Drop Down Menu
  Search...
 
 

Urris win marks mid-point of season
All County League Division Two 30.05.08

Burt 0-5
(Shane Bradley 0-3 (1 free); Ronan McLaughlin 0-1 (1 free); Mark McGavigan 0-1)

Urris 0-8
(Alan Friel 0-4 (3 frees); Sean P Doherty 0-3; Barry Doherty 0-1)

by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent, at Hibernian Park

A DEPLETED Urris side came to a ran soaked Hibernian Park last Thursday night and left with two league points. The win marked the half way point of Urris’ league season: nine games played, five lost, one drawn and Thursday’s was their third win.
Having fielded a team reduced to its bare bones, manager Brendan Donaghy was entitled to fell well pleased with the result. Burt, who play their Championship preliminary round play-off tomorrow (Wednesday) against Naomh Mhuire, must regroup and address the shortcomings that plagued their play.
Showing four changes in attack from the side that lost to Naomh Columba five days earlier, Urris played the game at a higher tempo than their hosts, winning virtually every breaking ball and showing more appetite for the battle throughout.
Burt scored only one point in the second half and spent the last 20 minutes lobbing speculative and ineffective high balls into the full forward line hoping to get a lucky break that would lead to a goal.
The home team opened the scoring early on after Ronan McLaughlin stole the ball from Sean Doherty (T) on the right wing and slipped the ball to Shane Bradley who bisected the posts.
Burt keeper Ciaran McDermott got down smartly to save a Brian Doherty shot at his near post in the fifth minute, before Alan Friel equalised on the follow up.
Ten scrappy minutes passed before a Ronan McLaughlin free from the left edged Burt ahead but Sean Paul Doherty (Davis), who enjoyed a productive hour, won a broken ball from a Burt kickout to equalise for Urris with 16 minutes gone.
Urris were on top at this point but hit a number of wides. However, two Alan Friel frees put Urris in control at 0-4 to 0-2. Burt did come back with two points late in the half, a free from Shane Bradley
before Eamon Reddin drove forward and laid off to Mark McGavigan for the latter to equalise on the stroke of half time.
Urris hit a purple patch at the start of the second half. With just seconds gone Sean Paul Doherty pointed from close range. Midfielder Barry Doherty broke through to put two between the teams minutes later before Dara Doherty exchanged passes with Sean Paul Doherty for the latter to make it 0-7 to 0-4 in the 34th minute.
Burt never really looked like getting back into it after that. Shane Bradley scored a disputed point midway through the second half, but that was as good as it got for the home team.
Burt had the ball in the net ten minutes before the end. Urris ’keeper Jonathan Noone came out to catch a ball hoisted in from the right. Mark McGavigan knocked it out of Noone’s hands and Ciaran Dowds volleyed to the net, but referee Kieran McShea judged the keeper to have been tackled and awarded a free out.
An Alan Friel free completed the scoring in the 51st minute. The game petered out as the rain continued to fall. Burt were awarded a 13m free minutes from the end. Shane Bradley threaded it through a forest of legs, but it was cleared off the line and with it went Burt’s forlorn hope of getting something out of the game.

Burt: Ciaran McDermott; Martin McGrath, Paul O’Brien, Rory Grant; Niall Campbell, Eamon Reddin, Paddy McDermott; Kevin McDermott, Ciaran Dowds; Ronan McLaughlin, Shane Bradley, Seamie O’Donnell; Mark McGavigan, Dara Grant, Mickey McCann.

Urris: Jonathan Noone; Paddy Doherty, Sean McDaid, Eamon Reidy; Martin Kelly, Dara Doherty, Sean Doherty (T); Liam Diver, Brian Doherty; Alan Friel, Phil Pat Doherty, Mickey Kelly; Sean Paul Doherty (D), Peter Devlin, Martin Gilmore.


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