Late Cathal McGettigan penalty gives Milford opening day win in Burt

Cathal McGettigan’s late penalty was Milford’s get out of jail card against Burt at Hibernian Park in Division 2.

Burt 0-7 Milford 1-5

McGettigan coolly slotted past Kieran Bradley from the penalty spot two minutes from the end of normal time. The goal propelled Milford into the lead for the first time in a low scoring but yet entertaining encounter.

Burt led 0-7 to 0-5 at the time and all of a sudden they found themselves chasing a game they looked 20 minutes earlier to have wrapped up.

Burt led 0-5 to 0-3 at half-time having raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead after 20 minutes. Burt were really buzzing playing a fast flowing brand of football that really had a new look Milford under new manager James McGinley at sixes and sevens in the early exchanges.

Powered by Denvir Kelly and Keith McColgan in the middle of the field, Stephen O’Donnell at centre half back and the McHugh brothers, Oisin Kelly and John Fitzpatrick carving openings up front they had Milford on the back foot.

And they should have been more than five up before Kane Barrett finally got Milford off the mark with a good point off his left.
Scores were few and far between in the second half with Barrett and John Fitzpatrick posting two scores each.

Barrett made it a one point game within four minutes of the restart and landed his 20 minutes later. In between Fitzparick on 46 minutes and 21 scored two monster points from way out on the left hand side. The first was Burt’s first in 32 minutes of play as they squandered up a host of good scoring chances and coughed up possession and were turned over a number of times by a combination of over elaboration and a tight marking Milford rearguard.

Milford did up their intensity level in the second period and thanks to the industry of Ronan Docherty and Caolan Bolton, Dylan Dorrian, Sean Black and Kane Barrett, they hung in and when the opportunity arose Cathal McGettigan duly obliged.

Burt scorers: Sean McHugh 0-3,1f; John Fitzpatrick 0-2; Kieran Brady, Michael McHugh 0-1 each.
Milford scorers: Kane Barrett 0-5, 3f; Cathal McGettigan 1-0, penalty.

Burt: Kieran Brady; Darren Bradley, Tom Doherty, Martin Donaghy; Seamus O’Donnell, Stephen O’Donnell, Dara Grant; Denvir Kelly, Keith McColgan; Michael McHugh, Danny Gallagher, Sean McHugh; Shyne Gallagher, Oisin Kelly, John Fitzpatrick.
Subs: Callum Porter for S Gallagher (46), John O’Brien for M McHugh (59).

Milford: Eoin McGettigan; Anthony Curran, Matthew Stewart, Kieran Sheridan; Shaun Coffey, Dylan Dorrian, Gavin Grier; Ronan Doherty, Caolan Bolton; Patrick Ferry, Tony McNamee, Ciaran Riney; Sean Black, Kane Barrett, Darragh Black.
Subs: Cathal McGettigan for G Riney (38); James Doyle for G Grier (46).