Leadon Timber Frames Ulster Minor Hurling Final

Dunloy 0-19 Bredagh 2-12

Sunday 7 January

By Brendan McTaggart

Dunloy added provincial honours to the county crown they won in October as the Cuchullains edged Bredagh by the minimum on Sunday afternoon.  This was an exemplary game of hurling that saw the Down men push the Cuchullains to the pin of their collar for the full hour and but for an uncharacteristic missed free from the brilliant John Dougan three minutes into injury time, the sides would have been headed for extra time.  Few would have begrudged the Bredagh men that chance given their efforts and contribution to a superb game of hurling.

Ryan Scott received the man of the match award, the Dunloy forward scored three points over the hour with his last of the trio a quite sumptuous score from wide on the left.  An instinctive strike that would incredibly be the winning point despite their being another six minutes remaining.  Others who caught the eye for Dunloy were captain Ben O’Kane – especially in the first half, Jack Martin and Sean Og Blaney while Sean McCollum, Pearse Loughrey and Patrick McGarry shone for the Down men.

When these sides played their final eight days earlier, the heavens had opened with torrential rain.  On Sunday, the sun shone it’s brightest with a nip in the air but both sides did their best to warm the big crowd in attendance at Dean McGlinchey Park from the first whistle.

Dunloy started quickest with a brace of frees from ace marksman Paudraig Martin and a tidy score from diminutive forward Oisin McCallion had them three clear by the eighth minute.  Bredagh struck back with a brace of their own, McCollum causing the Dunloy full back line plenty of problems but the opening 20 minutes of this final belonged to the Cuchullains.  Further scores from Jack Martin, Ryan Scott and Paudraig Martin (free) had Dunloy four ahead before John Dougan and Martin exchanged frees in the 20^th minute.

A strong run through the heart of the midfield from Finbarr Blaney yielded Bredagh’s fourth point of the final and while Aidan Richmond responded for the Cuchullains, it would be their last score for ten minutes as Bredagh hit a purple patch.

A huge pointed free from distance by Dougan preceded McCollum’s third point of the game to cut the Dunloy lead to two points.  From the resulting puck out, Bredagh recycled with Luke Doran finding Dougan and as the Dunloy defence converged, he passed to McCollum and showing delightful footwork, the Bredagh man gave Caolan McFerran no chance in the Dunloy goals.

With the Cuchullains reeling, Bredagh had another sniff of a chance with Odhran Morgan-Lyttle firing wide but another free from Blaney saw the Down men two clear in the first minute of injury time.  The Cuchullains responded with Conor Mort splitting the uprights with the last puck of the half.

In a half largely played on Dunloy’s terms, Bredagh had performed a smash and grab to have the lead at the short whistle.  They did tighten their defence and seemed to have the number of the Dunloy forwards in second quarter with half time coming at the time the Dunloy management team needed it most. 

They reorganised with Oisin McCamphill coming in to the attacking unit for Richmond but it was Bredagh who made a dream start to the second half.  Shane O’Connell intercepting a stray pass in the Dunloy defence and while his initial shot was saved superbly by Caolan McFerran, O’Connell was first to the rebound that he squeezed over the line despite the best efforts of the Dunloy ‘keeper.

Like Dunloy in the first half, that was Bredagh’s last score for ten minutes however as Dunloy took control.  A run of five points in as many minutes from Paudraig Martin (three frees), Luke McFerran and Scott restored the Cuchullains lead.  Bredagh attempted to stem the Dunloy onslaught with a free from Blaney in the 40^th minute but another super score from Luke McFerran followed by Jack Martin’s third of the match had Dunloy three clear.

The Down side looked like they had saw off the Dunloy storm when a run of three points in as many minutes saw them retake the lead, scores coming from Dougan (’65) and a brace from O’Connell by the 46^th minute.

They would only manage another white flag in the final quarter of the game however and while Dunloy didn’t really put daylight between the sides, they played with a sense of control for long periods of the time that remained.  A brace of points from McCallion followed a Luke Doran point to tie the sides yet again.

With three minutes left of the hour, the Dunloy attack saw the sliotar on the left hand side.  Bredagh pressed but Ryan Scott’s third of the match turned out to be the match winning score.  An instinctive strike wide on the left and off his left.  A strike worthy of winning any game.

