Derry make it back-to-back All-Ireland MFC finals after edging Kerry in Mullingar

June 22, 2024

Derry's Luke Grant tackled by Ben Murphy and Sean O'Cuinn of Kerry ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan

Holders Derry will play either Mayo or Armagh in the All-Ireland minor football championship final in two weeks’ time after edging out Kerry by 1-13 to 1-12 at TEG Cusack Park this afternoon.

In the end, James Sargent’s 57th minute free was what stood between the sides after they’d served up a cracker in Mullingar where the goals came in the early minutes.

Dylan Rocks had rattled the Kerry net five minutes in and the very next attack from the Kingdom would see Eoin O’Flaherty blasting them back in front with a neat finish to the Ulster champions’ net.

After that, the points of Brian Murphy, O’Flaherty and Gearoid White would help Kerry to carry in a 1-7 to 1-4 half-time lead ahead of their counterparts sending over the first three points of the second-half to tie things up by the 34th minute.

The defending champions would eventually hit the front again with 10 minutes remaining thanks to a superb point from Rocks and they doubled their lead through Eamon Young before Sargent’s free would prove enough for a final return.


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