Ulster Minor Championship SF - Kickhams Vs Scotstown
Monday, December 29, 2008
Ulster Minor Championship Semi Final
21 December 2008
Kickhams Creggan 0-06
Scotstown 1-08
This semi-final was the proverbial game of two halves. Scotstown didn't score in the first half and Creggan didn't raise a flag in the second period as the straight-down-the-pitch win at St. Pauls had a big say in the action.
Creggan had thewind at their backs for the opening 30 miniutes and will surely bemoan the fact that that, when well on top, they shot nine wides as they fired at the posts from long range on many occasions.
It took Scotstown 23 minutes before they got a shot on goal, a penalty kick in fact, when their corner forward was adjudged to have been fouled, but the full forward trundled the ball wide from a poorly struck kick.
Creggan used their height advantage to good effect, with Seamus Allen and Hugh McNulty fielding well as the Antrim champions drove forward constantly.
Captain Odhran McLarnon opened up the scoring from a free kick in the fifth minute and, shortly afterwards, added another from play. McNulty fisted the ball over the scotstown bar in the ninth minute.
On seventeen minutes, Cathal Small lofted over a free from the right and, over the next three minutes, Odhran, from a free and play added two more points. However that was the end of the scoring until the break as the Monaghan champions came more into the action but failed to raise a flag.
Two minutes into the second half, Scotstown were awarded their second penalty of the game, in what can only be described as an extremely soft claim. This time though, it was their full back that made no mistake and drove to the net to open the scoring for his side. The full back, who had a superb game, moved to mid field area and gave the winners a pull in that sector. His probing, wind assisted lobs kept the Creggan defence busy as his forwards responded to the promptings.
Scotstown pointed a placed ball, and in the 48th minute two more points were sent over the Creggan bar to level the argument at 1-03 to 0-06. A minute later, the fullback cum midfielder came to the frore and pointed a long distance free for the Scotstown lead.
From there to the end, despite some good attacking from Creggan, it was Scotstown who added to their tally with four unanswered points.
Not a game for the purists but still very much exciting, as the winners finished with 13 wides and the losers had 11.
So the 2008 Minor season came to a close on December 21st for our lads. It has been a long season but very much a rewarding one with many more highs than lows. Of all the competitive matches they played only two ended in defeat, a league game by a point to Cargin and this match against Scotstown, which isn't a bad record. Along the way they picked up the minor league, Laverty Cup and Antrim County Championship and reached the semi-final of the Ulster Championship.
Well done to the minor squad, their mentors and the great support they received all year. The most pleasing fact is that only 5 of the squad will not be involved next year so it augers well for the 2009 season ahead!
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