Shamrocks win first Ulster minor title

Leadon Timber Frames Ulster Minor club Hurling final

Loughgiel Shamrocks (Antrim) 1-14 Eoghan Ruadh Dungannon (Tyrone) 1-10

A NEW name went on the Leaden Timber Frames Ulster minor club hurling Cup on Sunday with Loughgiel Shamrocks powerful first half setting them up for a first title as the competition reached the quarter-century milestone.

The Antrim champions had the aid of the breeze for that opening half and turned over with a 0-11 to 0-3 advantage. Indeed they were six points up (four of them from Michael McGarry frees) before Eoghan Ruadh got their first score from a Cian Ferguson free after 15 minutes.

**LOUGHGIEL’S SHANE O’BOYLE GRABS A HIGH BALL**

Ferguson scored the other two Dungannon points from frees as well as the competition favourites pinned his side back in their own half.

But things changed on the re-start when a long ball from Michael Little was pumped into the Loughgiel square and knocked down into the path of Rory Weir who pulled it to the net.

However from the puck-put, the Shamrocks went up the field and some good passing put Odhran McGrath in the clear and he also hit the net.

But the Tyrone men were not going away and Ferguson pointed two frees and Sean Paul McKernan pointed from a side-line around 45 metres out and the gap between the teams was cut to 1-11 to 1-6.

Loughgiel needed to lift their game and a couple of points from Michael McGarry frees and another from Rian McMullan stretched their lead.

Just as well as Eoghan Ruadh came back strongly with points from McKernan, Donaghy, Ferguson and Little to make for an exciting finish with Kevin McAuley making two excellent goal-line clearances and one of his defenders turning away a 20m free.

At the close presentations were made to the Players of the Match for each team (Conall Devlin for Eoghan Ruadh and Loughgiel’s Rian McMullan) and also to Ballinascreen president Seamus Doherty who began the competition in 1995 and who has been a driving force in promoting it over the past quarter of a century.

**LOUGHGIEL CAPTAIN DECLAN McCLOSKEY RECEIVES THE CUP AFTER HIS TEAM’S WIN**

Loughgiel : Kevin McAuley, Conor Henry, Ruairi McCloskey, Christy Dickson, Enda óg McGarry 0-1, Declan McCloskey (capt), Tiernan McAlonan, Shane O’Boyle, Cathal Hargan 0-1, Ryan Hill, Michael McGarry 0-7 frees, Frank Boyle, Rian McMullan 0-4, Odhran McGrath 1-0, Christy McGarry 0-1.

Subs : Conor O’Mullan for F Boyle (25)

Eoghan Ruadh : C Molloy, J Donnelly, F Devlin, B Rush, A Toner, C Devlin capt, SP McKernan 0-2, 0-1 sideline, M Little 0-1 free, C Fitzgerald, Matthew McCann 0-1, C MacGinty, F Donaghy 0-1, C Hughes, C Ferguson 0-6, 0-5 frees, R Weir 1-0.

Subs : C McCrory for B Rush (38), Mark McCann for C Fitzgerald

Referee: Alan Nash (Derry)