Derry and Monaghan Keep Unchanged Teams for 5pm Semi-Final — Derry V Monaghan Gaa

Derry and Monaghan named unchanged teams for derry v monaghan gaa at the Box-It Athletic Grounds at 5pm. Both sides arrived off convincing quarter-final wins, and neither changed course for the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship semi-final.

Derry’s Winning Core

Derry went in with Shea McGuckin in goal and a defence that included Diarmuid Baker, Ruairi Forbes and Conor McCluskey. Shane McGuigan, Lachlan Murray and Niall Loughlin were kept in the side after a run of strong form, while Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers and Eoin McEvoy were again counted on as aerial threats.

The selection kept faith with the group that beat Antrim 2-23 in a 13-point victory in the quarter-final. That line matters because Derry did not reach the semi-final on the back of a narrow escape; they arrived having scored heavily and controlled the previous round.

Monaghan’s Same XI

Monaghan answered with the same approach. Rory Beggan stayed in goal, and Micheal Bannigan, Stephen O'Hanlon, David Garland, Andrew Woods and Stephen Mooney were all included again after the win over Cavan.

They came through that quarter-final by scoring 0-27 in a seven-point victory, so the unchanged team reflected confidence in the formula that got them here. With both sides leaving their line-ups untouched, the semi-final became a straight test of whether those winning habits could hold up under a larger stage at the Box-It Athletic Grounds.

For readers tracking the provincial run, the practical takeaway was simple: no late reshuffle, no sign of panic, and no change to the names expected to carry the load at 5pm. Derry’s selection leaned on McGuigan and the players around him, while Monaghan put Beggan and the same core back in place for a game that had already been sharpened by two strong quarter-final results.