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Urris set up final meeting with
Malin
10.09.10
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Urris...2-6 Carndonagh...0-7 The Minor playoff between Urris and Carndonagh was played out in a rain swept Connelly Park, Malin last Monday evening with the prize for victory, a place against Malin in the Inishowen A final. Carndonagh had previously beaten Urris handily in the league stages of the competition but it was Urris who had the benefit of more recent match action having to negotiate their way past both Burt and Buncrana to reach the play-off spot. It was Urris that showed the sharper edge from the word go and their early pressure was rewarded by a pointed free from Darren Doherty as early as the third minute. Persistence again paid dividends when Andy Doherty despite struggling to retain control of the ball managed to get a pass away into the hands of half forward Conor Bradley who dispatched his right foot shot quickly over the bar to double the Urris lead. A further point by solid Urris centre half back James Cook put the Clonmany side three points to the good inside eight minutes. Carndonagh pulled two points back as first Eanna Newton, who lifted the ball neatly over the bar in the face of heavy pressure, and then Finn McLaughlin pointed a free leaving the minimum between the sides midway through the first half. Urris pushed on decisively in the next ten minutes with a fisted point from Liam Barkley doubling the advantage again before Conor Bradley crashed the ball to the back of the net after his lancing run through the middle of the Carn defence left the goal at his mercy. Points from Eanna Newton (free) and Conor Doherty for Carndonagh either side of another from Darren Doherty for Urris put four between the teams before Jason Doherty edged Urris into a five point half time lead with an incisive run which was picked out with a neat pass from Andy Doherty. |
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The opening ten minutes of
the second half were all about Carndonagh who took total
control of the middle of the park with Conor Fagan,
Conor Keady, Newton and Conor Burke all having a hand in
this period of near total domination. Even though
Carndonagh were ruling the roost in terms of possession
at this stage they couldn’t translate it into scores,
five wides over the opening seven minutes of the half
were to prove very costly. The introduction of Pádraig Doherty was to end the drought for the Foden side. With a dangerous target man now up front, Carn were able to notch up two scores in as many minutes both through Doherty who used his strength well to create the space he needed to get his shots away. Urris finally lifted the siege long enough to earn themselves a penalty when Dean Kelly was fouled inside the large rectangle but Darren Doherty was unable to convert the chance and saw his shot parried and then cleared by the jubilant Carndonagh backs. Urris received a further setback in the moments after the penalty when Andy Doherty received his marching orders after a second booking for a high tackle as Carndonagh broke up field. The writing looked to be firmly on the wall for Urris when Niall Casey, who was outstanding in his defensive duties all evening, fouled the ball inside the small rectangle. Ryan Kelly hit the spot kick only to see Jason McEleney in the Urris net dive full length and save. The ensuing scramble for the ball eventually saw Urris clear their lines long enough to prepare themselves for the next wave in what was an almost constant series of attacks from Carndonagh. A pointed free from Pádraig Doherty put two between the sides again with nine minutes remaining before the game turned on its head once more. Substitute Dean McDaid cleverly slipped his marker and latched onto the end of a Christy Ivers pass which he was able to loop over the Carn netminder securing Urris’ only score of the second half, but probably their most important of the game. Carn pressed forward over the closing minutes and almost snatched a goal when Chuckie Doherty drove low and hard only for McEleney to once more save and this time quickly clear the danger. Urris made the most of their possession in the first half whilst Carndonagh squandered the dominant grip they held on the game for much of the second half. Urris will go into the final against Malin as underdogs, but if they can reproduce the spirit and determination they showed in beating Carn they may be able to upset the odds and grab what would have seemed an unlikely Inishowen title at the start of the season. For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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