16 May 2011
ANTRIM minors turned in a fine display to beat Donegal in Ballybofey in Sunday preliminary round of the Ulster Minor Football Championship to set up a quarter-final meeting with Cavan in two weeks time.
An excellent display from centre-half forward Ryan Murray, gave the young Saffrons the edge for much of the game.
Murray blazed an early penalty over the bar, after Portglenone’s Dermot McAleese was fouled in the large square, but it never affected his confidence and soon afterwards he set up Kevin Quinn for the opening goal on 12 as Antrim raced to a 1-6 to 0-5 interval lead.
Donegal relied on the threat of their full-forward Patrick McBrearty, who later came on as a substitute for the seniors, but the Antrim defence marshalled the young superstar well. The home team did close to within a goal midway through the second-half and Antrim appeared to be in danger of letting the game slip.
However they responded well and Quinn grabbed his second goal ten minutes from time to seal an excellent win.
ANTRIM: T Hughes; P McBride, C Hamill, L Peden; M McGarry, C McIlvenny, F O’Neill; B Leonard, M Cummings; M Jordan (0-1), R Murray (0-5, pen, two frees), M Hynds (0-1); K Quinn (2-1, one free), R Lynch, D McAleese. Subs; P McReynolds for McAleese (37 mins), D McCann (0-1) for McBride (45 mins); J Scullion for F ONeill (52 mins), S O’Neill for Quinn (59 mins).
DONEGAL: L McBrearty; A Blair, C Cannon, C Parke; O Redmond, C Patton, A Coyne; D White, R McNamee (0-1); J OMalley (0-2, one free), M O’Reilly (0-1), R McHugh; D Brogan, P McBrearty (1-3, two frees), L Carr. Subs:, D Mulgrew for Coyne (28 mins), A Brown for White (half-time), D Spratt for Carr (56 mins), R Dunleavy for McHugh (60 ).
Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh).
Antrim will now meet Cavan in the provincial quarter-final on Sunday, May 29th at 7pm
View Gallery
