Liam Óg McKinney lauds Burt brilliance as another U-21 hurling title is landed
The Burt marksman hit 0-8 of his side's winning tally on Friday night as the Inishowen team held onto their U-21 hurling title with a 1-13 to 0-13 victory over St Eunan's.
These are indeed happy days for Burt’s super striker Liam Óg McKinney.
Not only has he helped Burt win another Donegal U-21 county title, he’s also made the NUG Fitzgibbon panel.
Speaking after his side’s 1-13 to 0-13 win over a battling St Eunan’s side in Convoy on Friday night, McKinney said was very special for the Inishowen outfit to claim a second title on the trot.
“It was a very tough game,” said McKinney, who landed eight points over the hour. “We had the win in the first half and made use ot that. We went in 11 points up at the break and we managed to hold on in the second half.
“Eunan’s really came at us and it was a savage battle but I thought we put them under pressure all the time.”
And he saluted Eunan’s marksman Peter Kelly who himself scored seven points for the black and amber.
“Peter really drove them on in the second half and hit some fine scores from frees.
“It was a real dogfight around the middle.
“And of course Conor Gartland’s goal was a huge score for us. It came down to three points and that goal at the start of the game was the real difference between the sides.
“We won this title last year and a lot of our boys are underage again next year.
“Conor Gartand and I are also underage again next year.
“We have a good chance of three in a row but we will think about that next year.”
For now, McKinney is turning his thoughts to the county senior hurlers as they bid to retain the Conor McGurk Cup in the new year.
“That’s the focus now and we play the winners of Armagh and Derry early next month which is a tough enough opener.”