Down are the first team out of the Ulster U21 football championship after a narrow 2-12 to 1-11 preliminary-round defeat to Derry at Celtic Park.

Niall Toner and Niall Loughlin's goals in either half proved decisive for the winners, who will face Monaghan at the quarter-final stage in seven days' time.

The home team led by three at the end of a riveting first half, 1-8 to 1-5. The Oak Leaf County made an unbelievable start to lead by six points after four minutes, 1-3 to no score. County senior Terence O'Brien opened the scoring after 15 seconds and Toner fired the goal after further points from Loughlin and Neill McNicholl.

A Rory Mason brace got the visitors up and running and Down had a Pat Havern goal disallowed for an apparent push in the back. A Loughlin free assured the hosts of a five-point advantage at the midway stage in the first half.

Patrick McElroy stretched the gap in the 17th minute but the Mourne County fought back with a goal and a point from Havern, 1-5 to 1-3. A Conal Gallagher '45' reduced the arrears to a single point and points were swapped by Conor Murphy and Mason (free) before O'Brien closed the first half with a brace of sublime points for Paul McIver's men.

Loughlin and James Kearney points upon the resumption were cancelled out by Havern and Foy but Loughlin's major 13 minutes into the second half doubled the gap and left the home team in an unassailable position, 2-10 to 1-7.

Down battled to the end and registered four of the last six points but their campaign is over after just one hour of football.

Derry - B McKinless; A Hargan, M Sweeney, D Brown; J Bradley, L McGoldrick, P McElroy (0-1); N McNicholl (0-1), C McAtamney; J Kearney (0-1), T O'Brien (0-3), P Cassidy; N Loughlin (1-4, 0-3f), C Murphy (0-1), N Toner (1-0). Subs: R McDonnell for J Bradley (BC), D Tallon (0-1) for P Cassidy, J Rocks for P McElroy, D Mullan for M Sweeney.

Down - M Reid; A McDonald, A Beattie, A Fulcher; A Doherty, R Burns, R Wells; C Devlin, J McKinney; M Devlin (0-1), C Foy (0-1), A Magee; P Havern (1-1, 0-1f), R Mason (0-6, 4f), C Gallagher (0-1'45). Subs: R McAlinden for A Magee, S Cochrane for A Beattie, C Rodgers (0-1) for J McKinney, T Murdock for A McDonald, K Rice for C Gallagher.

Referee - N Mooney.

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