Sunday 22nd December 2024
Semi Final 1 – 1pm
Shaws Road, St Pauls GAC
Magherafelt (Derry) v Clann Eireann (Armagh)
The first of the fonaCAB-St. Paul’s Ulster Minor football semi-finals is down for decision this Sunday at Shaw’s Road and it throws together two strong opponents, both who will have their eyes set on a place in the final.
A strong second half showing by Armagh champions Clann Éireann saw the Lurgan side book their place in the semi-final of the fonaCAB at the expense of St Molaise of Irvinstown in their quarter final at Sportlann, Colaiste Feirste.
There was little between the two teams in the opening half, Clann Éireann turning around with a two point lead, but the really got going early in the second and added three more goals to their half time total of 2-2 to open a massive gap. However the Irvinstown boys kept battling away and three goals in the last ten minutes brought them back to within seven at the end.
With the stiff breeze at the backs in the second half Clann Éireann were soon ahead with early scores from Cohen Henderson and Euan McAreavey. Barry Goodwin levelled matters again with a point for Irvinstown but the next ten minutes was all one way traffic as the Armagh boys began to hit their stride. Five in a row from goalkeeper Liam Carroll, Cohen Henderson, Euan McAreavey (2) and James McCooe saw them pull well clear and it was clear at this stage they would advance.
In their quarter final Magherafelt were forced to withstand a late rally from Antrim champions, St. Brigid’s before progressing to Sunday’s semi-final.
Magherafelt held on to earn a spot against the Armagh champions on Shaw’s Road on Sunday and this first semi-final is likely to attract a bumper crowd to West Belfast.
Finbar Mallon and captain, Dire Young are the mainstays of a strong Clann Eireann defence with Sean Geoghegan and Conan McCafferty forming a strong mid-field partnership for the Lurgan side.
Euan McAreavey spearheads a potent Clann Eireann attack where Cohen Henderson and James McCooey have been amongst the scorers.
Derry sides have figured prominently in this competition over the years and while Magherafelt did just enough to get past St. Brigid’s there is a feeling that there could be more to come.
Rossa held the upper hand from the start and with their pace causing St Brigid’s problems at the back and Cathir Spiers opened their account with a point inside four minutes. Things got worse for St Brigid’s when the Derry champions grabbed the opening goal of the game through Kian Maynes, but St Brigid’s hit back right away and top scorer JJ Higgins swung a ball across the Rossa goalmouth for Joseph Mellon to palm to the net.
The Derry boys led by five at the break and increased that lead to eight at a stage in the second half. It began to look like this would be a real runaway for the Derry side, but to their credit St Brigid’s kept on battling and closed to within three by the time Down referee Gavin Finnegan sounded the final whistle.
Both sides will have concerns about the manner in which they let substantial leads slip in their semi-finals and this one could go either way but on the evidence of their respective semi-final performances Clann Eireann are given a tentative nod but it could well come down to which sides hits their best form on the day.