Liam McKinney brilliance helps Burt defeat Con Magee's and reach Ulster JHC final

Burt have reached the final of the Ulster Junior Hurling Championship with a six point win over Antrim Champions, Con Magee’s in Celtic Park on Sunday.

The Hibernian Park men were clear favourites going into the semi-final against the Glenravel side, having hung Down champions Castlewellan out to dry the previous week at a mid-Down venue, while the Antrim champions coughed and spluttered their way to an extra time victory over Truagh Gaels in Cushendall.

It was little surprise then that Burt registered the first five scores in Celtic Park and were dominating the semi-final. 

However, nine first half wides meant that they only led by five at the break. Then Glenravel lifted them off the floor and reeled in the lead. They even edged ahead at 1-9 to 0-11 with 49 minutes gone.

Burt now needed to lift themselves. As he has done so often in the past, Liam Óg McKinney was the player they turned to hit the escape button, and the corner-forward obliged.

He fired home a 53rd minute goal from a tight angle and then pointed a free right on the side-line to give the Donegal side breathing space that was badly needed when Aidan McKinney picked up a straight red card for a high tackle in the next minute.

Those scores broke the Antrim champions, and Burt were able to finish the game with three unanswered scores, one from Ronan McDermott and then two from McKinney that brought his game tally to 1-11.

Burt had dominated the opening half and, despite nine wides, led by 0-10 to 1-2 at the break. McKinney opened and finished the scoring while also running up a total of seven points. The first two of those were from placed balls.

He then added one from play, and Dara Grant and Eoin McDaid also landed long-range points before the 11th minute. Con Magee’s were struggling at this point and badly needed a score to lift their heads. Cormac McKeown provided it in the 15th minute.

But Conor Gartland and McKinney tagged on two more Burt points, although the Donegal side were also accumulating wides.

The game turned on its head in the 21st minute when the Antrim champions worked the sliotar up the stand side and Declan Traynor broke free for a goal. 

From then to the half-time whistle, they were hooking and blocking in every area of the pitch and forcing mistakes from their opponents.

Burt responded by scoring the next three points through McKinney, and there were some more wides as well before Cormac McKeown finished the first half scoring with his second point.

The third quarter saw Glenravel close the gap significantly, while their goalkeeper performed heroics at the other end with three superb saves, two to deny McKinney and one from Kyron McColgan.

Conleth O’Loan gave Glenravel a boost with a point in the first minute from the halfway line. McKeown then added two more before setting Callum Higgins up for a point in the 40th minute. Two minutes later Sean McKay fired over and it was level at 1-7 to 0-10.

McKinney responded with a free for Burt’s first score of the second half, but Glenravel continued to press and McKeown fired over an inspirational score from under the stand and a minute later O’Loan grabbed the lead point.

Nothing seemed to be going well for Burt until McKinney eventually broke the siege with a goal from an acute angle and then an inspirational free from right under the stand.

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Aidan McKinney’s high tackle in the next play earned him a straight red card. But Glenravel couldn’t take advantage, and Burt got over the line to meet Lavey in next Saturday’s final, again in Celtic Park.

The Derry champions had beaten Armagh Cúchulainn’s 0-21 to 2-6 in the first semi-final 24 hours earlier.

Burt scorers: Liam McKinney 1-11,0-5f; Eoin McDaid, Ronan McDermott, Dara Grant and Conor Gartland 0-1 each.

Con Magee’s scorers: Cormac McKeown 0-5; Declan Traynor 1-0; Conleth O’Loan 0-2,1f; Sean McKay and Callum Higgins 0-1 each.

Burt: Paul Burns; James Donaghey, Ciaran Bradley, Kevin Curran; Oisin Kelly, Dara Grant, Aiden McKinney; Stephen Gillespie, Kyron McColgan; Eoin McDaid, Ciaran Porter, Conor Gartland; Christopher McDermott, Ronan McDermott, Liam Óg McKinney.

Subs: F Gill for E McDaid (17), C Purves for J Donaghy (41), K Brady for K McColgan (41), K McColgan for C Porter (56), Callum Porter for S Gillespie (60 +2)

Con Magee's: C Quinn; E McCusker, J Duffin, B O'Neill; M McDonnell, C Lennon, R Lennon; D McAuley, F Donaghy; L Loughlin, S McKay 0-1, C Higgins 0-1; C O’Loan 0-2 (1f), D Traynor 1-0, C McKeown 0-5

Subs: H Fyfe for E McCusker (41), C Duffin D Traynor (53)