Donegal captured the last-ever Ulster U21 football crown tonight, beating neighbours Derry by double scores in Armagh - 3-17 to 0-13.

A crowd of 3,521 turned out beneath the full moon at the Athletic Grounds to witness the winners register their eighth and final U21 provincial success and set up an All-Ireland semi-final date with Dublin on Saturday.

Lorcan Connor's 29^th-minute goal from point-blank range following a Messi-like dribble from Man of the Match Jamie Brennan proved to be the game-breaker after the first twelve points had been shared. Jason McGee immediately followed up with a brilliant score from distance to propel the winners into a 1-7 to 0-6 interval lead, which had looked unlikely approaching the break as Fergal McCusker's men had given as good as they got for 28 minutes.

Substitute Ethan O'Donnell and Michael Carroll added further goals late in the second half, with the losers reduced to 14 men since the 40^th minute when full back Oisin Duffin was dismissed.

Declan Bonner made four late changes to his starting XV, with Conor Kelly replacing full back Ciaran Gillespie, Stephen McMenamin coming in for centre forward Niall O'Donnell and Stephen McBrearty and Jason McGee also coming into attack in place of Ethan O'Donnell and Caolan McGonigle respectively. For the Oak Leafers, one late switch saw Dean Curran replace Ruairi McElwee, who had been named to start on the 40.

Donegal led by two points to one after five minutes, with Connor slotting a brace of frees in response to a Danny Tallon free at the other end. Midfielder Michael Langan doubled the difference with a sweetly-struck '45' in the tenth minute after Ben McKinless had denied Tony McCleneghan.

Langan's midfield foil Carroll fisted a point 30 seconds later but the Oak Leafers in turn hit back with a couple of quickfire scores from Tallon (free) and Peter Hagan. When Langan expertly thumped another '45' over the black spot in the 14^th minute, Shane McGuigan retorted with a left-footed free from the hands to keep the underdogs in touch.

Conor Doherty gathered a pass from the lively Dean Curran to tie the scores up on the 18^th minute and McGuigan arced over the lead point for Derry three minutes later as they moved ahead by 0-6 to 0-5. Wing man Brennan lofted over an excellent leveller seven minutes from the break and Patrick Coney cancelled out a McGee strike as the scores remained deadlocked after 26.

But the momentum changed completely in Donegal's favour once Brennan's improvisation created the opening for Connor and the gap was four at the short whistle.

Connor (free) stretched the margin within a minute of the restart and full forward Cian Mulligan added a delightful point from distance before Michael McEvoy notched a tidy Derry score - 1-10 to 0-8 after 35 minutes and with Derry's hopes of a comeback having been hampered greatly by a black card administered to full forward McGuigan…

Langan nailed another terrific free from the deck and the losers were reduced to 14 men when Duffin was shown a black card and then a red to go with his earlier yellow for pulling down Brennan after McKinless' short kick-out went straight to the Donegal attacker. Connor converted the resultant free and Eoghan Ban Gallagher replied to a Derry score from fellow wing back Cathal Mulholland as the favourites led by six at the three-quarters stage - 1-13 to 0-10 - with Hagan (free) supplying Derry's tenth score.

Connor (free) and Jordan Curran traded scores, as did Derry captain Niall Keenan and Langan before Connor Morrison fisted the Tir Chonail men into a seven-point lead with as many minutes left, 1-16 to 0-12.

Substitute Niall O'Donnell added a point to the winning tally and - seconds after Hagan had struck the Donegal crossbar - fellow replacement Ethan O'Donnell ran through to plant a second goal which left the gap at eleven with four minutes left. Tallon dropkicked an injury-time free over the bar going for goal but it was Carroll who closed the scoring at the other end by palming a third Donegal goal to the top left corner in the fourth added minute as his side won by 13 - the same margin by which they ousted Cavan at the semi-final stage - to claim their first provincial title at this level since 2010.

Donegal - D Rodgers; C Morrison (0-1), S McMenamin, B McCole; C Mulligan (0-1), D Ó Baoill, E Bán Gallagher (0-1); T McClenaghan, J McGee (0-2); M Carroll (1-2), S McBrearty, C Kelly; L Connor (1-5), M Langan (0-3), J Brennan (0-1). Subs - C Doherty for Kelly, N O'Donnell (0-1) for McBrearty, E O'Donnell (1-0) for Doherty, C McLaughlin for Connor, C McGonigle for Langan, D Monagle for Mulligan.

Derry - B McKinless; N Keenan (0-1), O Duffin, C McGrogan; C Mulholland (0-1), M McEvoy, J Curran (0-1); J Doherty (0-1), P Kearney; P Hagan (0-2), D Curran, P Coney (0-1); D Tallon (0-4), S McGuigan (0-1), C Doherty (0-1). Subs - T Flanagan for McGuigan bc, E McGill for Curran, J Donaghy for Doherty, F Kearney for Coney.

Ref - S Hurson (Tyrone).

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