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Burt advance in championship
03.11.11
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Burt...1-7 Bredagh (Down)...1-6 BURT qualified for the Ulster Junior football semi final with a narrow victory over Down champions Bredagh in O’Donnell Park on Sunday. Despite falling behind to an early goal, Burt steadied the ship and led by 1-5 to 1-4 at half time. For long periods in a tense second half it looked like the game might go to extra time, but that was until Ciaran Dowds popped up in injury time and drove over what proved to be the winner from out on the right wing. Burt’s win was soured somewhat by a straight red card issued to Joe Boyle for an off the ball incident with Kealan Devlin deep in injury time, a decision that Burt are likely to appeal. Nevertheless, the late red card cannot take away from Burt’s battling qualities and the manner in which they eked out a victory against strong opposition, something that will have pleased team manager Ronan McLaughlin no end. The game burst into life with both sides finding the net within the opening five minutes. And it was the visitors who got the first three pointer when Kevin Harte won the ball in right corner, spun away from Paul O’Brien and soloed in along the endline before slipping the ball across the square to Donal Hughes who palmed the ball into the net. Burt hit back immediately when Eamonn Reddin played a long ball over the top for Enda McDermott to run onto. The team captain held off the challenge of defender Owen Costello and favoured precision over power when he placed his shot just inside the right hand post. Five minutes gone, and a goal apiece, and a yellow card apiece, for both teams. Burt left an acre of space inside their opponents’ 45m line for their forwards to exploit. And they did it with aplomb in the first quarter. As the moved 1-3 to 1-0 clear by the 12th minute. First, Rory Grant and Paddy McDermott combined to win a Bredagh kick out with the latter passing inside for brother Enda to point. Ciaran Dowds won a long Eamonn Reddin free in the tenth minute and laid the ball off to Paddy McDermott who pointed from 25 yards, but Paul O’Brien hit the pick of Burt’s first half scores with a massive effort from near the right sideline. Bredagh looked dangerous though, with their attack finding space and taking scores through John McKenna, Niall Devlin and a stunning effort from near the endline from Brian Rice to draw level by the 19th minute. Burt were still creating goal chances in the wide-open spaces, but chances for both Joe Boyle and Rory Grant went abegging. Bredagh too hit the post through Donal Hughes before Kealan Devlin pushed them ahead with a fourth unanswered point in the 22nd minute. Burt finished the half strongly with Paddy McDermott volleying a point over the bar after a long ball in from brother Kevin, and Enda McDermott pointed three minutes before the break as Burt led by 1-5 to 1-4 at the break. Bredagh had the breeze on their backs in the second half, and a close range Brian Rice free drew them level in the 34th minute. Whereas the first half had been more open, the second settled down into a pattern of frees (Burt were awarded 20, Bredagh 9), yellow cards (Burt received 5, Bredagh 7) and defences on top with play stuck between the two 45m lines. Burt retained their defensive shape, with Martin Donaghey, Johnny Downey, Seamie O’Donnell and Eamonn Reddin putting in key tackles and setting up counterattacks from deep. Paddy McDermott and Joe Boyle both hit wides before a Paul McHugh free from the ground restored Burt’s lead in the 49th minute but Bredagh pulled level again four minutes later when Henry Deazley beat the blanket defence with a fine point from outside 47m out. With the game in injury time, Martin Donaghey broke from defence and fed Ciaran Dowds who accelerated past two defenders before swinging over the winning point from out on the right wing. There was still time for more drama, with referee Cathal O’Hagan flashing a red card at Joe Boyle after consulting with his umpire. Burt are waiting to see video evidence before deciding on whether to appeal that sending off, but with suspensions now code specific, Boyle is expected to be available for this Sunday’s Ulster Junior Hurling final against Creggan Kickhams of Antrim in Clones. On Sunday week, Burt will play the winners of Cremartin (Monaghan) and Shercock (Cavan) in the Ulster Football semi final: their match ended in a draw after extra time. |
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Burt: Stephen
Gillespie; Brendan Harrigan, Paul O’Brien (0-1), Mark
McGavigan; Paul McHugh (0-1, 1f), Enda McDermott (1-2),
Jonathan Downey; Kevin McDermott, Eamonn Reddin; Seamie
O’Donnell, Martin Donaghey, Rory Grant; Ciaran Dowds
(0-1), Joe Boyle, Paddy McDermott (0-2). Sub: Niall
Campbell for R. Grant (55 mins) Bredagh: Sean Armstrong; Chris Savage, Mark Robinson, Kevin Muldoon; Niall Devlin (0-1), Owen Costello, Paddy Willis; Emmet Costello, John McKenna (0-1); Kevin Harte, Kealan Devlin (0-1), Fergus Coyle; Brian Rice (0-1), Henry Deazley (0-1), Donal Hughes (1-0). Subs: Niall Mulholland for C. Savage (42 mins); Paddy Byrne for K. Muldoon (48 mins); Declan O’Hara for N Devlin (52 mins) Referee: Cathal O’Hagan (Tyrone). The game at a glance Man-of-the-match Enda McDermott was deadly in front of the post, Ciaran Dowds hit the winning point and corner backs Mark McGavigan and Benny Harrigan coped manfully with a dangerous Bredagh full forward line, but big Kevin McDermott put in another masterful display of fielding. Whether at midfield, or in the full back line, McDermott is strong in the air, rarely loses possession and completes the majority of passes attempted. Has fought back from serious injury sustained at the end of last season, and his availability has been a huge bonus to the club. Referee While Cathal O’Hagan had a generally good game, he was overly officious issuing a remarkable 12 yellows and one red card in what was a clean and fair game. Having failed to award a single free of an open-handed handpass in the first half, he penalised players on at least six occasions for this offence in the second half, something that hasn’t been seen since the hubbub around it in the 2010 Intercounty League and Championship saw it quietly dropped by every other referee. That pernickety approach spoiled an otherwise competent performance from the Tyrone whistler. Tactical take Burt’s game plan is built around defence, counterattacking at speed and exploiting the space left in the oppositions half. With all 14 outfield players sometimes withdrawn into their own half, Burt utilised long balls into space in the opposition half for their forwards to run onto. That was highly effective in the first half yielding 1-4 (including three good goal chances that went abegging) although Bredagh wised up to it in the second. Bredagh played with an orthodox six forwards in the first half, withdrawing a wing forward into defence in the second half. With congested defences and midfield, the sides could muster only four points between them in the second period but Burt did just enough to win. What’s next? Burt will play Antrim Junior Champions Creggan Kickhams in the Ulster Junior Hurling final in Clones on Sunday, and will get a chance to look at their provincial football opponents, as the hurling final is a curtain raiser to the Cremartin v Shercock replay. The Monaghan and Cavan Junior champions drew 1-14 to 2-11 after extra time in their quarterfinal last Sunday. For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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