Leadon Timber Frame Ulster Minor Championship – Semi-Final
Dungiven’s Eion McKeever celebrates after scoring his team’s opening goal in the second minute of the Ulster Minor Hurling semi-final against Dunloy at Ballinascreen – Pic by John McIlwaine
Kevin Lynch’s Dungiven 4-9 Dunloy Cuchullains 0-11
By Brendan McTaggart
Dunloy’s reign as Ulster minor champions came to an end at the semi-final stage in Ballinascreen on Saturday afternoon. In 2016 the Cuchullains overcame Kevin Lynch’s in the Final, the Dungiven men gained their revenge. 10 points separated the sides at the full-time whistle as the Lynch’s ability to score goals proved to be the difference between the sides.
An imperious performance from centre half Richie Mullan helped the Derry champions to control long periods but it was their lightning start to the semi-final that left the Cuchullains reeling. 2-4 in the opening nine minutes, 1-3 from the hurl of Mullan meant the Cuchullains were always on the back foot.
The Dungiven side were strong in defence with their half back line in particular impressing. Despite an impressive return of 0-10 from Dunloy forward Ronan Molloy, the Cuchullains were restricted to just one point from play throughout the hour, Molloy raising the white flag in the 45th minute and while the Antrim champions put in a much improved and competitive second half performance, it was the Lynch’s who were worthy winners at the full-time whistle.
The match was barely 60 seconds old when Mullen gave a sign of things to come for the Cuchullains, two huge frees giving them an early lead. The first goal of the game came in the third minute, corner forward Eoin McKeever with the finish but it was full forward Tiarnan McHugh that caused mayhem in the Dunloy defence to create the chance. Two Dunloy defenders followed the ball dropping under McHugh but the sliotar evaded them all and fell to McKeever who made no mistake.
It went from bad to worse for the Cuchullains with the next attack when referee James Connors awarded the Dungiven side a penalty for a foul on McHugh. Mullan stepped up and found the top corner of Adam Mooney’s net to ensure a dream start for the Derry champions.
The travelling Dunloy support would have been forgiven for fearing the worse at that stage but the Cuchullains to their credit fought back. They scored their first point of the match in the seventh minute but points either side of Molloy’s first free from Mullan (free) and McHugh ensured the Lynch’s a nine-point lead after just ten minutes.
A reshuffle of the Dunloy pack to counter differing threats brought the Antrim champions into the game but Mullan’s presence as a sweeper in the Lynch’s defence kept them at bay. Molloy’s second free of the match was answered to by Eoghan Cassidy for the Lynch’s in the 12th minute but that was the last score of the half from the Derry champions. Dunloy improved in the second quarter but they were reliant on the free taking of Molloy for scores. Three white flags in the time that remained meant the Cuchullains had reduced the Kevin Lynch advantage to the two majors from Eoin McKeever and Mullan.
If anything, the half time whistle came at the wrong time for the Antrim champions. They were looking more threatening with consistent pressure on the outstanding Lynch’s defence and their defence were starting to deal with the threat of McHugh and Cahir Higgins. Six points was a big advantage but not insurmountable. They did have a big ask on their hands but mission improbable was turned into mission impossible shortly after the restart and again it was McHugh who was causing the problems. The Lynch’s full forward caught a long ball despite the presence of two Dunloy defenders. His first effort was hooked by Aaron Crawford but McHugh pulled first time on the lose sliotar and found the back of Mooney’s net. A hammer blow for the Cuchullains as the Lynch’s resumed an element of control that they lost in the closing stages of the first half.
Molloy scored the Dunloy men’s first point of the second half with a ’65 but a run of three points for the Lynch’s, Mullan (two) and McHugh opening an 11-point lead.
The Cuchullains fought back and scored five unanswered points, four for Molloy (three frees) and one from Callum Scullion (free).
It was going to take goals though to get back into the game, but they found Seán Kelly in inspired form between the sticks for Kevin Lynch’s. He denied Molloy twice when the Dunloy man looked certain to find the back of the net.
The Derry champions finished the semi-final strongly though to add gloss to their victory. A point from McHugh, taking his tally to 1-3 for the match was added to by a superb individual goal from half back Pádraig O’Kane on the stroke of the full-time whistle to ensure a ten point victory for the Lynch’s and passage to the Final.
Dunloy: Adam Mooney; Patrick Kinsella; Aaron Crawford; Eoin McMullan; Paddy Graffin; Ryan McGarry; Eoghan McGrath; Callum Scullion; Liam McCann; Ryan McFarlane; Deáglán Smith; Ronan Molloy; Nathan Richmond; Daire Patterson; Sean O’Neill
Kevin Lynch’s: Seán Kelly; Daniel Walton; Niall McNicholl; Ruairi Rafferty; Conor McKelvey; Richie Mullan; Pádraig O’Kane; Eoghan Cassidy; Stephen Tracey; Emmett McKenna; Cahir Higgins; Daire McKeever; Eoin McKeever; Tiarnan McHugh; Thomas McClarey
SCORERS
Dunloy: Ronan Molloy 0-10 (9 frees); Callum Scullion 0-1 (1 free)
Kevin Lynch’s: Richie Mullan 1-5 (1-00 pen, 4 free, 1 ’65); Tiarnan McHugh 1-3; Eoin McKeever 1-00; Pádraig O’Kane 1-00; Eoghan Cassidy 0-1
