Burt overcome Setanta to win U-21A Hurling Championship

Burt won their first ever Donegal U-21A Hurling Championship on their home turf at Hibernian Park.

Burt 2-11
Setanta 2-6

Three players saw red as, firstly, Ruairi McLaughlin of Setanta and Ciaran Curran of Burt were lined for alleged striking after a melee in the 42nd minute.

It got worse for Setanta side as they finished with 13 men after Caolan McClintock was sent off by referee Aidan McAleer four minutes later for an off the ball incident.

Despite the sending-offs this was a relatively rancour free full-blooded affair in Baltic conditions in Burt. The game was switched this morning after O’Donnell Park was declared unplayable and Setanta sportingly agreed to play the game in Burt.
Donegal county senior star Liam Óg McKinney was given a free role and was the man of the match hitting 0-10 of his team’s total.

Paddy Curran was also a pretty big factor in this victory as his two kicked goals in the second half gave Paul Burns’ men some breathing space after Ryan Coyle’s goal gave Setanta some home just before half-time.

Burt had the breeze and eased into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead by the 15th minute with 0-4 coming from the unstoppable McKinney and Conor Gartland providing the remaining score.

The same player was unlucky to see his screaming shot come off the Setanta crossbar after a searing run in the 13th minute.
Oisin Marley eventually got his side off the mark from a free after his side had hit three early wides as they struggled to win their own puck outs.

McKinney increased the margin from a free before a half-hit shot from Setanta’s Ryan Coyle was fumbled by Burt keeper and the ball slid into the net.

And there was only a point between the sides when Ruairi Campbell pointed a free for the Finn Valley men as Burt led by 0-6 to 1-2 despite dominating the opening 25 minutes. But the inevitable McKinney gave Burt some breathing space with points from a free and from play to leave them leading by 0-8 to 1-2 at the break.

The second half was only 20 seconds in when a high Burt ball into the Setanta broke and Curran showed all his soccer skills by booting the ball to the net. This was the crucial score as it put Burt into a clear 1-8 to 1-2 lead.

They could have had another goal in the fifth minute when Jack Gallagher was through on goal after a strong run-but took too much out of the ball and the danger was averted.

That miss was compounded when Setanta swept up the field and Coyle struck low and hard to the net to leave Burt leading by just a goal on a score of 1-8 to 2-2 .

But Setanta were just not able to build on this boost as McKinney and then another booted goal from Curran had Burt in a pretty emphatic lead of 2-9 to 2-2. Then we had two minutes of silliness resulting in two players seeing red with a number of individuals from both sides foolishly getting involved.

A third sending off came five minutes later and with it any chance that Setanta had of pulling off a victory.
Their 13 men fought hard but were just not able to break down a physically superior Burt side who held out for the win and sent out a clear signal that they are well and truly back.

Burt scorers: Liam Óg McKinney 0-10, 5f; Paddy Curran 2-0: Conor Gartland 0-1.
Setanta scorers: Ryan Coyle 2-0: Oisin Marley 0-2f; Ruairi Campbell 0-21f; Dean Harvey and Jason McDaid 0-1.

Burt: Darius McColgan; Ciaran Kelly, James Donaghy, Pauric Curran; Callum Pervis, Oisin Kelly, Kevin Curran; Ciaran Curran, Conor Gartland: Peter Campbell, Jack Gallagher, Paddy Curran; Liam Óg McKinney, Jack Lavery, Ciaran Porter. Subs; Leo Doherty for Peter Campbell (43), Odhran Devlin for Paddy Curran (52).
Setanta: Liam Carlin; Oisin O’Neill, Ruairi McLaughlin, Tiernan Farren; Pauric Moss, Steven McBride, Tommy Lee Scully; Dean Harvey, Ryan Callaghan; Jason McDaid, Oisin Marley, Ruairi Campbell; Caolan McClintock, Ryan Coyle, Tiernan Kelly. Subs; Ronan McLaughlin for Tommy Lee Scully (h-time), Dara McMenamin for Ryan Coyle (49).
Referee: Aidan McAleer (Naomh Padraig).