 |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
 |
| Search... |
Urris beat Malin at Foden
03.06.11
|
||||||||||
|
Urris...3-6 Malin...1-8 URRIS won their first Inishowen Minor Championship in many years when they outplayed and outfought defending champions Malin in windy conditions at Foden last Thursday night. Playing with the aid of a strong wind, Malin got off to a perfect start scoring two early points, but Urris, who worked like demons in the first half, responded to lead by 1-1 to 0-2 after 20 minutes. Another Urris goal, a spectacular effort from Darren Coyle with the last kick of the half, gave Alan Friel’s side a 2-3 to 0-3 half time lead and left Malin with a mountain to climb in the second period. Despite the strong running of Dan McDaid, Malin couldn’t find a way back in the second half and their task was made all the harder five minutes in when Niall McLaughlin became the third member of the Urris full forward line to find the back of the net. That put nine points between the teams, and Malin never really looked like getting back into contention. A late goal from Brendan McLaughlin merely added gloss to the final scoreline: Urris were more comfortable than the four point winning margin suggests. The sides had met in last year’s decider too, with the Malin men coming out on top, but Urris were worthy champions on this occasion. |
|
|
Malin, who have dominated
the minor grade in Inishowen in recent years, started
strongly with full forward Darren Mullarkey opening the
scoring within 60 seconds of Sean Faulkner’s first
whistle and Dan McDaid stroking over a 45 in the third
minute. Little did they know that they would be held scoreless for the next 26 minutes as Urris grabbed control of the game. James Cook was outstanding at full back, while wing forward Conor Bradley covered every blade of grass coming back to help in defence and surging forward to lead the attack. Dean Kelly was magnificent in the air, while his midfield partner Jamie Coyle was a perfect foil to the big man. Kelly opened Urris’ scoring with an eighth minute free, and they claimed the first of their three goals in the 19th minute. Malin keeper Patrick McGrenaghan and one of his defenders combined to block a Darren Coyle shot, but Aaron Friel poked the loose ball into the net as Urris took a lead they would never relinquish. |
 |
|
Urris centre forward Jason
Doherty has pace to burn and he used it to good effect,
sprinting away from his marker and scoring two points in
as many minutes as Urris stretched into a 1-3 to 0-2
lead. Malin were struggling to gain any kind of foothold in midfield, and when they did send the ball towards the Urris goals it came back with interest. Their scoring chances were few and far between: they mustered only two wides between the third and 29th minutes when Dan McDaid broke their scoring drought after winning and converting a free. Urris responded immediately and emphatically. Dean Kelly’s free from 40 metres out held up in the wind and full forward Darren Coyle climbed into the sky to win it above the defence. He turned as quickly as he landed and slammed an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net to give the team in red and black a 2-3 to 0-3 half time lead – and that after playing into a near gale. Dan McDaid from a free and Conor Bradley for Urris exchanged points early in the second half, before Urris struck for their decisive third goal in the 35th minute. Two defenders and two attackers raced towards a long ball that bounced 20 metres out, and the ball broke kindly for Niall McLaughlin who finished soccer style to the net. Dan McDaid and Brendan McLaughlin kept plugging for Malin, with Kieran O’Connor and Matthew McLaughlin also sticking to their tasks, but they couldn’t create good scoring chances. McDaid’s strong running caused Urris problems, unfortunately for Malin they had to deploy him out around the middle of the field when he would have been more dangerous closer to goal. However McDaid and Urris’ Dean Kelly exchanged two frees apiece and Urris maintained their three-goal advantage – 3-6 to 0-6 – with ten minutes remaining. Brendan McLaughlin drew a good save from Urris keeper Kevin McLaughlin in the 52nd minute, and was alert enough to win the rebound and take his point, and Dan McDaid won and converted another free five minutes later to reduce the margin to seven points. But Urris were still well on top, and only for some wayward shooting – they hit nine second half wides, and 14 in all – they would have been out of sight. Malin did grab a consolation goal with almost the last kick when Brendan McLaughlin hit a screamer to the top right corner, but it was too little too late and Urris are the champions. Urris: Kevin McLaughlin; Kieran Doherty, James Cook, Danny Devlin; Niall Diver, James Griffin, Dean McDaid; Dean Kelly (0-3, 3f), Jamie Coyle; Conor Brennan, Jason Doherty (0-2), Conor Bradley (0-1); Niall McLaughlin (1-0), Darren Coyle (1-0), Aaron Friel (1-0). Subs: Darren McEleney for D. McDaid; Pauric Ruddy for A. Friel. Malin: Patrick McGrenaghan; Shane McColgan, Sean Doherty, Thomas McLaughlin; Stephen Doherty, James Gallagher, Kieran O’Connor; Matthew McLaughlin, Ryan Doherty; Brendan McLaughlin (F)(1-1), Dan McDaid (0-6, 5f, 1’45), Adam Byrne; Matthew Crampsie, Darren Mullarkey (0-1), Ryan Green. Referee: Sean Faulkner (Moville). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
|
 |
