FonaCab Ulster Club Minor Football Tournament quarter-final: St Mary's, Burren (Down) 3-12 St Brigid's, Belfast (Antrim) 0-9
THREE first-half goals were the platform for Burren's passage into the semi-final of the 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 was 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 next weekend.
Oisin McStay hit back-to-back goals after Joe McLoughlin gave 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 an Oisin McStay shot was blocked and with the low winter sun in the eyes of a St Brigid's defender, the ball; spun into Joe 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 Dara 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 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 broke through challenges to score and they were fairly comfortable at the back, limiting the Antrim side to points from McEerlean 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 gap 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 board ticking over with Mussen landing another two points and Shea Begley getting in on the act as Burren marched on.
BURREN: R Downey; M Farrugia, S Fitzpatrick, M McManus; A King, C Woods, O Macauley; S Begley (0-1), C Ward (0-2); D Murdock, D Mussen (0-5), C McKinley (0-1); J McLoughlin (1-1), O McStay (2-1, 1-0 pen), C O'Hare (0-1).
Subs: D Cunningham for O Macauley (34), T Serridge for S Fitzpatrick (41), D Carvill for J McLoughlin (48), C Fearon for O McStay (54)
ST BRIGID'S: O McCarney; D Oglesby, C Logue, C O'Connell; T McKenna, C Finnegan, M Gorman; J Blaney, T Lloyd; T McGarvey, R McErlean (0-7f), D Quinn; C Gilleece, JJ Higgins (0-1m), J Mellon.
Subs: D Hanna (0-1) for D Ogelsby (24), P Mulgrew for J Mellon (46), D Prenter for T McGarvey (54)
REFEREE: Kieran Eannetta (Tyrone)
