SEAN MACCUMHAILLS overcame Donegal kingpings Burt to win their second Donegal senior hurling championship this afternoon.
Sean MacCumhaills 2-13 Burt 2-9
MacCumhaills were worthy and deserving winners before a big crowd in Letterkenny, dethroning Burt and denying them a sixth title in a row.
Picture caption: The Sean MacCumhaills squad before today’s Donegal SHC final against Burt. Picture by Chris Doherty.
Ronan McDermott pucked home a goal with the game’s final act to narrow the margin to four points, but by then the fat lad’s vocal chords were tuning up.
With the puck-out from Dylan Laverty came the final shrill of James Connors’ whistle and MacCumhaills were champions, six years on from their breakthrough success of 2010.
Goals in either half by David White and Aaron McAuley sealed a memorable win for the Finnsiders with Burt raising green flags through Conor Harkin and McDermott late in each half.
[adrotate group=”38″]MacCumhaills were on top for the most part with Lee Henderson leading the charge. The MacCumhaills captain, Henderson, scored ten points from 12 attempts from placed balls, an almost-flawless afternoon for the midfielder, who took receipt of the Munster Cup.
The opening goal arrived in the 21st minute. Anthony Patton delivered a searching ball into the mixer and White outfoxed the Burt goalkeeper, Paul Burns, before kicking the sliotar home.
Burt gave themselves a lifeline when, in first-half stoppage time, Conor Harkin hammered to the net after Jamesie Donnelly had blocked down a shot from Niall Campbell.
[adrotate group=”46″]Three minutes into the second half, McAuley wonderfully found the bottom corner of Burns’ net after Barry McGranaghan batted down Ciaran Matthewson’s raking delivery to the edge of the square.
Since last winning the title in 2010, MacCumhaills had lost finals to Burt in 2012, 2014 and 2015, but the Eamon McAuley-managed Twin Towners arrived to Letterkenny after a so-far unblemished campaign.
MacCumhaills topped the League phase of the competition with five wins out of five, including a 1-14 to 1-10 away win at Burt in August.
[adrotate group=”37″]A scrappy opening was punctuated by the beautiful free taking of Henderson, the MacCumhaills captain clipping over four frees, one of them from beyond the ’65, as they took control.
MacCumhaills led by 0-5 to 0-1 midway through the first period with Matthewson sailing over a bullet from the stand side as MacCumhaills laid down a marker.
Burt’s only response came via a Mickey McCann free as Matthewson, Paddy Hannigan and Donnelly kept MacCumnhaills firm.
When White goaled, MacCumhaills were seven in front and Tom Hennessy, the Burt boss, summonsed Ciaran Dowds from his bench.
[adrotate group=”81″]The absence of the experienced Dowds from the Burt full-back line raised eyebrows in the selection of the Hibernian Park men. Since breaking onto the Burt team in 1994, Dowds played 21 finals, winning 19.
The ship was rocking and Dowds was called to arms.
Dowds certainly had a steadying effect around the middle and Burt scored 1-4, including Harkin’s goal, before the break, to move to within two points at the changeover.
Tempers boiled as the teams entered the dressing room area, with MacCumhaills ahead 1-7 to 1-5.
Three minutes into the second half, McAuley rammed home his team’s second goal, but Burt weren’t done and they did narrow the gap to a goal at one stage with Campbell (2) and Shane McDaid on the mark.
[adrotate group=”70″]But MacCumhaills smelled glory.
Gerard Gilmore, a Tyrone senior player, and four more by Henderson took them towards their heaven before Martin O’Reilly – the dual player who came on after five minutes of the second half – fed McAuley for the clincher, rendering McDermott’s goal as a footnote in the tale.
Sean MacCumhaills: Dylan Laverty; Anthony Patton, Jamesie Donnelly, Bernard McMenamin; Ciaran Matthewson (0-1), Gavin Browne, Conor Griffin; Paddy Hannigan, Lee Henderson (0-10, 9f, 1 ’65); Barry McGranaghan, Conor Gallagher, Sean Curran; David White (1-0), Gerard Gilmore (0-1), Aaron McAuley (1-1). Subs: Martin O’Reilly for McGranaghan (35).
Burt: Paul Burns; Marty McGrath, Padraig Doherty, Dara Grant; Benny Harrigan, Joe Boyle, Christopher McDermott; Ciaran Finn (0-2), Mickey McCann; Johnny Downey, Ronan McDermott (0-1), Conor Harkin (1-0); Niall Campbell (0-5, 5f), Stephen Gillespie, Enda McDermott. Subs: Ciaran Dowds for Downey (22), Johnny McGrath for Harkin (37), Shane McDaid (0-1) for Grant (53).
Referee: James Connors (St Eunan’s).
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