Derry crush Clare with five-star display to reach All-Ireland SFC semis for first time in 18 years
June 25, 2022
Shane McGuigan celebrates after scoring Derry's fifth goal ©INPHO/James Crombie
Derry struck five goals past Clare at Croke Park this afternoon to seal a place in the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals for the first time since 2004.
Benny Heron, Conor Glass and Paul Cassidy hammered in the first-half majors that saw the Ulster champions’ sizzling start rewarded as they were up by nine points (3-6 to 1-3) at half-time.
The game would be over as contest once Gareth McKinless drove through from deep with a blistering run to raise a fourth green flag for his side within four minutes of the restart.
Like team mate Pearse Lillis’ goal with three minutes remaining the first-half, Eoin Cleary’s strike in the 47th minute only served to take some tarnish off the score-line for the Banner men as they’d be cut open again seconds later.
This time, Shane McGuigan, who produced a ‘Man of the Match’ display with 1-8, provided the cool finish that sealed the deal for Derry as they are now just 70 minutes away from an All-Ireland final with either Galway or Armagh set to stand in their way two weeks from today.
TweetWatch the Full-Time Highlights of Clare v Derry in the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Quarter Final here on #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/FkqY6csIIh
— The GAA (@officialgaa) June 25, 2022
