Setanta strike late to see off
Eoghan Ruadh to make Ulster JHC semi-final

Setanta just edged out 14-man Eoghan Ruadh in a cracking Ulster JHC quarter-final in O'Donnell Park.

Setanta 1-16
Eoghan Ruadh 2-11

It looked like the ferociously contested affair could go to extra-time as the sides were level on a score of 1-14 to 2-10 four minutes from time. But it was Setanta who got the vital clinching from Josh Cronnolly McGee and Davin Flynn.

Both teams found the net in a cracking second half after Eoghan Ruadh dominated the opening half against a rusty looking home side who were having their first competitive outing in 14 weeks. The Tyrone men were well worth their half time lead of 1-6 to 0-6-but they will certainly rue 13 wides to Setanta's 10.

And they were struck a heavy blow in the 33rd minute when centre forward Stephen Donnelly was lined for a second yellow card offence. They battled well but Setanta were able to find the crucial gaps to get the crucial scores in his absence.

A physically powerful Eoghan Ruadh set the tempo from the start and were swiftly off the mark with two well struck frees from the lively Branan Molloy and Rory Weir. They were first to every ball, gobbled up the breaks and were winning all the 50/50 battles all over the field.

The Tyrone men were four up after just ten minutes with further points from Mark McCann and a Cain Ferguson free. Conor McGettigan finally got Setanta off the mark in the 11th minute and Oisin Marley added a second in the 15th minute.

But there was a big turning point in this affair when the Tyrone champions struck for a killer goal. It all began in the 17th minute when Josh Cronnolly/McGee speared through the Eoghan Ruadh defence and found Davin Flynn.

But the corner forward's screamer rattled the side netting. Immediately from the puck out Eoghan Ruadh's Cain Ferguson carved open a porous looking Setanta defence.

He found an unmarked Mark McCann on the edge of the square and he had the simplest of tap-ins. This was a heavy blow to Setanta as the visitors were now 1-5 to 0-2 up. But the Finn Valley men rallied in the run up to the break and hit four fine points from Oisin Marley, a super effort from Gerry Gilmore and Ruairi Campbell to leave Eoghan Ruadh ahead by 1-6 to 0-6 at the break.

Glenswilly impress at Cloughaneely to record second U-21B championship win

Glenswilly were winners in Falcarragh against Cloughaneely as they laid down their marker against the wind and saw it out comfortably in the second half

Setanta had the breeze on the resumption as a heavy shower fell during the interval. Dungannon then lost Donnelly to a second yellow card, and we had two goals in three minutes as the tempo quickened. Setanta had a bit of luck in the 37th minute when a high ball from Oisin Marley was fumbled by Dungannon keeper John Devlin and Davin Flynn pounced to sweep the ball over the line.

A fine point from sub Sean Ward put Setanta into a 1-8 to 1-6 lead. But Dungannon replied swiftly through a cracking goal from Branan Moloy to put Dunagnnon back in front by a point.

It was short lived as Marley, Coulter and Laffferty swept over points with Tiernan Morgan, Josh Ferguson, Cain Ferguson and Molloy struck back for Dungannon in a frenetic finish. But Setanta held their nerve with Cronnolly McGee and Davin Flynn getting the clinching scores.

Setanta scorers: Declan Coulter 0-5, 4f; Davin Flynn 1-1; Bernard Lafferty 0-3; Oisin Marley 0-2; Conor McGettigan, Ruairi Campbell, Gerry Gilmore, Sean Ward and Josh Cronnolly McGee 0-1 each.
Eoghan Ruadh scorers: Branan Molloy 1-2, Mark McCann 1-0; Cain Ferguson 0-4,3f;  Rory Weir, Sean Paul McKiernan, Lorcan Devlin, Tiernan Morgan and Josh Ferguson 0-1 each

Setanta: Mark Kane; Mark Callaghan, Steven McBride, Denim Rowan; Bernard Lafferty, Michael Donaghue, Danny Cullen; Declan Coulter, Conor McGettigan; Gerard Gilmore, Oisin Marley, Ruairi Campbell; Niall Cleary, Josh Cronnolly McGee, Davin Flynn. Subs: Sean Ward for Michael Donaghue (36), Dean Harvey for Conor McGettigan (42)
Eoghan Ruadh: John Devlin; Conor McNally, Fionn Devlin, Ruairi Devlin (35); Lorcan Devlin; James McCann, Padraig McHugh; Mark McCann, Sean Paul McKiernan; Josh Ferguson, Stephen Donnelly, Piaras McErlean, Branan Molloy; Rory Weir, Cain Ferguson. Subs: Tiernan Morgan for Piaras McErlean (h-time), Matthew Mulgrew for Mark McCann (43)
Referee: Ciaran McCluskey (Antrim)