Ulster MFC semi-final:
Errigal Ciaran [Tyrone] 0-10
Rostrevor [Down] 1-6
Ulster MFC semi-final: Errigal Ciaran [Tyrone] 0-10 Rostrevor
[Down] 1-6
REDS ROBBED!
An unlikely sixty yards point in added
time from Errigal midfielder Bryan Horisk
broke Rostrevor hearts at the end of
this fascinating Ulster minor club semi-final
at Shaws Road on St Stephens Day. And
it was a bitter draught indeed for Reds
fans to swallow on an afternoon which
had seen them lead the hotly-fancied
Tyrone champions for most of the sixty
minutes. In fact, the Down lads, despite
losing centre forward Nicholas Mills
in highly controversial circumstances
early in the second half, still looked
like holding out for a gutsy win as
they led 1-6 to 0-6 with less than five
minutes remaining. But as fatigue finally
began to erode their resistance, they
saw their opponents blast back on terms
with a free from Stephen McRory [55
minutes], a point from play by Peter
Harte [56 minutes] and another free
from Darren Canavan[58 minutes]. A period
of extra time [in which Reds would be
restored to fifteen men again] looked
inevitable as the match went in to added
time. Nothing really threatened when
Bryan Horisk won the ball against a
Damian Magee challenge on the halfway
line, but as the players struggled to
rise with their legs tangled, referee
Jimmy McKee deemed that not only had
the Down lad fouled his opposite number
but he had unfairly prevented him from
getting on with his free, and the consequent
ten yard penalty brought the kicker
up to a more feasible sixty yards from
the Rostrevor posts, from where he launched
over that towering winning kick.
“TYRONE TUMBLE”
Even more controversy, however, had
attached to the 40th minute decision
which saw Rostrevor reduced to fourteen
men for the final twenty minutes,when
an Errigal defender appeared to take
a “Tyrone Tumble” in the
course of a snarling confrontation with
Reds number eleven Nicholas Mills. Physical
contact between the two seemed nil to
minimal but down went the Errigal lad
anyway, and to the extreme disgust of
the Rostrevor team and management, out
came the red card! As often happens,
however, Reds flourished in adversity,
though briefly, and after a couple of
good scoring chances had been passed
up, the tireless Micheal Mackin pounced
on an Errigal error to blast the ball
to the net from eight yards range and
give Rostrevor a very defensible 1-6
to 0-5 lead early in the final quarter.
But as the extra pair of legs began
to tell in the final minutes, the next
five scores fell to the Tyrone boys,
four of them, heartbeakingly, in the
final five minutes!
FIRST
That point in added time gave Errigal
the lead for the first and only time
in the game. Rostrevor had started brightly,
going two points clear in the opening
five minutes. Their first came after
the tenacious Micheal Mackin had cheekily
stolen the ball back off an emerging
Tyrone defender to give Richie reynolds
the half chance which is all he needs.
The second came from the cultured left
boot of Sean mackin. But Errigal, formidably
equipped at midfield and half back were
level by the end of the quarter, both
scores from frees by Darren canavan.
Rostrevor had had to start without the
three goal hero of their quarter final
win over Scotstown, Dermot Morgan, but
his direct replacement, Gareth Clarke
had been posing problems to the Errigal
full back and battled his way through
to restore Reds lead in the 17th minute.
When he limped off minutes later, Reds
were forced to give the less-than-fully-fit
Dermot Morgan his head. Their attacking
flow continued unimpaired. First Richie
Reynolds tore through the middle to
force the free which Sean mackin converted
and then Dermot Morgan and Richie reynolds
combined to place Sean mackin for a
delightfully impudent point. Rostrevor
led 0-5 to 0-2 after 30 minutes, but
the ninety seconds added time proved
critical, with first Niall McCartan
pointing from play and then Darren Canavan
adding a free to leave the Tyrone champions
only a point in arrears at the interval
and looking forward to breeze benefit
in the second half
CREDIT
To Rostrevors credit they did not accept
the inevitability at all. And though
peter Harte hit the crossbar at one
end, Dermot Morgan replied with a shot
which came back off the post, before
Sean mackins free pushed Reds 0-6 to
0-4 up by the 37th minuteAnd when Horisk
blasted a penalty wide soon afterwards,
Reds resolve doubled, despite a Darren
Carson point for Errigal. They did not
even buckle after the sickening blow
of Nicholas Mills dismissal, but eventually
the unremitting pressure from the full
strength Tyrone men was rewarded in
the dying minutes.
EXCEPTIONAL
Rostrevor were beaten in heartbreaking
circumstances, but they were beaten
by a very good team indeed. Errigal
were quite remarkably equipped at midfield,
where Kelly and Horisk both towered
around 6 foot 3 or 6 foot 4 tall. Both
were fast, athletic and comfortable
on the ball. Behind them Ronan Tierney
and cathal McCrory were splendid half
backs, and with four of the six forwards
scoring, the threat was well spread
in attack. Rostrevor, however, defended
magnificently. There was not a weak
link in their set-up, and if Shane Murney,
Brendan O’Hare, Eddie O’Hare
and Sean magee deserve special mention
that does not take away from the others,
nor should it obscure the trojan work
done by the Magee twins against the
odds. The pity was that a bout of food
poisoning over the holidays had deprived
Dermot Morgan of the effervescence he
had shown against Scotstown. For when
Reds did manage to get good ball up
the pitch, the likes of Sean Mackin,
Richie Reynolds and especially Micheal
Mackin were all capable of posing real
problems. I overheard an Errigal fan
remarking on the way out that it doesn’t
matter how you win as long as you win.
Perhaps so. But it does matter how you
lose. And Rostrevor, and Down ,can be
very proud of the character and class
shown by their representatives on St
Stephens Day.
Errigal scorers; Darren Canavan [[0-4]
4 frees; Niall McCartan [0-2]; Peter
Harte [0-1]; Darren Carson [0-1];,Stephen
McRory [0-1] 1 free; Bryan Holmes [0-1]
1 free.
Rostrevor scorers; Sean Mackin [0-4]
2 frees; Micheal Mackin [1-0]; Richard
Reynolds [0-1]; Gareth Clarke [0-1]
Errigal Ciaran team; Niall Quinn; Patrick
McCann, Stephen Cassidy, Ciaran Quinn;
Ronan Tierney, Cathal McCrory, Stephen
McRory; Stephen Kelly, Bryan Holmes;
Niall McCartan, Peter Harte, Peter Campbell;
Ryan Quinn, Darren Canaavan, Darren
Carson
Rostrevor team; Brendan O’Hare;
Kieran Mooney, Shane Murney, Ryan McCartan;
Eddie O’Hare, Michael O’Boyle,
Sean Magee; Declan Magee, Damian Magee;
Micheal Mackin, Nicholas Mills, Christopher
Magee; Richard Reynolds, Gareth Clarke,
Sean Mackin.
Subs used; Dermot Morgan, Kevin O’Kane
Referee; Jimmy McKee [Armagh]
