Leadon Timber Frames Ulster Minor club Hurling Cup final
Glenariffe-Glenravel (Antrim) 2-6 Lavey (Derry) 0-6
A new, and longer, name has been added to the list of winners of the Leadon Timber Frames Ulster minor championship after the Glenariffe-Glenravel amalgamation held wind-assisted Lavey to just three converted frees in the second half of the final in Ballinascreen this afternoon.
The first time Antrim champions were themselves held scoreless during the final ten minutes of the first half while Lavey hit two late points to leave them with a very manageable gap of five points to close in the second half.
However the Glens’ side were defensively sound over the second half hour and clinched victory in the fourth minute of added time when Player of the Match Niall Magee broke from defence up the centre of the pitch. His pass went beyond the last covering defender and sub Michael Furey rushed on to it.
Furey’s parting shot from right of the posts was saved by Oisín Mulholland, but the sliotar fell into the path of Oisín Gillan who pulled to the net from five metres.
In truth Lavey were already depending on a hit and hope goal by that stage. They hadn’t scored since a free from Rian Collins split the post in the 43rd minute and had squandered a number of other dead-ball chances – admittedly from distance. They simply couldn’t get any change out of the Glens’ defence.
Magee was superb throughout, while John Scullion, Oisín Mort and James Kearney turned in an excellent second half with some sharp blocking and hooking. Full-back Colla Ward switched with Scullion from the start in a planned move to close down the influence of Derry’s back to back All-Ireland minor football medallist James Sargent with good support from Callum McIlwaine and Orrin O’Connor.
Tiarnán Melaugh was Lavey’s top player and his defence did well in keeping them in the game against the breeze. Melaugh’s twin Connor also did well in the middle of the park, but up front the Derry side lacked the penetration to pick off the scores they needed for victory.
They would have been pleased with how the first quarter went; Sargent opened the scoring from a free and their backs curtailed the eventual winners to just two points – a free from O’Connor and then the same player playing a cross-field pass for Phelim Ward to score from play.
However a free from O’Connor was followed by points from defender Harry Fyfe and Oisín Gillan and then a goal from O’Connor when he latched on to a clearance from defence, held off two defenders and hit the roof of the net. It put the Antrim champions into a 1-5 to 0-1 lead with 20 minutes gone.
Lavey though knuckled down to prevent further scores before the break while Connor Melaugh tagged on two points.
The elements favoured the Derry champions at this point. Collins and Sargent pointed frees to make it 1-5 to 0-5 with 20 minutes to play. Significantly in the next play, they conceded a needless free at the other end. Nevertheless Collins tapped over at the other end and they seemed to have re-gained momentum.
However credit to Glenariffe-Glenravel. They didn’t concede any more scores – and the frees conceded were all around midfield and difficult for Sargent to convert in the swirling breeze. Every block or hook felt like a score for them and time had already run out on Lavey when Gillan delivered the knock-out punch.
Glenariffe-Glenravel:
B Duncan, C McNaugthon, J Scullion, H Fyfe (0-1), J Kearney, N Magee, O Mort, C McIlwaine, C Ward, E Harvey, O O’Connor (1-2, 0-2 frees), C Leech, P McDonnell, P Ward (0-2, 1 free), O Gillan (1-1).
Subs: M Furey for P McDonnell (50)
Lavey:
O Mulholland, R Scullion, T Melaugh, E O’Donnell, Cathal Mulholland, R McGarvey, R Birt, J Sargent (0-2 frees), C Melaugh (0-2), P Birt, R Collins (0-2 frees), Charlie Mulholland, L McDonnell, J Convery, R Melaugh.
Subs: C Sargent for Cathal Mulholland (21), D Collins for R Melaugh (37), D O’Kane for L McDonnell (43)
Referee: J Conners (Donegal)