period, with Peter Hagan getting his second and Tallon his seventh before Slaughtneil's McGuigan (0-6) swung over a free. Steven Morris replied on the stroke of half time in extra time.

Dean Curran had the gap out to three with eight minutes left but a Tom O'Kane brace had the minimum between the sides after 75 minutes. A draw was looking likely but Derry dug deep and really stepped up to the mark at the end of a gruelling contest with points from Tallon, Hagan and substitute Eamonn McGill to seal their place in the provincial final in five nights' time.

Oisin O'Neill knocked over a last-gasp free to finish the night with 1-5 to his credit but Armagh's brave resistance had been broken as the clock moved to six minutes past 10pm on an absorbing night of football up north.

Derry, through to their first provincial final at this level in nine years, had landed three of the first four points of the night through Patrick Kearney, Hagan and Tallon but Oisin O'Neill, Caolan McConville and Shea Loye (2) ensured the visitors of a 0-4 to 0-3 advantage after twelve minutes.

Four unanswered Derry points inside the next five minutes from McGuigan (two frees), Tallon (free) and Kearney swung the tide back in favour of the hosts, 0-7 to 0-4. McGuigan's free cancelled out points from Rian and Oisin O'Neill before the latter closed the first-half scoring with the only goal of the game. And what a game it was!

Derry - B McKinless; C McGrogan, O Duffin, N Keenan; C Mulholland, M McEvoy, J Curran; P Kearney (0-2), J Doherty; P Coney, D Tallon (0-8, 5f), P Hagan (0-3); S  McGuigan (0-6, 5f), R McElwee, C Doherty. Subs: T Flanagan for R McElwee, B Grant for P Coney, E McGill (0-1) for C Mulholland (BC), D Curran (0-1) for B Grant, K Feeney for J Curran.

Armagh - R Kearney; P McArdle, A Rushe, C McConville (0-1); C Higgins, B McCambridge, C O'Neill (0-1); B Crealey, J Rafferty; P Quinn, O O'Neill (1-5, 0-2f), C Boylan; S Loye (0-2f), J Duffy, R O'Neill (0-2, 1f). Subs: J McAlinden for P McArdle, S Hoey (0-1) for J Rafferty, R Owens for P Quinn, T O'Kane (0-2) for S Loye, F Quinn for J McAlinden (BC), S Morris (0-1) for C Boylan, J Og Burns for B Crealey.

Referee - N Cullen.

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