All-Ireland U21 Football final: Derry 1-12 Meath 0-5
A PROUD Derry captain Johnny McBride praised every single one of his teammates
for turning on the style to help the county capture a fully deserved All-Ireland title at Clones.
Flush-cheeked and gasping for breath after a tireless display, McBride said everyone had played out of their skins to bring about this convincing win.
“This is the first time all year that we have put in an all round performance.
“It wasn’t exactly easy but we dominated the game and took our scores whereas Meath seemed to have a lot of wides.
“The speed of Adrian McGuckian up front pulled Darren Fay around and left their corner backs exposed, I thought our corner forwards exploited the space really well.” Smiling Derry manger Harry Gribben said the strength and depth of his squad was one of the factors in their success.
“This was a great performance from start to finish. Every single one of them played to their full potential on the day and although we’ve made a few changes over the championship those who’ve come in have done really well.
“After struggling a wee bit in a couple of our matches along the way, it is very satisfying to see this performance.”
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NHL Division Two: Dublin 3-11 Antrim 1-13
A SIMPLE goal from right-half-forward Brian McMahon, 11 minutes from the end of this crunch clash at Parnell Park, ended Antrim’s chance of securing invaluable league points.
Now out of touch with both Dublin and Cork, they must beat Waterford in their final game, and victory then will only ensure a play-off with those same Waterford men for the third promotion spot.
McMahon’s goal came with Antrim only two behind, 2-8 to 1-9, and it was an example of what can happen if the ball refuses to run your way. His shot was partly blocked by fullback Seamus Bailie, but the sliothar came off his heel, struck the post and presented the Dublin forward with an easy poke over the line.
Despite this setback the O’Kanes, Gary and Gregory, claimed 50th and 51st minute points but it was clear unbeaten Dublin wasn’t going to let this slip.
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LIVERPOOL manager Roy Evans was left feeling “absolutely gutted” after his side failed to take second spot in the table and grab the second place in the Champions League next season.
The Reds needed to win against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough to guarantee second spot and join champions Manchester United in the prestigious competition next year.
But they could only manage a 1-1 draw with Jamie Redknapp’s free kick cancelling out O’Neill Donaldson’s 74th minute opener. And with both Newcastle and Arsenal winning against Nottingham Forest and Derby respectively, Liverpool find themselves relegated to fourth position in a desperately disappointing end to the season.
It was a cruel way to end the year which had promised so much as Liverpool had more than enough chances in the second half to seal a comfortable victory.
