Bord Gáis Ulster Under 21 Hurling Final

Corrigan Park Belfast, Wednesday 26th July

Derry 3-17 Down 1-09

A late two goal salvo claimed a first Ulster Under 21 Hurling title for Derry since 2008. Corey O’Reilly’s brace settled it for the Oak Leafers as Collie McGurk’s revolution of Derry hurling gathers pace.

Derry’s win over Antrim in the semi-final two weeks ago made them slight favourites against a Down side that racked up 8-20 in their semi-final tussle with Armagh.

Both sides struggled in the early exchanges as a pre-match thunderstorm left under foot conditions very slippy and it wasn’t until the third minute when we had the games first score. Ballygalgat’s Cormac Coulter pointed a free, and three minutes later Oisin McManus goaled to put the Mourne Men well in control at 1-02 to no score.

Down’s full forward line were causing the Derry full back line all sorts of bother in the opening ten minutes, but Derry eventually settled into their sweeper system and lead by Banagher’s Darragh Cartin were on level terms by the 12 minute at 0-05 to 1-02. It was nip and tuck for the rest of the first half until the 27th minute when Brian Cassidy shook off the challenge of Down defender Paul McManus to blast past Huw Flynn in the Down goal for a half time lead of four points of Derry 1-09 Down 1-05.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first with Down on the offensive but Daithi Sands effort flashed across the Derry goal and went wide. Cormac O’Doherty then landed a 65 from the next attack and from here on in Down were left chasing the game. Try as they did, but with McAlister and McGuigan dominating the midfield exchanges and O’Doherty sweeping in front of the Derry full back line, Collie McGurk’s charges were able to stretch out to a six point lead by the 54th minute. Then came O’Reilly’s two goals in the space of a minute.

Brian Cassidy beat his man down the right and his pass found the Kevin Lynch’s man unmarked ten metres from goal, and his first time strike found the back of the Down net. His second was down to putting pressure on the Down full back line and forcing the turnover from the short Down puck out, and when the sliotar fell free O’Reilly made no mistake from 20 metres to lash home past Flynn.

The frustration in the Down camp came to a head on 57 minutes when midfielder Jordan Dorian was shown a straight red card for grabbing the front of the helmet of a Derry player. Conor McAlister landed the final score of the game in the second minute of injury to cap a very fine personal performance and clinch Derry’s sixth title at the grade, and with it, an All-Ireland semi-final tie against Kilkenny.

Final Score Derry 3-17 Down 1-09
Teams.

Derry: Francis McEldowney, Seamus Higgins, Paddy Turner, Paul McNeil, Ruairi McCartney, Ciaran Steele 0-01 (capt), Shane McGuigan 0-01, Conor McAlister 0-01, John Mullan, Eamonn McGill, Sean Cassidy, Odhran McKeever 0-02, Darragh Cartin 0-06 3F, Cormac O’Doherty 0-03 1 ‘65?, Brian Cassidy 1-02.

Subs: Corey O’Reilly 2-01 for John Mullan HT. Niall Smyth for Cormac O’Doherty 53mins. Priosias Burke for Odhran McKeever 55 mins Thomas Magee for Ciaran Steele 55 mins.

Yellow Cards: Cormac O’Doherty 14 minutes

Down: Huw Flynn, Brook Byers, Darragh Mallon, Paul McManus, Mark Fisher 0-01, Eoin Coulter, Ryan Courtney 0-01 1 ‘65?, Liam Savage, Jordan Doran, Barry Trainor 0-01, Daithi Sands 0-01, Ruairi Campbell, Oisin McManus 1-00, Pearse Óg McCrickard 0-01, Cormac Coulter 0-04 4F.

Subs: Oisin Duggan for Oisin McManus 58 mins. Niall Breen for Cormac Coulter 58mins.

Yellow Cards: Darragh Mallon 28 minutes. Jordan Doran 50 minutes. Mark Fisher 54 minutes.

Red Cards: Jordan Doran 57 minutes.
Referee Mr Colum Cunning (Antrim)

Match report courtesy of www.backofthestand.blog