Paul McGirr U16 Ulster Tournament: Magherafelt (Derry) 3-12 Dromintee (Armagh) 2-11
Magherafelt held off a stirring comeback from defending champions Dromintee to claim the Paul McGirr Ulster Club U16 football title in Dromore on Sunday.
It was a historic occasion for the Derry side as they won their club’s first ever provincial title, but they were pushed to the pin of their collar in a pulsating second half by a Dromintee side who had trailed at one stage by 13 points.
Playing with the aid of the breeze in the opening half Magherafelt looked sensational as they carved open the Dromintee rearguard time and again and only some stoic defending from Tomas Fox and goalkeeper Patrick Rice prevented the game being over by half-time.
Dromintee opened the scoring with a Ronan Martin free but this was the only lead they had in the game as Magherafelt stormed into the game.
A great effort from the left wing by captain Kian Maynes settled Magherafelt and shortly after he was fouled for a penalty, which was brilliantly saved though by Rice.
Tony O’Hagan and Ronan Conway put Magherafelt three ahead before two goals in quick succession from Daultagh Donnelly and Callum Leacock.
Magherafelt added points from Conway, Maynes and Michael Lavery before the break, with one in reply from Oisin Byrne leaving the half-time score 2-6 to 0-2 in Magherafelt’s favour.
When Donnelly added another goal on the restart the game looked all but over but things soon change d in emphatic style.
Fox, Aodhan and Jarlath O’Neill, Scott Harris and full-forward Gavin O’Rourke led the charge for Dromintee and the Armagh champions got their first major when Jack Casey palmed to the net after great work from Oisin Byrne and O’Rourke.
The Armagh champions had their tails up and piled forward at the Magherafelt goals. Ronan Martin lofted one over from distance and then Casey powered through several tackles before finding the top corner for Dromintee’s second goal.
Crucially, Magherafelt did manage to nick the odd score at the other end through Maynes and Tony O’Hagan as Dromintee kept up the pressure.
Martin and Byrne pointed for Dromintee and then full back Fox halted a Magherafelt attack before storming the length of the field, then being upended for Byrne to convert another free.
Jarlath O’Neill then kicked over a point from outside the 45 and the gap was down to three.
A superbly converted O’Hagan free from the wing relieved the pressure slightly for Magherafelt before Conway notched another score for the Armagh champions.
Magherafelt had a chance to put the game to bed when Leacock went through but he was denied by a diving save from Patrick Rice; Conway knocked the rebound over the bar.
Trailing by four with time running out, Dromintee needed a goal and O’Rourke almost found it but his shot went just over the bar rather than under.
Magherafelt manager Kevin Purvis was understandably proud of what it means to his club.
“I have been involved with them since U12 and some of the management team has been taking them from they were five or six years old,” he said.
“To get to this stage as Ulster champions its just unbelievable, but its all down to the boys and everything they have put into it.
“The second half was tough, really tough, we got a bit of a scare. We had to work for it and show character. Fair play to Dromintee they have some excellent players and they really tested us to the limit. Our boys dug deep and they deserve every last bit of this.”
“We are gutted for Emmett Spiers who lost out on today through injury, he has had some rotten luck with injuries but the other lads stepped up for Emmett.”
Dromintee Patrick Rice, D Bolger, T Fox, R Kelly, E Mullen, A O’Neill, O McCrink, J O’Neill (0-1), Peter Rice (0-2), R Martin (0-4, 0-3 frees), J Mooney, O Byrne (0-3, 0-2 frees), J Casey (2-0), G O’Rourke (0-1), S Harris. Subs O Rice for Mooney, O Kissward for Mullen, B McCoy for Bolger.
Magherafelt C Johnston, R Martin, T Beattie, T McGlone, F Grimes, C Leacock (1-0), R Lennox, M Higgins, R Conway (0-3), T O’Hagan (0-3, 0-2 free), R Quinn, L Higgins, D Donnelly (2-1), K Maynes (0-4, 0-1 free), M Lavery (0-1).
Subs T Farmer for Quinn
Referee S Hurson (Tyrone)