Donegal crept past Derry in a thrilling semi-final at Healy Park, 2-11 to 0-15.

The losers were left feeling frustrated when - trailing by three points - they rattled the crossbar in the last minute, but in the end goals from Odhran MacNiallias and Caolan Ward were enough to see Donegal through.

The sides were level at the turnaround in Omagh, with MacNiallias' first-quarter major ensuring Donegal of a 1-5 to 0-8 share of the spoils.

Derry made a lively start but registered three poor wides inside the first two minutes, before Aaron Devlin finally got the Oak Leaf County off the mark.

Luke Keeney and Paddy McBrearty had wides for the Tir Chonail men but the latter slotted a routine free following a foul on Willie Gillespie. An excellent turn and finish from Fintan Bell restored the Derry lead but Donegal struck for the opening goal of the game in the ninth minute:

McBrearty provided the ammunition with a dangerous ball into the square and MacNiallias was on hand to fist the ball to the net: 1-1 to 0-2.

Christopher Spires replied with a Derry point but Conor Gibbons (2) and McBrearty pointed for Donegal to make it 1-4 to 0-3.

The losers kept motoring and points from Devlin and Bell (2) saw them close the gap to just a point coming up to half time, 1-4 to 0-6.

Devlin then tied the scores up and Bell's free edged the Derry lads back in front two minutes before the interval, 0-8 to 1-4. Derry had landed five successive scores but McBrearty mustered an equaliser on the stroke of half time.

Donegal got a perfect start to the second half as Caolan Ward took a pass from McBrearty to dispatch to the net. The latter followed up with a pointed free and Ryan McHugh made it a five-point game, 2-7 to 0-8, five minutes into the second half.

Bell and Leon Kelly traded overs as did Ciaran Conway and Martin O'Reilly. McBrearty's confident catch and finish left six points between the teams with ten minutes to go, 2-10 to 0-10.

Conor Kearns (free) and Bell struck points to give Derry a sliver of hope and another Bell free from 35 metres had the gap down to three with five minutes remaining, 2-10 to 0-13.

Spiers pulled back another point as the Oak Leafers continued to pile forward but Derry then recorded a crucial wide before Darragh O'Connor restored Donegal's three-point lead.

Derry were dreadfully unlucky when Bell's shot came back off the crossbar right at the death.

Ciaran McFaul pointed in injury time but Donegal held on for a provincial final date with holders Cavan.

Donegal - P Boyle; K McFadden, C Ward (1-0), P Carr; E McHugh, M O'Reilly (0-1), R McHugh (0-1); L Keaney, C Cannon; L Kelly (0-1), O MacNiallais (1-0), G Gallagher; W Gillespie, P McBrearty (0-5), C Gibbon (0-2). Subs: D O'Connor (0-1) for Gillespie, C Parke for Cannon, C Barrett for Carr.

Derry - C Bradley; G McKinless, P Quinn, D Browne; K McKeague, C McAtamney, J Morgan; K Conway (0-1), R Dougan; N Rocks, R Bell (0-6), C McFaul (0-1); F Bell (0-1), A Devlin (0-3), C Spiers (0-2). Subs: C Kearns (0-1) for Morgan, M McCloskey for Brown, S McGuigan for F Bell, R Moore for Rocks.

Ref - M McNally. Tweet

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