In the time that remained, Bredagh laid siege on the Dunloy goal.  The Cuchullains stood strong however and when the Down men had a chance to extend the final, Blaney’s effort from a free went to the left of the uprights and wide when it looked like we were going to be treated to extra time.  As it was, the Cuchullains claimed the silverware.

TEAMS

Dunloy: Caolan McFerran; Cahir McMullan, Sean Og Blaney, Charlie Cunning; Ryan McClements, Ben O’Kane, Jack McKeever; Jack Martin, Reece Cunning; Ryan Scott, Luke McFerran, Conor Mort; Oisin McCallion, Aidan Richmond, Paudraig Martin

Subs: Oisin McCamphill for A Richmond (HT); Damien Kinsella for C Mort (50)

Scorers: P Martin 0-7 (6fs); O McCallion 0-3; R Scott 0-3; J Martin 0-2; L McFerran 0-2; A Richmond 0-1; C Mort 0-1

Bredagh: Daniel Kinney; Eoin Browne, Conn Quilton, Frankie Ferguson; Mark Guest, Patrick McGarry, Sean Doyle; Pearse Loughrey, Daniel Cunningham; Finbarr Blaney, Luke Doran, John Dougan; Sean McCollum, Shane O’Connell, Odhran Morgan Lyttle

Scorers: S McCollum 1-3; S O’Connell 1-2; J Dougan 0-3 (2fs 1’65); F Blaney 0-3 (2fs); L Doran 0-1

Referee: Tarlach Conway (Ballinascreen)

Conor McGurk Cup quarter-final

Ulster University 1-13 Antrim 3-13 

Antrim Under 20 Hurlers turned a five point half time deficit into a six point win at Jordanstown on Saturday when the fought back to beat the students in the quarter final of the McGurk Cup.

Things did not look too promising when UU dominated the first ten minutes of the game, hitting five unanswered points Padraig Doran (2), Feargal McKiernan Conal Shannon and Ryan Mort all hit the target all found the target with well taken points.

Antrim hadn’t even registered a wide, let alone a score, by this stage, but once Criostaí McAuley got their first score from a long range free they began to settle. As the confidence began to grow Darragh Patterson added two and Diarmuid Rogan got one to cut the gap back to a single point, and when Criostaí McAuley got a scambled goal soon afterwards they were in front for the first time.

After such a bright start the students appeared to have lost their way badly, but they found their form again and a few good points from Lorcan Donnelly and a scrambled goal saw them go in at the break with a 1-9 to 1-4 lead.

Two quick goals at the start of the second half from McGarry and McGarrel, and a well taken point by Aodhan McGarry, saw them regain the lead. Their fightback might well have been derailed when they had a player sent off, but they still held the upper hand and a series of well taken points from Criostaí McAuley (2) Diarmuid Rogan and McGarel gave them a bit of breathing space. Jordanstown kept in touch as Donnelly and Rice sent over points. However the young Saffrons always had the upper hand and McAuley and Darragh Donnelly added later points to see them book a place in Tuesday evening’s semi-final against Down

UU: J Morgan; T Scally, D McCloskey, P Heavin; C McAllister, F Devlin, J Scallon; C Shannon (0-1), M McClean; R Mort (0-1), P Doran (0-3, all frees), L Donnelly (0-5, all frees); K Curran (1-0), F McKiernan (0-2), D Mooney.

Subs: L Phillips for R Mort (HT), A McCurridh for C Shannon (49), M Rice (0-1) for J Scallon (49), E McBrearty for P Heavin (51), J Close for L Donnelly (64).

ANTRIM: E Richmond; M McGibbin, C Dickson, M Darragh; L Walsh, D McMullan (0-1), R McCormick; D Rogan (0-2), T McFerran; A McGarry (0-1), C McAuley (2-4, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65), D Patterson (0-2); E McGarry, R Eager, N McGarel (1-2).

Subs: L Glackin for L Walsh (HT), B O’Connor for E McGarry (HT), C Baudant for M Darragh (HT), R Fitzgerald for T McFerran (51), D Kelly (0-1) for D Rogan (54), R McGarry for R Eager (64), P McIlwaine for A McGarry (65)

REFEREE: Tarlach Conway (Derry)

Wed 7.30pm at the Dub Arena

St Killian’s Garron Tower v Cross & Passion Ballycastle.

