Minor Hurling Final - St Patrick's 2-09
v Clonduff 2-02
Down Minor Hurling Championship Final:
St Patricks 2-9 Clonduff 2-2
St Patricks minors brought their first
season to a successful conclusion when
they captured the Down Minor Hurling
Championship title with a 2-9 to 2-2
victory over Clonduff in Leitrim. In
a tremendously hard-fought championship
final where both sides displayed a frightening
will to win, it was the ability to put
scores on the board that finally won
the day for this spirited Ballyvarley
/ Ballela combination.
The opening exchanges were frenetic
and that set the tone for the rest of
the game. Both sides had prepared well
for this final and the players were
clearly motivated for the big occasion
and, as one crunching tackle was quickly
followed by another, it was clear that
this was no place for the uncommitted
and faint-hearted. Right from the beginning
it was obvious that both defences were
masters of their craft and as the play
stuttered rapidly from one end of the
field to the other, the teams settled
to a low scoring war of attrition and
not the stylish game of hurling that
the purists might have liked.
James McDermott got the Reds off to
the perfect start when he collected
the ball in the opening seconds and
turned to neatly slot over the opening
point to give St Pats a lead they were
never to lose. Most of the scoring chances
came in that opening quarter but both
sides lacked composure in front of goal
and were guilty of glaring misses. In
many ways this proved to be the crucial
period of the game when both sides were
evenly matched but it was St Pats who
had the players to chisel out those
vital scores. Paul O’Neill converted
a 30 metre free and then moments later
received a great handpass from Ronan
McConville to hit a fantastic point
over the bar and St Pats were three
nil up in a very even contest.
There was a long gap until the next
score but once more it was a classic
as Shannon Drainey advanced from full
forward to collect and drive point number
four over the Clonduff bar as the widening
gap in scores began to look ominous
for the Yellows. In the second quarter
both defences had settled to their task
and the scoring chances virtually came
to an end. Clonduff got their only score
of the half when Liam McParlan tapped
over a 20 metre free but Paul O’Neill
hammered further nails in their coffin
when he drove over two more long-range
frees to give St Pats a six point cushion
at half time.
Half time: St Pats 0-6 Clonduff 0-1
St Pats brought on Leigh McConville
to add a little bite to the attack but
chances were at a premium until the
tenth minute when James McDermott soloed
across the area to fire a low shot to
the back of the Clonduff net and at
last St Pats looked to have got the
vital breakthrough. In desperation Clonduff
surged to the other end of the field
to win a free on the left side of the
attack and when Kealim O’Hare’s
well driven shot was deflected into
the St Pats net the ground erupted and
the game was on again. The scores then
came in a rush with James McDermott
once more slotting over a well taken
point, Kealim O’Hare replying
for Clonduff and then Kelvin Magee bringing
the scoring spree to an end with another
well taken score to leave St Pats still
holding a commanding six point lead.
The onus was on Clonduff and they responded
manfully by piling on the pressure but
the St Pats defence, superbly marshalled
by a man of the match performance from
Malachy Magee, looked comfortable in
handling the Yellows surge as the clock
ticked slowly down. But St Pats know
all about the dangers of late finishes
and when Arthur McConville drove through
a crowded goalmouth to fire home a last
minute goal for the Yellows they knew
the impetus was with Clonduff and now
only a single goal separated the sides.
A few switches produced the vital rally
from St Pats in those long five additional
minutes and when they battled forward
to win a close-in free they had the
chance to tap over the insurance point.
But O’Neill had other ideas and
in the gathering autumn gloom he buried
the ball to the roof of the net and
St Pats were home and dry. There was
still time for another O’Neill
point before that welcome final whistle
and St Pats celebrated their hard-earned
championship victory against their gallant
opponents.
Amid contrasting scenes of despair and
rejoicing, Down Coaching Officer, John
Crossey presented the Down Minor Hurling
Championship trophy to a jubilant St
Pats captain, Malachy Magee.
Final Score: St Patricks
2-9 Clonduff 2-2
St Patricks: Kieran
Maguire: Jamie Murray, Niall Higgins,
Thomas Lennon; Paddy McCambridge, Malachy
Magee, Stephen McCusker; Paul O’Neill
(1-5), Ronan McConville; Niall Burns,
Kelvin Magee (0-1), Mick Doyle; Shannon
Drainey (0-1), James McDermott (1-2),
Conor McClorey; Leigh McConville, Ryan
Haughey, Martin Connolly, Michael McDermott,
Sean O’Hare.
Next Sunday, in Leitrim,
St Pats U-16 hurlers play the home side
in the Down Championship Semi-final
