Lynch the hero as Derry secure back to back Ulster Championships

They say good teams win championships but great teams go back to back.

There’s no doubt this Derry side is a great side. Given the build up to Sunday’s Ulster final fans around St Tiernachs Park weren’t sure how Derry would be perform on the pitch, fans I spoke to were hopeful they would get over the line, and after a tense final which swung either way they showed the character to get the job done.

The Oak Leafers were in the lead for much of the first 70 minutes but Armagh forced the game to extra time and when the Orchard County managed to edge two points ahead you’d have thought Derry’s race had run but they came back thanks to Shane McGuigan. Scores were then exchanged and for the first time in Ulster Final history it would be decided by a penalty shootout.

On the biggest days, the big players step up.

Brendan Rogers with an early goal, Conor Glass imperious in the captains role, Shane McGuigan with seven scores to name but a few.

In the shootout, goalkeeper Odhran Lynch was the hero as he denied Armagh on three occasions.

Ciaran Mcfaul scored the winning penalty to ensure the Anglo-Celt Cup would be heading back to Derry.

Much has been said about the new structure of the Championship, with the forthcoming group stages in the All-Ireland series there were suggestions the provincial finals would lose their importance.

Tell that to the capacity crowd at Clones on Sunday, and to the players of Derry and Armagh.

The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for Armagh but they will have to dust themselves down and go again when the group stage begins in two weeks time.

Kieran McGeeney’s side will bounce back, they had the disappointment of exiting Ulster last year against Donegal but ended up narrowly missing out on an All-Ireland semi-final place on penalties against Galway.

Though they face a difficult group with ties against Westmeath, their neighbours Tyrone and Galway.

As for Derry, they face Monaghan, Donegal and Clare. Topping the group will ensure a place in the last eight of the All-Ireland while second and third place will face a preliminary game.

Derry came up short in the All-Ireland semi final last year against Galway, they’ll be hoping to make it to the biggest day of all, 30 years on from the last time the Oak Leaders got their hands on Sam.

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