South Down Under 20 Quarter
final - South Down Under 20 FC final
“A” - Burren 2-9 Rostrevor
0-12
South Down Under 20
FC final “A” - Burren 2-9
Rostrevor 0-12
BURREN BEFRIEND FORTUNE
A controversial decision ten minutes
from time was the point this exciting
Under 20 final in Burren turned upon.
Rostrevor appeared to be cruising at
the time; they led 0-12 to 0-7, had
scored the previous seven points without
reply, and looked well set to go on
and win by even more. Burren, in a last
desperate throw of the dice, had pushed
the towering Cathal Murdock up to full
forward in an effort to make something
happen. But when a long ball was floated
up the middle in the 51st minute, Reds
full back, Gary Magee, running back
towards his own posts seemed to have
things under control. Gary duly gathered
the ball, but slipped some ten yards
from his own goal, and, though he quickly
regained possession, was adjudged by
referee Martin Rushe to have picked
the ball off the ground in doing so.
Fair enough. But when Martin then went
on to signal a penalty, the large crowd
in St Marys Park was stunned. Surely
technical fouls in the large “square”
did not draw the maximum penalty? Kevin
McKernan scorned the debate, however.
He stepped up, drove the ball low to
the net, and it was “Game On”
again!
BURRENS TERMS
And it was on again on Burrens terms.
Throw Burren a lifeline and they will
strangle you with it! The remainder
of the match unfolded largely in accordance
with the Burren historical blueprint.
Conail McGovern reduced the deficit
to one by the 54th minute, and in the
60th minute, Kevin McKernan drove along
the end-line to fist the equaliser.
And, inevitably, in added time, came
the killer blow. Rostrevor tried to
pass the ball out of defence, Cathal
Murdock pounced to intercept and duly
found himself one-on-one with Padraig
Mulholland whom he beat with a low ground
shot! That meant Rostrevor now had to
go for a goal themselves. Twice they
came near to it, with Colm Clerkin hitting
the post and an Anthony Donnan shot
scraped off the line for a 45, but by
now Burren had also pulled hero Cathal
Murdock back to defensive duties, and
the champions weathered the storm to
claim their second successive South
Down Under 20 crown.
HELTER SKELTER
For all the helter-skelter glitz of
their late rally, Burren actually played
their best football in the opening twenty
minutes. With cathal Murdock and Alan
Higgins supreme at midfield and sean
Murdock showing intelligently for their
measured deliveries, Burren had built
a 0-6 to 0-3 lead by that stage. It
might have been more too for Padraig
Mulholland had to save brilliantly after
an incisive Burren move left Conail
McGovern bearing in on his goal.Burren
were two points up after ninety seconds
with both kevin McGivern and sean Murdock
pointing from play. It took Rostrevor,
forced to play the ball closely through
midfield seven more minutes to draw
level with scores by Anthony Donnan
and Colm Clerkin, but by the end of
the quarter Burren led 4-2, following
a free by Ruairi Murdock and a sweet
angled point from sean Murdock.And it
got worse for the visitors as another
Ruairi Murdock free cancelled Conor
mackins response, and, after three Rostrevor
forwards had dropped balls limply short
into the hands of Kevin McFerran, Kevin
McKernan showed them how it should be
done at the other end, settling himself
to belt the ball over the bar from forty
yards!
REDS TAKE OVER
That was the best we saw from Burren.
For the next thirty minutes Rostrevor
played them off the park! Conor Magee
and Ryan Watt got to grips with their
midfield problemsand chances began to
materialise at the other end. Brian
keenan collected a cross from Conor
Magee to hit point number four and Sean
Mackin danced through to leave only
a point in it.
TREND
Burren were fortunate to be still 0-6
to 0-5 up by the break , but hinted
that they may have ridden their luck
successfully when Conail McGovern cracked
over the first point of the second half.
It failed to alter the trend, however.
By the 39th minute, frees from Anthony
Donnan and Colm Clerkin had the teams
on level terms, and two minutes later
Brian keenan threaded his way along
the bye-line to put hisn team in front
for the first time. Reds were rampant
now. A scintillating move up the left
wing was finished in style for a point
by Anthony Donnan. Sean Magee broke
over the halfway line to lay on a point
for Conor mackin. Anthony Donnan pounced
on a careless Burren pass to leave four
between the teams, and after forty-nine
minutes, Conor Mackin dodged through
the middle to make it 0-12 to 0-7. At
this stage, Burren needed a huge stroke
of fortune. Which they duly received.
DISPUTE
The circumstances of Burrens victory
are open to dispute, but what is not
open to dispute is that this was a very
fine game of gaelic football between
two very fine young teams. The vast
majority of the lads on view can be
very pleased with their individual performances,
but, as ever, some can be more pleased
than others. If this final belonged
to anyone, it belonged to Cathal Murdock.
Cathal was immense at midfield for the
opening twenty minutes. He then turned
the match around when he moved to full
forward for the final quarter, and spent
most of added time defending magnificently
against Rostrevors swarming attacks.
There were other excellent Burren men.
Anton McArdle defended with dash and
flair from full back. Gerard McCartan
was masterful at number six. While Kevin
McKernan and Colm Murney basically cancelled
each other out in the course of a high
quality duel, Sean Murdock was at his
most elusive in the first twenty minutes
while Conail McGovern, Ruairi Murdock
and Eamon Toner worked passionately
throughout.
GOOD SIGNS
When Rostrevor fans get over feeling
hard done by, they can be pleased with
a lot of what they saw from their young
hopefuls. Most immediately, the form
of minors Michael Boyle, Shane Murney,
Sean Magee, Sean Mackin and Dermot Morgan
bodes well for next Sundays Ulster minor
club quarter final against Scotstown
in Casement Park. Paddy Mooney also
had a great hour at wing back, Conor
Magee and Ryan Watt improved markedly
in the second half, and Brian Keenan
and Anthony Donnan were dangerous all
through , with Conor Mackin finally
finding the space to deploy his talents
after half time. On another day , it
all would have been enough. As it is,
they will just have to put it down to
the pain of learning one of the prime
rules of Down club football. Never throw
a Burren team a lifeline. They wil only
fashion it into a garotte.
Burren scorers; Kevin
McKernan [1-2] 1-0 penalty; Cathal Murdock
[1-0]; Conail McGovern [0-2]; Sean Murdock
[0-2]; Ruairi Murdock [0-2] 2 frees;
Kevin McGivern [0-1].
Rostrevor scorers; Anthony Donnan [0-4]
1 free; Conor Mackin [0-3]; Colm Clerkin
[0-2] 2 frees; Brian Keenan [0-2]; Sean
Mackin [0-1]
Burren team; Kevin McFerran; Tony Fegan,
Anton McArdle, Gerard McEntee; John
Kilfedder, Gerard McCartan, Ryan McGovern;
Cathal Murdock, Alan Higgins; Ruairi
Murdock, Kevin McKernan, Eamon Toner;
Conail McGovern, Sean Murdock, Kevin
McGivern.
Subs; Padraig O’Rourke; Karl Maxwell;
Paudie Poland
Rostrevor scorers; Padraig Mulholland;
Shane Murney, Gary Magee, Michael Boyle;
Sean Magee, Colm Murney, Paddy Mooney;
Ryan Watt, Conor Magee; Sean Mackin,
Conor Mackin, Dermot Morgan; Brian Keenan,
Colm Clerkin, Anthony Donnan.
Referee: Martin Rushe [Attical]
Man of the Match: Cathal Murdock [Burren]
