Drop Down Menu
  Search...
 
 

Burt see off Newtown challenge 06.05.10
All County League Division 4

Burt...0-11

Naomh Colmcille...1-6

Report: Inishowen Independent

NEIGHBOURS Burt and Naomh Colmcille hadn’t met in competitive adult football for more than 15 years, and at a windswept Hibernian Park on Monday it was the home side who emerged winners with a two point victory.
The sides were level at 0-5 apiece at the break, but with the wind on their backs in the second half Burt made most of the running, leading by 0-10 to 0-5 before a quick fire 1-1 from Naomh Colmcille set up a nervy finish for the home side. With play swinging from end to end, a late point from Ciaran Dowds secured a two point win for the Burt men.
The first half was a cagey affair with the teams cancelling one another out and the lead changing hands three times. Barry O’Hagan was Naomh Colmcille’s main scoring threat, the former Armagh intercounty footballer hitting three first half points, including two from frees. At the other end, Enda McDermott was proving a handful for Naomh Colmcille full back Ciaran Devine, hitting four first half points from play.
O’Hagan had opened the scoring within a minute of the start, with McDermott responding soon after.
Richie Clarke, who won a fortune of high ball at midfield over the hour, set up Stephen Davenport for the centre forward to double Naomh Colmcille’s tally on 11 minutes. McDermott and O’Hagan exchanged points before Burt hit two on the trot, from Mickey McCann and Enda McDermott, to take the lead for the first time – the latter’s point coming after a move started by keeper Ciaran McDermott and involving seven players.
But Naomh Colmcille immediately hit back with a fine point of their own, sweeping the ball down the field for Mark Dowds to equalise. Dowds and substitute Cathal Curran combined to set up O’Hagan for a point for play, but Burt had the last word in the first half, with Paul O’Brien,
who put in another solid shift at corner back, getting forward to hit a point two minutes into injury time and send the teams into the dressing room tied at 0-5 apiece.
With the wind on their backs, Burt made all the running in the second half. A long Seamie O’Donnell ball into Enda McDermott saw the latter fist the ball over the bar, and McDermott put two between the teams when he picked up a pass from Brian Sheerin on 38 minutes.
Naomh Colmcille were struggling to get past a stubborn Burt defence, for whom Mark McGavigan and Benny Harrigan rarely put a foot wrong. Up front, two points from Joe Boyle further extended Burt’s lead and they went 0-10 to 0-5 clear on 52 minutes when Mickey McCann popped up for his second point of the day.
With the game slipping away from them, Naomh Colmcille got a lifeline with a 53rd minute pointed free from O’Hagan and when Burt cheaply conceded possession in defence moments later, they were punished when Joe Donaghey punched a looping ball from Richie Clarke into the net to reduce the deficit to just a point with five minutes remaining.
Burt didn’t panic though, and retained possession well mounting a series of attacks and rebuffing Naomh Colmcille’s attacks.
Having first seen an effort drift just wide, Ciaran Dowds added the insurance point on the stroke of full time, much to the relief of his team’s supporters in the 200 strong attendance.

Burt: Ciaran McDermott; Paul O’Brien (0-1), Benny Harrigan, Jonathan Downey; Martin Donaghey, Mark McGavigan, Seamie O’Donnell; Joe Boyle (0-2, 1 f), Ciaran Dowds (0-1); Paul McHugh, Enda McDermott (0-5), Mickey McCann (0-2); Brian Sheerin, Paddy McDermott, Dara Grant. Subs: Darren McLaughlin for P. McDermott; Shaun Murphy for D. Grant; Shane McDaid for D. Grant; Michael McHugh for B. Sheerin.

Naomh Colmcille: Marty Callaghan; Thomas McKinney, Ciaran Devine, Ricky Hegarty; Paul Friel, Alex Devenney, Gerard Curran; Richie Clarke, Barry O’Hagan (0-4, 3f); Eddie Gillespie, Stephen Davenport (0-1), Mark Dowds (0-1); Ryan McErlean, Joe Donaghey (1-0), Paddy O’Donnell. Subs: Cathal Curran for E. Gillespie; Eddie Gillespie for M. Dowds.


For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent.
Return to > Sports    > News    > Home