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Setanta thwart Burt second
year in a row
01.10.08
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Setanta...4-7 K. Campbell 1-6 (3f); S. Maxwell 1-1; G. Dwyer 1-0; M. McGee 1-0. Burt...1-7 N. Campbell 0-6 (3f); R. McLaughlin 1-0; B. Friel 0-1. by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent BURT'S attempt to recapture the Donegal Senior Hurling Championship that they held for so long fell flat on Sunday as three second half goals powered Setanta to back-to-back titles. Burt were on top in the first half and led by 1-4 to 0-1 after 22 minutes as an out of sorts Kevin Campbell missed several frees that would have been considered scoreable by his high standards. But what he lacked in accuracy from the placed ball, he more than made up for from play. He played a key part in three of Setanta’s four goals, scoring one himself and setting up two others. Teenager Michael McGee was first to profit from Campbell’s good work when he poked the sliotar over the goal line in the 24th minute. That ensured Setanta stayed in touch at the break when they trailed by just 1-5 to 1-3. The provider turned poacher eight minutes into the second half when Campbell collected a long clearance from Ger Dwyer and turned to smash the ball into the roof the net from 20m out. |
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Setanta’s third goal came
courtesy of a mistake by Burt keeper Paddy McDermott.
Dwyer struck the ball from his own 70m line and it fell
short but bounced off McDermott’s hand and into the net.
To compound Burt’s misery, McDermott got sent off when
referee Eoin Elliott judged that his attempted quick
puck out was struck deliberately at Campbell,
necessitating treatment for the Killygordon man. John Martin Wallace took over between the posts, but was helpless as Setanta’s fourth flew past him in injury time. Campbell got away from Conor McLaughlin on the left wing, Barry Friel came across to cover but Campbell slipped the ball across the goalmouth the unmarked Sean Maxwell who had the simple task of slamming the ball to the net from eight yards out. |
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The big pre-match talking
point was Ger Dwyer’s selection after having been red
carded a week earlier in the semi-final. Dwyer appealed
the sending off and the county’s appeals committee
exonerated him at a late night meeting on Saturday. Danny Cullen had been named among the subs but lined out at midfield alongside Dwyer, but playing with the wind it was Burt who got off to a lightning start. Niall Campbell converted a 70m free in the second minute before Ronan McLaughlin got the first of the game’s five goals. The centre full forward held off Terence McDaid to catch a high ball from Mickey McCann that dropped in the parallelogram and he kicked to the net from close range. Ciaran Dowds and Barry Friel were defending stoutly for Burt at the back, getting in number of last gasp blocks, while Niall Campbell was foraging all over the pitch as Burt had by far the better of the opening exchanges. Niall Campbell added a 20m free, before Kevin Campbell opened Setanta’s account in the 11th minute. Barry Friel struck over a huge effort midway through the half and Niall Campbell extended Burt’s lead to six points in the 22nd minute. Kevin Campbell mishit a relatively straightforward free soon after. It came off the post but Campbell was on hand to point the rebound from close range. Campbell set up Michael McGee for a goal in the 24th minute to bring Setanta right back into the game. At midfield, Damian Browne and Danny Cullen were getting to grips with their opponents while Dwyer put in a good shift in defence. Two injury time points from the opposing Campbells – Niall and Kevin – saw Burt hold a 1-5 to 1-3 half-time lead. Niall Campbell raced through to point within 30 seconds of the restart, but Burt hit three bad wides over the next five minutes as Setanta started to turn the screw. Kevin Campbell went from goal from a 20m free, but keeper Paddy McDermott batted it out for a 70 that Campbell missed, but he made amends moments later when he pointed from play from close range. Campbell got his goal in the 38th minute. He won Dwyer’s long ball and gave McDermott no chance from close range to give Setanta the lead for the first time. Setanta tails were up after that, but Burt responded in the 43rd minute through a tremendous Niall Campbell point from the sideline under the stand to level the sides. However, it was the last time his team would raise a flag. Setanta pulled men back into defence to defend their lead, and were content to counterattack on the break. Campbell added pointed frees in the 46th and 50th minutes as Burt made the changes that they hoped would bring them back into the game. Cathal Davis made way as Dowds was moved out to midfield while John Martin Wallace was drafted into full back. Sean Maxwell pointed to put Setanta 2-7 to 1-7 clear with four minutes of normal time remaining, but that was before their grandstand finish when Dwyer’s 85m Hail Mary in the 59th minute was fumbled into the net and Paddy McDermott was red carded after the puck out. Burt dropped a couple of late frees short in around the goalmouth, but the Setanta defence, led by veterans Terence and Anthony McDaid, Dwyer and Warren Scanlon, were in no mood to cough up cheap scores and cleared and danger. As 14-man Burt pressed for scores, it was no surprise that they got caught out at the back. Campbell raced down the left wing and as Barry Friel came across to head him off, he slipped the sliotar to Sean Maxwell who applied the coup de grace. Setanta: Ryan Scanlon, Paddy McGovern, Terence McDaid, Warren Scanlon; Ger Dwyer, Anthony McDaid, Simon McMenamin; Damian Browne, Danny Cullen; Sean Maxwell, Michael McGee, James Callaghan; Kevin Campbell, Damien Doherty, Martin Bonner. Subs: Michael Lafferty for M. McGee (42 mins). Burt: Paddy McDermott; Fergal Grant, Ciaran Dowds, Martin McGrath; Paul O’Brien, Conor McLaughlin, Barry Friel; Ardal McDermott, Mickey McCann; Karl Wilson, Enda McDermott, Patrick Strain; Niall Campbell, Ronan McLaughlin, Cathal Davis. Subs: Philip Coyle for P. O’Brien (36 mins); John Martin Wallace for C. Davis (47 mins). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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