Goals win games and that the was case in the Athletic Grounds yesterday when Derry scored three against Monaghan to set up an Ulster SFC final meeting with Donegal.

Gareth McKinless, Niall Toner and Benny Heron all found the net as the revitalised Oak Leafers took their second prized scalp in as many weeks to reach their first provincial final in 11 years.

"They gave us the platform to win the match," Derry manager Rory Gallagher told RTÉ.

"If we scored two goals, we were never going to be beaten, and we scored three.

"Some of the first half was brilliant. We probably sat back a wee bit [in the second half], a wee bit of apprehension, and a few things didn’t go our way, but when you go eight or nine points up it’s very hard to get pegged back."

The Fermanagh native wasn't surprised by Monaghan's second half comeback which saw them get within three points at one stage.

"Monaghan are a serious outfit, they’re a well-established top six or seven team, and they were always going to come back at us," he said.

"Monaghan were always going to come back at us. You could see with their body language at half-time that they were never beaten."But when they got back to three points we responded and stretched it out to seven or eight again.

"You’ve got to earn your right to win Ulster Championship games especially wen you are playing Monaghan or Tyrone."

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