Derry needed extra time to see off Fermanagh in this afternoon’s Ulster U20 football championship opener at Celtic Park.

It finished 1-13 to 1-8 in favour of Mickey Donnelly’s side in the end after they dug deep in the second half of extra time to pull away from their Erne counterparts.

It was the visitors whom looked to be cruising at the end of first-half of normal time, taking in a 1-5 to 0-3 lead at the break after Sean Cassidy hammered into the Derry net on 30 minutes.

Jude McAtamney’s frees helped the Oak Leafers battle the deficit down to two however, and the game was level after Eunan Mulholland and Alex Doherty raised white flags in the closing 10 minutes which left it at 1-6 to 0-9 when the full-time whistle sounded.

Callum Jones and Micheál Glynn restored a two-point lead for Ollie Fay’s men in the early minutes of extra time but they couldn’t kick on from there.

Instead Derry registered an unanswered 1-4 in the time remaining, including a goal from Doherty, which ushered them through by five in the end.

Derry - R Scullion; J Diamond, T Walsh, O McLarnon; E Mulholland (0-2), I Donaghy, A McCluskey; K Friel (0-1), C McShane; N Doyle, F Bradley, C McGuckin; C Murphy (0-1), J McAtamney (0-3, 2f), T McHugh (0-1). Subs: A Doherty (1-5) for F Bradley, O Downey for C McGuckin, N Rafferty for O McLarnon, F Bradley for C McShane, C McShane for J McAtamney, C McGuckin for N Doyle.

Fermanagh - S McNally; F Keenan, A McManus, L Flanagan; G Treacy, J Largo Ellis, A O Cathain; B Horan (0-1), P McKervey; C Jones (0-3), M Glynn (0-2, 1'45), A Tierney; G Quigley, C Love, S Cassidy (1-1). Subs: G McGovern (0-1) for A Tierney, R McHugh for G Quigley, J Horan for L Flanagan, A Keenan for S McNally, R McGovern for C Love.

Referee - E McFeely.

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