By Michael McMullan

DERRY minor manager Damian McErlain was full of praise for the courage shown by his side in their Electric Ireland All-Ireland quarter-final win over Dublin.

The Ulster champions bounced back after two Dublin goals pegged them back in a 0-18 to 2-10 win that needed both grit and composure in the final quarter.

Dublin top scored Donach Magee kicked his side into a 2-9 to 0-14 lead with 52 minutes on the clock before Derry flicked the switch again.

Turlough McHugh – who kicked 0-4 in all – won the next kick-out on the way to a point to level matters with James Sargent, Eamon Young and Luke Grant also notching scores to give Derry the daylight they needed.

There were also late turnovers from Sargent, Caoimhin Hargan and Padraig Haran as Dublin came with a late charge.

“We’re just delighted to get through it,” McErlain said. “It’s an All-Ireland quarter-final against the Dubs…it’s never going to be a handy day out in any shape or form.

“They’d lost the Leinster final but never should have lost it in terms of the goal chances that they created and didn’t take.

“We knew they carried that threat and that was going to be a big part of their game. When they were playing with a very strong breeze in the first half they tried to transfer the ball ultra-quick and they got a goal from it.”

Recovering from the second Dublin goal was one thing. It was a game decided in some of the key moments in a frantic finale.

“Again, we showed great composure and character overall to win key balls,” McErlain added. “They were key turnovers and key break balls that we really needed to be getting. That enabled us to compose ourselves and go three clear again, 18 points to 2-9 and we saw it out from there.”

Our All-Ireland minor coverage is brought to you in association with Electric Ireland.