Magherafelt win first Derry SFC title since 2019

Magherafelt are Derry Senior Football champions for the first time since 2019 after beating three-in-a-row chasing Newbridge by 3-17 to 0-20 at Celtic Park. Goals from Johnny McErlain, Aidan McCluskey and Cormac Murphy sealed the win, but the real winning of the game was an unanswered 1-12 either side of the half-time break, including 0-9 from man-of-the-match Conall Higgins. The opening stanza was really a half of two halves as the reigning champions dominated the early exchanges and led 0-7 to 0-4 midway through. Oisin Doherty led their charge with five points of his own before Magherafelt, through Conall Higgins, started to get a handle on proceedings, with nine unanswered points to lead 0-13 to 0-7 at the break.Higgins landed a first-half personal tally of 0-9, including three impressive two-point kicks. Enda Muldoon and Gavin Devlin's side carried that form into the start of the second-half and hit a further 1-3, when Johnny McErlain punched to the roof of the net after Aidan McCluskey's effort fell short. Magherafelt led by 12 points and it looked a long way back for the holders, but their opponents failed to score for 20 minutes and in that time Newbridge hit eight unanswered scores including two-point efforts from Conor McAteer and Conor Doherty. The men in red finally broke their scoring drought as McCluskey finished a flowing move to the roof of the net to re-establish their six point lead. Oisin Doherty who finished with 0-11, hit a two-pointer to leave three in it with one to play, and as Newbridge looked to get a life-saving goal they were caught at the other end as Murphy netted for Magherafelt to seal the title. The season does not end here for Magherafelt. They will now go to represent Derry in the Ulster Club Championship, starting with a quarter-final encounter against the Monaghan winners and reigning Ulster champions Scotstown on the weekend ending 8 November.