fonaCAB Ulster Club Minor Football Tournament
Quarter-final
Burren (Down) 3-12 St Brigid’s (Antrim) 0-9
THREE first-half goals were the platform for Burren’s passage into the semi-final of the fonaCAB Ulster Minor Club Football Tournament at St Paul’s as they got the better of Antrim champions St Brigid’s on a chilly Saturday afternoon.
The Down side were virtually out of sight long before the half-time whistle as they stormed into this game and kept their foot on the pedal to move 13 clear by the short whistle and managed the second half well to advance into a last-four clash with Dungiven.
Oisin McStay hit back-to-back goals after Joe McLoughlin had given the Down outfit a dream start, while Dara Mussen was in superb form with five excellent points for play.
They had the ball in the net with just over 30 seconds gone as a McStay shot was blocked and with the low winter sun in the eyes of a St Brigid’s defender, the ball spun into McLoughlin who finished.
The Biddies did hit back with a pointed free from Rory McErlean, but the Burren attack was much more fluid and they began building a healthy lead with Mussen, Cormac Ward and McLaughlin all on target.
Their second goal arrived on 13 minutes from an Oisin McStay penalty after Donagh Murdock had been impeded and a third came two minutes later – this time a dropping ball from Mussen broke to McStay who all but sealed the game.
Some of the Burren scores were of the highest quality as Mussen kicked two outrageous points with the outside off his boot after Charlie O’Hare had broken through challenges to score.
They were fairly comfortable at the back too, limiting the Antrim side to points from McErlean placed balls and then a JJ Higgins mark as the Down club led 3-8 to 0-4 at the half.
Conall McKinley extended the lead soon after the resumption after playing a one-two from a 45, but the south Belfast outfit began to grow into the game as they were on the front foot and a superb ball from Techin McGarvey put Diarmuid Hanna in for a score that proved the first and last from play for his team.
McErlean continued to kick the frees and finished with seven in all, two of them close in after advances towards goal had been halted just outside the penalty area and although Burren weren’t on the front foot as much, they were doing enough to keep the scoreboard ticking over, with Mussen landing another two points and Shea Begley getting in on the act.
Quarter-final
Ramor United (Cavan) 0-11 Dungiven (Derry) 3-12
A PHYSCIALLY imposing Dungiven blasted their way into the semi-finals with a fine second-half display against Ramor United at St Paul’s yesterday.
The game had been a relatively even affair in the first half, St Canice’s going in at the break with a one-point advantage, 0-6 to 0-5.
However, the north Derry team rid themselves of their shackles in the second period, firing in three majors to take the contest away from Ramor.
Odhrán Murphy fired in the first goal before Conor Gaile got the decisive second.
Eoin Higgins was impressive in midfield for the winners, while Ryan McCloskey grabbed the third goal in injury-time to ensure Dungiven ran out 10-point winners.
Preliminary round
Irvinestown (Fermanagh) 2-10 Four Masters (Donegal) 5-4
IN Saturday evening’s game at Coláiste Feirste, Four Masters also had an appetite for goals, hitting five in their win over St Molaise’s.
Among the goalscorers for the impressive Donegal outfit was Seanan Carr, with an early contender for goal of the tournament, capping a scintillating solo run from the half-way line with a terrific finish.
“He’s phenomenal, he’s wild fast,” said Four Masters captain Caolan Sweeney of Carr, who finished the game with two goals to his name.
“You can see it in training, once he gets going he’s hard to stop and you have to give it to the Fermanagh defenders, they tried their hardest, but he’s rapid.”
Fours Masters now advance to play Armagh champions Clan na Gael in a last-eight tie this Saturday, while Dungiven will face Burren in the first semi-final on Sunday.
Quarter-finals
Saturday, December 17 (at Coláiste Feirste)
1.30pm: Clan na Gael (Armagh) v Four Masters (Donegal)
6pm: Donaghmore (Tyrone) v Scotstown (Monaghan)
Semi-finals
Sunday, December 18: Burren (Down) v Dungiven (Derry) (St Paul’s, 1pm)
Monday, December 29: Clan na Gael OR Four Masters v Donaghmore OR Scotstown (St Paul’s, 1pm)
Final
Sunday, January 1: St Paul’s, 1pm
