Burt complete the double
20.10.11
Junior joy as second
half goals help Burt bag victory over Lifford
Report: Inishowen Independent
BURT won the Junior A Football Championship with a
controlled counter attacking performance in the second
half of Sunday’s final in O’Donnell Park. With the sides
locked at 0-2 apiece after an at times dour first half,
the game sprung to life midway through the second
period.
Enda McDermott netted the first goal of the game when he
rose high to punch a Joe Boyle free to the Lifford net.
But the Naomh Pádraig men responded immediately with a
well worked goal of their own when Shane Meehan crossed
a ball from the left and centre forward Shane Gallagher
palmed to the net from close range.
That set up a tense final ten minutes, but Burt defended
in numbers and with Paddy McDermott and Paul McHugh
leading the way, they broke swiftly from the back and
found space aplenty in the Lifford half. McHugh scored a
stunning point off the outside of his right boot from
near the right sideline, and Enda McDermott all but
sealed the victory when, in a near carbon copy of his
first goal, he rose to punch a Joe Boyle sideline kick
into the net. |
The put Burt 2-5 to 1-2
ahead and tempers frayed as the game careered towards
its conclusion with first Naomh Pádraig’s Brian Breslin
and then Burt’s Eamon Reddin red carded in injury time.
There was, however, time for one final flourish from the
Burt men when they surged out of defence. Mickey McCann
supplied a pass to the over-lapping Paul McHugh and the
20 year-old steadied himself up before cracking a 25
yard finish to the bottom left corner of Shaun
McBrearty’s net. It was a goal that would have graced
any final.
“It’s our first football championship title and we’re
delighted,” Burt manager Ronan McLaughlin said
afterwards. “Lifford put it up to us in the first half,
but I knew that with the way we play we would come good.
“It was tough against the wind in the first half, we
played a bit more negatively and Joe Boyle had a bit of
an off day with the frees, but we put Ciaran Dowds and
Enda McDermott in closer to goals in the second half to
try and catch Lifford on the break and it worked out for
us.” |
 |
The win marked the fourth
consecutive Junior title for local sides with Carndonagh
in 2008, Moville in 2009 and Naomh Colmcille in 2010
winning the previous three titles.
Lifford’s plans were badly disrupted before the game
even started when midfielder Kevin Lynch sustained an
injury in the warm up. Michael Ferry came on in Lynch’s
place in midfield and spent most of the match deployed
as an extra defender.
Playing with the aid of the wind, Lifford settled down
quickest in the first half with centre back Gary McGirr
drawing and scoring two early frees to put them 0-2 to
0-0 clear by the seventh minute. However, the Naomh
Pádraig side failed to score again for 45 minutes –
until the 50th minute.
Burt, who had at times withdrew 14 men back into their
own half leaving only Niall Campbell in attack, opened
their account in the ninth minute when Joe Boyle pointed
from near the right wing after being set up by Paul
McHugh. Burt were guilty of four first half wides, and
dropped four shots short, before Boyle doubled his
side’s tally with another point from play in the 27th
minute.
With McGirr and Darren Gillespie driving forward at
every opportunity, Lifford had their opponents on the
back foot for much of the first half, and while Lornie
Crossan and Paul Lynch got plenty of possession, Burt
defended in sufficient numbers to snuff out any
goalmouth danger and few questions were asked of keeper
Stephen Gillespie.
The sides were level at 0-2 apiece at half time, and
Burt gave early notice of their intentions in the second
half when Niall Campbell put Enda McDermott through but
the team captain blazed his shot across the face of the
goalmouth and wide.
He made amends in the 41st minute when, after receiving
a pass from Eamon Reddin, he pointed off his left foot,
and a Joe Boyle free from 45m put Burt 0-4 to 0-2 ahead
by the 46th minute.
The game had been war of attrition before that, but the
last quarter was action packed with four goals, a couple
of points, a smattering of yellow cards and two reds all
crammed into the last 15 minutes.
Burt’s first goal came on 49 minutes when a long range
free from Joe Boyle dropped into the square and Enda
McDermott rose high to punch it to the net. Burt barely
had time to congratulate themselves before Lifford fired
back with a brilliantly executed goal of their own.
From the kickout they swept downfield and Shane Meehan
crossed the ball into the square for Shane Gallagher to
palm home from close range. Burt claimed that the
forward had been in the square before the ball, but
referee Michael McShane was having none of it and the
margin was down to two points again.
McHugh with an excellent point from the right corner had
Burt three clear before McDermott netted his second goal
in five minutes when he punched a dropping Boyle
sideline kick into the net.
Kevin McBrearty responded with a converted 55th minute
free for Lifford and two red cards were brandished by
referee McShane as the clock ticked into injury time.
First, Brian Breslin picked up a second yellow for
Lifford and then Eamon Reddin was harshly shown a
straight red for a challenge near the sideline, a
decision that Burt – who now face into a tricky Ulster
Junior Club Football Championship campaign on top of
their stalled Ulster hurling championship – are certain
to appeal.
There was time for one final piece of magic though, when
Paul McHugh struck a screamer to the net on the cusp of
full time.
And so it ended in the heartbreak of a fourth Junior
final defeat for Naomh Pádraig while Burt, with more
than 30 county senior hurling titles to their name, were
delighted to claim a first ever Donegal football
championship title.
Burt: Stephen Gillespie; Brendan Harrigan, Paul
O’Brien, Mark McGavigan; Paul McHugh (1-1), Martin
Donaghey, Seamie O’Donnell; Paddy McDermott, Eamon
Reddin; Johnny Downey, Niall Campbell, Rory Grant;
Ciaran Dowds, Joe Boyle (0-3, 1f), Enda McDermott (2-1).
Subs: Kevin McDermott R. Grant (half time); Mickey
McCann for J. Downey (55 mins)
N Pádraig Lifford: Shaun McBrearty; Marty McHugh,
Patrick McNamee, Mark McNulty; Darren Gillespie, Gary
McGirr (0-2f), Kevin McBrearty (0-1f); Michael Ferry,
Conor Catterson; Paul Given, Shane Gallagher (1-0),
Shane Meehan; Paul Lynch, Lornie Crossan, Emmet
Catterson. Subs: Brian Breslin for E. Catterson (39 mins);
Kevin Daly for S. Gallagher (55 mins).
Referee: Michael McShane (Kilcar).
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Inishowen Independent. |
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