Donegal booked their place in Saturday's Dr McKenna Cup final with a hard-fought 1-18 to 1-16 victory over Derry at Celtic Park. Jim McGuinness's side produced a blistering second-half spell, turning a four-point deficit into a commanding lead. An unanswered 1-7 in twelve minutes, featuring a crucial Daire O Baoill goal, proved the decisive spell against the holders.

They will meet Monaghan in the decider after the Farney men recovered from a slow start to beat Tyrone 1-15 to 2-10. A haul of 1-6 from Michael Bannigan was instrumental in their win. The pre-season competition offers managers valuable game time to experiment with squads ahead of the upcoming league campaigns, making this final a key early-season benchmark for both counties.