Ulster Junior Hurling Championship semi-final
Con Magees Glenravel v Burt at Celtic Park, Derry
Throw-in 1-30
Con Magees Glenravel face a stern task when they travel to Celtic Park on Sunday to take on Donegal champions Burt in the semi-final of the Ulster Junior Hurling Championship.
While the Con Magees were struggling last weekend against Monaghan champions Truagh Gaels in Cushendall, the Donegal men were romping to a seventeen point win over Down champions Castlewellan.
In last weekend’s quarter final the Down men made a good start and were 0-05 to 0-03 ahead but when an attempted point by Kyron McColgan deceived the Castlewellan goalkeeper and dropped into the net things took a dramatic turn. From then on the Donegal champions were never threatened as they pushed on to lead by 1-12 to 0-8 at the interval, despite having faced a strong breeze.
With the breeze behind them in the second half the Donegal champions pushed on. Playing some great hurling they ran up a big score as two goals from full forward Stephen Gillespie really got them going.
With wind advantage in that second period Burt stepped it up a notch as Liam Óg McKinney (2) and Ronan McDermott stretched the lead before Stephen Gillespie struck for the first of two goals, fielding a long ball into the square and slamming it home.
That knocked the stuffing out of Down men, and the only thing in question at this stage was the size of the winning margin.
The Burt team who beat Castlewellan were – Paul Burns; James Donaghey, Ciaran Bradley, Kevin Curran; Oisin Kelly, Dara Grant, Aidan McKinney; Stephen Gillespie, Kyron McColgan; Eoin McDaid, Ciaran Porter, Conor Gartland; Christopher McDermott, Ronan McDermott, Liam Óg McKinney.
The Con Magees management team are well aware of the challenge facing their Glenravel team in Celtic Park. Neill McCann told the Saffron Gael that they have watched the Donegal side on video and are well aware of the task they face. “Burt are a very good side and a big step up from anything we have faced so far. We were short of our best last week against Truagh Gaels but we are heading into Sunday in high spirits. We have trained well all week and everyone is fit and raring to go. There were a few tired bodies after our battle with Truagh but the boys are fit and well now. We have seen Bert on video and they are a real good side. Looks like it will be a real step up from last week but we are heading into it with our spirits high and confidence up. Burt have been the leading lights in Donegal hurling over the years and have 40 titles overall, the most recent coming just last year in 2024 when they beat this year’s holders Setanta in the final. They won 16 in a row between 1991 and 2006 and have more titles that all the other clubs in the county put together.
A mammoth task for the Glenravel men. Last Sunday they were well short of their best against Truagh, a game they could easily have lost. However they could not be faulted for lack of effort and despite very little going for them they never gave up the challenge and that is what got them home in the end. They know that they can perform much better than they showed last week so this is the chance to show what they can do.