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Action from Wednesday's Ulster U20 Football Championship in Find Insurance Celtic Park.Derry U20 boss Damian McErlain is hoping his players heed the harsh lesson of Wednesday's last kick Ulster Championship defeat to Donegal as they prepare for the knockout stages of the competition.
With a draw all they required to top Group A and advance to a home semi-final, the Oak Leafers twice coughed up possession at key moments which handed Donegal three of their final four points, including Shane Callaghan's 64th minute winner.
The result leaves Derry, who still have to face Antrim in their final group game, needing to do it the hard way via a tough looking quarter-final against one of Armagh, Tyrone or Cavan.
"One hundred per cent!" replied McErlain when asked if game management was his biggest frustration after the 1-12 to 1-11 defeat.
Derry's Johnny McGuckian closes down Donegal's Kalvin McLaughlin."Even to allow Donegal to go two points up, we've given the ball away in the corner when we were on top with loads of ball; but that's what you get against Donegal. If you give the ball away they'll hit you on the break. That's what they thrive on.
"Again, when we had got it back via the two pointer, we had possession and all we had to do was put the ball dead but the referee found another minute and a half stoppage time. All we had to do was hold to ball and we didn't.
"We got caught in a tackle. When a team breaks referees usually let it go on and give the team a bite at it and that's what he did. One hundred per cent that (game management) is the most frustrating thing and we talk about it but they’re young players. They listen, they hear it but they don't always really, really get it until it happens and from that point of view I'm hoping we take a good lesson from tonight."
Cody Rocks first half goal had helped Derry to parity at the break after Donegal's Max Campbell had given his side the perfect start with a goal inside 25 seconds of throw-in and there was preciously little between the teams on the night. Donegal now face a three week wait before their semi-final and opinions vary on the merits of the direct route to the last four.
Donegal's Kevin Muldoon is tracked by Derry's Bliain McDaid."That's the difference with a group game match, there’s not the total jeopardy (of knockout)," added the Derry manager, "Nobody wanted to lose and the teams were both keen enough to finish top of the group but, look, we had opportunities to manage the game out. A draw would have done us to top the group but our game management let us down.
"We were holding the ball in tackles and you can't do that against Donegal with the way they press and the quality they have. We're disappointed but we will learn an absolute mountain from this game. We have to take it away now and go through the quarter-final route, whoever comes through that.
"We have Antrim to play next week and they pushed Monaghan all the way tonight so there is no easy way around it. I said before the championship started that that semi-final can be a difficult one to be sitting in and waiting on if you're not playing well.
"We have no choice now. We have to try and win a really tough quarter-final against whoever comes out of the other group which has been massively competitive but at the end of the day it will be all about ourselves; what we can take out of that game tonight and how we can go and improve again."
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