Magherafelt beat Newbridge 3-17 to 0-20 at Celtic Park to claim Derry SFC title on 25 October 2026

Magherafelt defeated Newbridge 3-17 to 0-20 at Celtic Park to win the Derry Senior Football Championship on 25 October 2026, securing the club’s first county title since 2019. The victory ended Newbridge’s bid for a third successive championship in a final decided by three second-half goals.

Newbridge began the game strongly and led 0-7 to 0-4 midway through the opening half, with Oisin Doherty contributing five of those early points. Magherafelt responded through Conall Higgins, who amassed 0-9 in the first half — including three two-point kicks — as his side produced nine unanswered points to lead 0-13 to 0-7 at the interval. Across the break a 1-12 scoring run either side of half-time proved decisive, with Johnny McErlain, Aidan McCluskey and Cormac Murphy providing the goals that sealed the result. Enda Muldoon and Gavin Devlin's side carried the momentum from the first half into the opening stages of the second period.

Magherafelt began the second half by adding 1-3, the first goal coming when Johnny McErlain punched to the roof of the net after an Aidan McCluskey effort fell short. That sequence pushed Magherafelt into a 12-point lead and appeared to put the holders under significant pressure. Newbridge responded during the middle portion of the half, producing eight unanswered scores, including two-point efforts from Conor McAteer and Conor Doherty.

Aidan McCluskey later finished a flowing Magherafelt move by firing to the roof of the net to re-establish a six-point advantage for his side. Oisin Doherty finished the match with 0-11 for Newbridge and struck a two-pointer that reduced the deficit to three with one to play. As Newbridge chased a late goal, Cormac Murphy scored the third Magherafelt goal to confirm the championship win.

Conall Higgins was named man of the match after his first-half haul of 0-9 formed a central part of Magherafelt’s scoring platform. The three goals for Magherafelt came from Johnny McErlain, Aidan McCluskey and Cormac Murphy, while Newbridge’s top scorer Oisin Doherty finished with 0-11.

Magherafelt will represent Derry in the Ulster Club Championship and begin with a quarter-final against Monaghan winners and reigning Ulster champions Scotstown on the weekend ending 8 November.