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Down U21's qualify for Ulster final -
08/07/2002
Down.......1-9
Derry.......0-7
An eighth minute goal from senior star Paul Braniff sent Down on their way to a deserved victory over Derry in the Ulster under 21 hurling semi-final at Ballycran on Saturday 6th July.
Down were the stronger team overall and would have won by a greater margin had the attack made better use of the supply they received. Stephen Johnston opened their account in the first minute before Braniff added a goal and a point.
Dominic McGill got Derry off the mark from a free midway through the half but further scores from Owen Clarke and Brendan McGourty gave Down a 1-5 to 0-3 lead at the interval.
Three Braniff points after the restart increased Down’s advantage. Dominic McGill led a Derry revival in the closing quarter but the Mournemen held out.
The Ulster Under-21 Hurling Championship final between last years winners Antrim and Down will take place in Casement Park, Belfast this Sunday at 3.30 p.m.
The Mourne county will eneter the match as underdogs due to far from impressive display in defeating Derry. For this final, Down under manager Jimmy O'Reilly will field a young and inexperienced side. However, Manager O'Reilly has great belief in this squad of young players and believes they will form the basis of a Down assault on the Ulster SHC in the future.
The Down side is built around players of the calibre of Paul Braniff, Gabriel Clarke, Gareth Johnson and James Henry Hughes, with Paul Braniff the key player in the attack - he scored 1-5 of his sides 1-9 to 0-7 win over Derry. Antrim are a very strong combination who have been training together for several months. Indeed a number of them have been involved with te senior squad under Dinny Cahill and are determined to continue the counties winning run in hurling championship final this season at all grades.
They will be hot favourites to retain the title on Sunday. However, Down will relish the tag of underdogs and if they settle down early and get a few scores on the board they will make the champions fight all the way for the honours.
It will overall, be a learning process for what is a young and still to mature Down side and we won't see the best of them until a few years at least.
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