Eoghan Ruadh challenge falters in the third quarter

Lavey 3-16  Eoghan Ruadh 0-12

Eoghan Ruadh Dungannon’s hopes of a first Ulster Minor hurling title came to an end on Friday when Derry champions Lavey pulled away in the third quarter.

Two Patrick Birt goals cemented the Lavey dominance to end any chance of a brave Eoghan Ruadh side making a comeback.

The Tyrone champions had two games under their belt, going into Friday’s semi-final as shield champions for the club’s fourth time.

Their star man Sheehan Fay wore number six but lined out at centre forward. He typified the sharpness they brought to the opening half. In the reshuffle, Corey Bell went to centre back.

The sides were level four times across the first half and when Lavey pushed three ahead within seconds of the restart, two Cormac McErlean points left the bare minimum between the teams.

It was reflective of the first 35 minutes of the contest. Point for point with goal chances at either end. Lavey then broke the game with four unanswered points in a six-minute spell to pull 1-12 to 0-10 ahead.

It was a turnaround built on their control of the Dungannon puck-out. Without engineering any further goal chances, the Red Hand side were always going to struggle to pull themselves back into the game.

An Odhran Mullin point left just four points between the teams with 10 minutes to play before Lavey delivered the hammer blow with the first of two Patrick Birt goals putting them 2-12 to 0-11 ahead and on the way to victory.

It was point for point in the opening quarter with Cormac McErlean on target and he made a neat score for Sheehan Fay.

At the other ended they needed a Matthew Price save to tip away a Patrick Birt effort at the end of a slick Lavey move on the right wing.

When Fay picked Ronan Birt’s pocket with a tackle, Fay’s run goalwards opened up a goal chance but he was denied by a Mulholland save with McErlean stroking the ’65 between the posts to level matters at 0-4 each. McErlean added a free to put Dungannon ahead for the second and final time.

In the next play, James Sargent and Ryan McGarvey combined well to create another Lavey goal chance with Price making another save before Lorcan McDonnell poked the rebound to the net.

Lavey went four points ahead before Fay and McErlean replied with points to bring the Dungannon men back into contention. Lavey were 1-7 to 0-8 ahead at half time before they took control of the third quarter, winning a litany of Dungannon puck outs to take control.

James Sargent had landed a ’65 before the break and when he won the throw-in after half-time, Connor Melaugh had the ball over the bar with just seven seconds on the clock.

Fay went on another run where he was fouled and McErlean tapped over the free. There was action in the Lavey goalmouth with the ball dropped and McErlean converted his second 65 of the day.

At 1-8 to 0-10, the game was back in the balance again until Lavey’s control of the middle third changed the game Rian Collins (2), Tiarnan Melaugh and Ronan Birt notched the important scores as Lavey turned the screw.

Back came Dungannon with two points and they had a glimmer of hope, but it didn’t last long. With 10 minutes to go, a James Sargent ball into the goalmouth put Lavey on the front foot. When Eoghan Ruadh weren’t able to clear their lines, Patrick Birt finished to the net.

Dungannon did have a breakaway chance of goal. McErlean was the focal point but when he scooped the ball to Braonan Girvan, Lavey’s defence converged on him. There was enough pressure to close the door on a Dungannon goal. As the sliotar flashed over, their chances of a comeback went with it.

A high ball from James Sargent led to Lavey’s final goal. Substitute Dara O’Kane was also incolved before Patrick Birt lashed an unstoppable shot to the net.

Scorers

Lavey: Rian Collins 0-8 (6f), Patrick Birt 2-0, Lorcan McDonnell 1-0, Donnacha Collins, Connor Melaugh 0-2 each, James Sargent (65), Cathal Mulholland, Tiarnan Melaugh and Ronan Birt 0-1 each

Eoghan Ruadh: Cormac McErlean 0-7 (4f, 2 65), Sheehan Fay 0-3, Odhran Mullin and Braonan Girvan 0-1 each

Teams

Lavey: Oisin Mulholland; Rory Scullion, Tiarnan Melaugh, Eoin O’Donnell; Cathal Mulholland, Ryan McGarvey, Ronan Birt; James Sargent, Connor Melaugh; Patrick Birt, Rian Collins, Charlie Mulholland; Ruairi Melaugh, Jack Convery, Lorcan McDonnell. Subs: Donnacha Collins for R Melaugh (45), Conor Sargent for Scullion (47), Dara O’Kane for Mulholland (53), Eoin Young for R Birt (55), Thomas Canavan for McDonnell (60)

Eoghan Ruadh: Matthew Price, Jude Rafferty, Ronan O’Sullivan, Christopher Gildernew; Odhran Mullin, Corey Bell, Fiachra McGrath; Leo Hughes, Pierce Mullin; Ryan McBride, Sheehan Fay, Caolan Quinn; Braonan Girvan, Cormac McErlean. Sean Óg O’Donnell. Subs: Daithi Colton for McBride (55), Dualta O’Faolain for Rafferty (55), Dara Devlin for Girvan (55), Pauric Colton for O’Donnell (55), Ellis Bradley for McErlean (60), Conor Donaghy for Gildernew (60)

Referee: Ciaran McCloskey (Antrim)