Dungiven show their class as Derry champions dethrone Ulster rivals Four Masters

Dungiven 4-09 ... Four Masters 2-11

Four Masters’ reign as Ulster minor football champions has come to an end after they were edged out in a thrilling contest by Dungiven at St Paul’s on Sunday.

The Derry champions turned round at the break leading by 10-points and at one stage Four Masters did cut the gap to the bare minimum. But they couldn’t find the score to edge them in front and it’s the St Canice’s who can look forward to a semi-final meeting with Armagh’s Dromintee on St Stephen’s Day.

Key to Dungiven’s victory was the performance of their midfield diamond. Ryan McGilligan, Daithi McCloskey, Kevin Barry Mullan and Padraig Haran all won more than their fair share of ball in the middle third while Mullan also contributed to 2-04 of his sides total.

Tomás and Turlough Carr carried the main threat for Four Masters, but after controlling much of the first half, their influence weaned in the second. Forward Conor Gallagher McCahill influence was nullified by a superb man-marking job by Emmett Óg McKeever. Star forward Gallagher McCahill was restricted to just a solitary point over the hour.

Dungiven led 2-8 to 0-4 at the break thanks to goals from Mikey Harkin and Donnach Colgan but Tomás Carr’s speculative effort at the three-quarter mark gave the Donegal side some hope.

But two late Mullan goals, one from a penalty and one opportunist stroke from distance in additional time sealed Four Masters fate.

Dungiven wasted no time in settling in when after winning the throw-in and working a one-two with the industrious Michael McVeigh, Haran split the posts after just 9 seconds.

Mullan then scored the first two-pointer of the day minutes later and it got better for the Derry side when Harkin gave Lewis McCaughan no chance by finishing high into the corner of the 

Four Masters net after a defence splitting ball from Mullan.

Playing into the wind, Four Masters were happy to play keep ball and points from McHugh, Lenihan and Griffin kept the Donegal side in touch.

Cathair Doire's MacRory Cup run ends in eleven-point defeat

Against a stiff breeze in the first half, the Abbey VS trailed by one, and they hit three goals after the restart to finish strong and reach the last eight

Cathair Doire's MacRory Cup run ends in eleven-point defeat

Against a stiff breeze in the first half, the Abbey VS trailed by one, and they hit three goals after the restart to finish strong and reach the last eight

But with the last play of the first half Dungiven added a second goal when Colgan drove low and hard to the Four Masters net.

Four Masters were finding scoring opportunities hard to come by in the second period and became over reliant on two-point frees from Lewis McCaughan, but fortune swung in their favour in the 45th minute when Tomás Carr’s effort deceived Thomas McCloskey in the  Dungiven goal to finish in the net to bring his side back into the contest.

Dungiven rallied and after McCaughan fouled Harkin in the square, Mullan finished high to the net to hand Dungiven a seven-point lead with 9 minutes to go.

The lead was cut to just one in the final minute when Gethin Mosby found the back of the Dungiven net, but the Derry side had the final say when Mullan spotted McCaughan off his line to find the net from 40 metres out and clinch a deserving four-point victory.

Dungiven scorers: K B Mullan 2-4 (1-0 pen, 1 tpf), D Colgan 1-2, M Harkin 1-0, D O’Neill 0-1, P Haran 0-1, P Higgins 0-1f.

Four Masters scorers: Tomás Carr 1-0, Gethin Mosby 1-0, Lewis McCaughan 0-7 (frees, including two-pointers), Aidan McHugh 0-1, T Lenihan 0-1, C Griffin 0-1, Conor Gallagher McCahill 0-1

Dungiven: T McCloskey, C McKenna, P O’Kane, E Òg McKeever, D O’Neill , R McGilligan, D Colgan, D McCloskey, K B Mullan, M McVeigh, P Haran, P P Peoples, M Harkin, P Higgins, S O’Kane.

Subs: R McCorriston for Peoples (49), A O’Kane for Higgins (49).

Four Masters: L McCaughan, E McCrea, A Quinn, J McGroarty, C Gavigan, E O’Neill, P McGonigle, T Carr, C Griffin, C Maskery, T Carr, A McHugh, C Gallagher McCahill, G Mosby, T Lenihan.

Subs: : F Gillespie for Maskery (HT), C Flannery for McHugh (33), O McMullin for McCrea (45).

Referee: Paul Faloon (Down).