St. Paul’s/fonaCAB Ulster Minor semi-final
Sunday 26th December 2025
1pm @ St Pauls GAC
Dungiven (Derry) v Dromintee (Armagh)
The second Minor Football semi-final of the St. Paul’s/fonaCAB Minor Football tournament is down for decision on St. Stephen’s Day when 2022 champions, Dungiven face Dromintee from Armagh.
The Derry champions, St. Canice’s were impressive last day out when they overcame the challenge of Donegal’s Four Masters who were aiming for three in a row on the Shaw’s Road.
In a game that was expected to be tight it was Dungiven who looked at one stage like running away with it.
The Derry champions turned round at the break leading by 10-points but at one stage Four Masters did cut the gap to the bare minimum. But they couldn’t find the score to edge them in front and it’s the St Canice’s who booked a semi-final place against Dromintee on Sunday.
Four Masters found scoring opportunities hard to come by in the second period and became over reliant on two-point frees from Lewis McCaughan, but fortune swung in their favour in the 45th minute when Tomás Carr’s effort deceived Thomas McCloskey in the Dungiven goal to finish in the net to bring his side back into the contest.
Dungiven rallied and after McCaughan fouled Harkin in the square, Mullan finished high to the net to hand Dungiven a seven-point lead with 9 minutes to go.
The lead was cut to just one in the final minute when Gethin Mosby found the back of the Dungiven net, but the Derry side had the final say when Mullan spotted McCaughan off his line to find the net from 40 metres out and clinch a deserving four-point victory.
Key to Dungiven’s victory was the performance of their midfield diamond. Ryan McGilligan, Daithi McCloskey, Kevin Barry Mullan and Padraig Haran who all won more than their fair share of ball in the middle third while Mullan also contributed to 2-04 of his side’s total.
Their opponents on Sunday, Dromintee survived a twenty minute second half fightback from Ardboe in their quarer-final that saw their nine-point half-time advantage reduced to three at one point in their 2-15-1-11 win.
A lightning start saw them kick 2-5 unanswered in the opening 11-minutes- though Ardboe rallied after the break and a 48th minute Ruairi O’Neill goal saw the Tyrone Champions cut the gap to three.
Scorer of Dromintee’s first goal- Ronan Martin, helped himself to three of his side’s last five scores in response and that eased any lingering doubts and ensured his side will make the return trip to West Belfast on Sunday.
Fionn Toale, Ronan Martin, O’Rourke, McArdle, Mooney and Byrne will lead the Dromintee challenge on Sunday and the Armagh side certainly look to have the power to put it up to their Derry counterparts.
Ryan Gilligan, Daithi McCloskey, Kevin Barry Mullan and Padraig Haran have the skill and power to punish any slip-ups and on the evidence of their win over Four Masters can shade matters on Sunday.