By Charlie Collins
Setanta 1-16 v 2-11 Eire Og Carrickmore
Gerry Gilmore scored eleven points and Sean Ward hit the vital goal as the Donegal champions Setanta beat Tyrone champions Eire Og from Carrickmore in a hugely exciting final to follow up their victory in the Ulster Junion championship last year.
After a half-hour delay due to fog this Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship Final finally got underway half a hour later than scheduled and still in very murky conditions at Owenbeg in Dungiven. Con Sweeney gave Eire Og an early lead but three frees and a 65 from Gerard Gilmore had Setanta three ahead in the 10th minute. Justin Kelly from play and Dermot Begley’s free left a point between them but Gilmore’s fifth point left two in it again, 0-05 to 0-03.
Two Dermot Begley frees levelled the game but then Setanta hit a purple patch with six points in a row. A brilliant score from Danny Cullen set it off followed by Josh Cronolly, Gilmore’s free, Oisin Marley and two more frees from Gerry Gilmore to bring his total by seven points and Setanta ahead at half-time by 0-11 to 0-05 and in a strong position as the conditions also improved to allow everyone a better view of the action.
Sub Aidan Kelly opened the second half scoring for Eire Og, but almost immediately they had Ruairi Slane sent off for an off the ball incident. However that seemed to lift them as Setanta struggled to get going. Kelly scored again, then Sean Og Grogan pointed and Dean Rafferty’s penalty left them level and the 14 men with the wind in their sails.
Declan Coulter and Aiden Kelly exchanged points, 0-12 to 1-09 with fifteen minutes left. Gerry Gilmore and Oisín Marley added two quick Setanta points but Kelly replied again and after Gerry Gilmore’s excellent tenth point, Kelly replied again to leave one in it again 0-15 to 1-11 with five minutes left.
Then the score that Setanta needed , Coulter’s pass found Ruairi Campbell, he was surrounded by several defenders and somehow still got his pass away to Sean Ward who hammered it into the net, Gerry Gilmore converted his 11th point and Setanta lead by 1-16 to 1-11 as we headed for injury-time.
Aiden Kelly’s goal six minutes in gave Eire Og hope but Setanta held on for a famous victory by 1-16 to 2-11 to claim the Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship.
Setanta: Kevin Campbell, Conor McGettigan, Steven McBride, Mark Callaghan, Conor Coyle, Bernard Lafferty, Niall Cleary, Declan Coulter(0-01), Dean Harvey, Sean Ward (1-00), Danny Cullen (0-01) , Oisin Marley (0-02), Josh McGee Cronolly (0-01), Gerard Gilmore (0-11), Ruairi Campbell. Subs: Michael Donaghue for Gallen (37mins), Colm Melaugh for Harvey (50mins), Ryan Coyle for Cleary (58mins).
Carrickmore: Conor McElhatton, Michael Kelly, Oran McKee, Dean Rafferty(1-00), Anthony Crossan, Dermot Begley (0-03), Seamus Sweeney, Bryan McGurk, Ruairi Slane, Conor Grogan, Justin Kelly (0-0 1) , Con Sweeney (0-01), Cormac Munroe, Sean Og Grogan (0-01), Oisin Daly. Subs: Aiden Kelly (1-05), for Seamus Sweeney (25mins), Enda Grimes for Crossan (58mins).
Referee: Colm McDonald (Antrim).
