Published Sunday, 22 January 2012
A crowd of 8,806 watched the two games as attendances for the once-floundering competition continue to grow.
In the first part of the double-bill in Armagh, Derry edged out Down by two points, 0-11 to 0-9.
After a dull start to the second game, Fermanagh went into a four point lead in the 23rd minute when Seamus Quigley fisted a side line ball taken by his brother Sean into the net off Tyrone goalkeeper Pascal McConnell.
McConnell prevented a second goal two minutes later with a point blank save from a Sean Quigley piledriver as Peter Canavan's side continued to look the more dangerous.
Owen Mulligan replied for Tyrone in the 33rd minute but it was the Erne county who were ahead at the break, 1-2 to 0-3.
However Tyrone were first on the board after the break, points from Mark Donnelly and Mulligan putting them level.
And when Ronan O'Neill sent over a great point from near the sideline in the 40th minute, the Red Hands led for the first time in the match.
Fermanagh drew level when Conor Quigley scored a neat point a minute later.
But Tyrone replied with a Kyle Coney free followed by one converted by Ronan O'Neill as they led 0-8 to 1-3 as the game entered the final quarter.
Then with 14 minutes left Mulligan hit the goal which effectively killed the game off, selling a neat dummy before blasting the ball into the roof of the net.
Mickey Harte's team tagged on a point from the impressive Omagh teenager Ronan O'Neill to lead 1-9 to 1-3 although Paul Ward replied with Fermanagh's second point off the half shortly afterwards.
After a point from sub Michael Murphy, Ronan O'Neill delivered the coup de grace when he blasted the ball into the net 60 seconds later after being set up by his namesake Stephen.
In the curtain raiser, Derry trailed by a point at half time but a blistering start to the second half as they scored four without reply put them in the driving seat.
John Brennan's side scored the first two points of the game through Paddy Bradley and Conleth Gilligan.
But Down then scored four without reply, three from Aidan Carr frees, before Gilligan replied before the break.
By the 13th minute of the second half Derry had turned things round as they led 0-7 to 0-4 before Carr replied with a brace of frees.
Gilligan put two points between the sides with 12 minutes left with a long range free and Gerard O'Kane then sent over the score of the match from a similar distance to make it 0-9 to 0-6.
Paddy Bradley added the insurance point from a straightforward free in front of the posts before Mark Poland reduced the margin to three in similar fashion with six minutes left.
Arthur McConville's free then cut the deficit to a couple of points as the game entered three minutes of stoppage time.
Derry were under pressure towards the end as Down went for the goal that would have won the match but they defended well before Gilligan adding another free to increase the margin to three points.
McConville replied with a fisted point in the last minute of added time but it was of little consolation.
Saturday's final will also take place at the Morgan Athletic Grounds, with a 7.30pm throw in.