The Mageean Cup Final between Cross & Passion College and St Killkians which was posponed back in December goes ahead tonight back at the Dub. This is the preview from the that date and as far as we are aware there will be no changes to the teams which were named back then.

Both teams have worked hard in the interim, and although a good few players have had flu or heavy colds which interupted their preparations, none of picked up any serious injuries and are raring to go.

See you all at the Dub!

It is hard to believe that Friday evening’s Mageean Cup decider brings together two teams that have never before met in the final of the the competition. Garron Tower first won it (then called the Ulster Shield) in 1953 when it was played for in a league format and were the first winners when it became the Mageean Cup in 1963. That win completed a four in a row for the north Antrim college, but amazingly they have not claimed the famous title since.

The logistics have changed greatly since that win sixty years ago. A lot of that team were boarders, and a good few of their team came from areas outside what is now their catchment area.

Cross & Passion won their first title in 1977 and they added their second the following year. They won it again in 1994, but their real run of success came began in 2006 and they have been really competitive since then, adding another six titles as well as competing in a good few other finals.

They have crossed swords with the Tower many time during those years, but never in a final so Friday night promises to be something special.

Seldom has a season seen the finalists been as dominant as these two, both of them going through the campaign, not only undefeated, but untroubled as well.

Cross and Passion booked their place in Friday’s final when they beat St Mary’s CBGS in the semi-final at Dunsilly by 2-20 to 1-7, while St Killian’s ran up a massive 6-22 when beat St Pat’s Maghera in the other semi-final in Ahoghill, conceding just 1-7 in the process. These stats would suggest both sides have a potent set of forwards, but also very mean defences.

The record of these two sides in hurling competitions through the school years had always suggested they would end up meeting the Blue-Riband of colleges hurling, the Mageean Cup, and so it has come to pass.

The CPC team on Friday evening is expected to be much the same as the one who beat St Mary’s in that semi-final with last season’s Under 20 county goalkeeper Eoghan Richmond guarding the goals. Cathair Donnelly, Cian Beaudant and Niall McClean formed the full back line that night with Ben O’Kane, team captain Ben McGarry and Tiagao McGarry making up one of the strongest lines on the field. Joe Magee and new boy Reece Cunning were the midfield partnership in the semi final with ‘Rosie’ Fitzgerald, Liam Glackin and ace free taker Paudi Martin making up a formidable half forward line. Martin incidentally is bidding to become only the second player to win back to back Mageean medals with two different schools, following his success with St Louis last year.

One of the youngest players on the pitch, if not indeed the youngest, Oisin McCallin, is a highly stylish corner forward, while power-house Conor Donnelly is a very dangerous full forward and corner forward Roan McGarry one of the brightest young stars in the county. Darragh Kelly, who missed the semi-final through injury, is fit again, and is likely to start.

In the semi-final they used three subs Callin Cane, Cadhan Crawford and Ashton McGarry, all very good replacements, and in a panel of 30 players there are many more to step in if needed.

In their semi-final St Killian’s had Thomas McLaughlin in goal, with Colla Ward, Cailin Devlin and John Scullion in the full back line, with Charlie McAuley pivoting the defence at centre back with the Oisins duo of Cathan Graham on his right and Niall Magee on his left. Callum McIlwaine and Callagh Mooney have been a formidable midfield pairing all season and is should be a great battle between them and the CPC pairing of Magee and Cunning.

The St Killian’s forward line having been running up big scores throughout the competition with the half forward line of Orrin O’Connor, Austin Birt and Cormac McKeown a very potent line. The full forward line of Peadar McDonnell, Oran McCambridge and man of the season Joseph McCambridge have been carry a real scoring threat, all of them carrying a real goal threat and if the Tower are to the school’s 60 year famine then goals will be essential.

In their one sided semi-final the Tower used its full complement of subs with Niall Hynds, Eamon Ward, Cathan Michael Furey, Fintan McKillop and James Kearney all seeing  some action, and in a game of this intensity a few of them should be used again.

Overall it promises to be a great game of hurling. Both teams are very good with the forward lines in particular capable of putting up big scores. For me the one thing that will decide this contest is whoever adapts best to the Dub Arena, the small pitch and the floodlights, will triumph.