Fiachra Gill broke Lavey hearts with a superbly taken winning point that capped a dramatic comeback and sealed a memorable Ulster Junior Hurling Final victory for Burt.
In a contest that ebbed and flowed throughout, the Donegal side showed immense character, overturning a four-point interval deficit and playing for more than 50 minutes with 14 men after Ronan McDermott’s dismissal on the stroke of half-time.
Up until the 51st minute, Lavey had never trailed. The Derry men controlled long passages of the game and, for much of the first half, appeared to be dictating terms. Yet Burt, driven relentlessly by the outstanding Conor Gartland, refused to yield. Even with the numerical disadvantage, they produced a second-half performance brimming with grit, accuracy and defensive intensity—qualities that ultimately swung the final in their favour.
Lavey, aiming to follow Ballinascreen in bringing the title back to the Oakleaf county, will look back with frustration at the opportunities they passed up, particularly in the early stages of the second half. With the extra man, they were in a position to keep the scoreboard moving, but inexperience told at crucial junctures. Poor shot selection and rushed decisions let Burt off the hook, and as the pressure grew, the more seasoned Donegal outfit began to take control. At times it looked as though Burt were the side with 15 men, such was their hunger in the tackle, their turnover count, and the quality of their score-taking—none more so than Gartland, who was simply immense.
The first half had belonged largely to Lavey. Fintan Bradley was prominent, registering four points—including a superb sideline cut—while Ryan Mulholland’s seventh-minute goal provided an essential early cushion. Mulholland’s finish came after an excellent defence-splitting pass from Thomas Lynch, and the strike pushed the Erin’s Own men into a commanding 1-4 to 0-1 lead after just 10 minutes.
Bradley on two frees to stretch the gap to six again with the interval looming. Burt, struggling to make inroads, relied on Liam Óg McKinney for two pointed frees, though he was kept unusually quiet from play thanks to outstanding man-marking from Aidan Toner. Then came the moment that seemed set to define the contest: on the verge of half-time, McDermott was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Bradley. Lavey went in at the break with a deserved 1-7 to 0-6 advantage and every reason to believe they could push on.
But Burt’s response after the restart defied expectation. With tireless work rate and impeccable accuracy, they clawed their way back into contention. Gartland lit up the half with a series of remarkable long-range points—four in total—that steadily eroded Lavey’s lead and ultimately turned the tide. Across the opening 21 minutes of the second half, Lavey managed just a single score, a point from Tiarnan Melaugh, as Burt surged into the lead for the first time when Gartland struck his fifth of the day.
Still, Lavey were not finished. Deep into added time, Bradley nailed a pressure free to edge them in front once more. But Burt, refusing to accept defeat, earned one last lifeline. McKinney stepped up to take a difficult 65th-minute free from near the sideline and, with remarkable composure, sent it sailing between the posts to force extra time at 1-12 to 0-15.
Extra time was a tense, scrappy affair. Lavey edged the opening period by a point thanks to scores from Bradley, Conor Melaugh and Ryan McGill, though their tally of wides—five in extra time and a total of 18 overall—proved costly. When McKinney levelled the match for the eighth time, penalties seemed inevitable.
Then came the decisive moment. Gill, cool under pressure, struck what proved to be the winning score for Burt. The drama did not end there: Lavey believed they had equalised when an umpire initially signalled that Conor Melaugh’s shot had crept inside the post, but after consultation the officials ruled it wide—ending Lavey’s hopes and sparking Burt celebrations.
The victory secured only Burt’s second ever Ulster junior title—their previous success in 2011 also coming in a final where they had a man sent off in the first half. They now advance to face the British champions in the Twinning final
Team and Scorers:
Burt: L Óg McKinney 0-10 (9f), C Gartland 0-6 (2f), R McDermott 0-2, K Curran and F Gill 0-1 each.
Lavey: F Bradley 0-9 (6f, 1sl), R Mulholland 1-2, C Melaugh 0-3, T Melaugh and R McGill 0-1 each.
BURT: Paul Burns; James Donaghey, Ciaran Bradley, Kevin Curran; Oisin Kelly, Dara Grant, Callum Purvis; Stephen Gillespie, Kyron McColgan; Eoin McDaid, Ciaran Porter, Conor Gartland; Christopher McDermott, Ronan McDermott, Liam Óg McKinney.
Subs: Kieran Brady for McColgan (26), Callum Porter for Donaghy (ht), Fiachra Gill for Ciaran Porter (54), McColgan for McDaid (54), Ciaran Porter for Gillespie (14 ET).
LAVEY: Eoin Mulholland; James McGurk, Brendan Laverty, Aidan Toner; Ryan Farren, Eoin Scullion, Tirana Melaugh; Ryan McGill, Fintan Bradley; Charlie Curley, Conor Melaugh, Ryan Mulholland; Jack Convery, Aimon Duffin, Thomas Lynch.
Subs: Sam Doods for Duffin (41), Lorcan McDonnell for Convery (59), Cailean O’Boyle for R Mulholland (HT ET), Duffin for Lynch (18 ET), Jack Shaw for Curley (20 ET).
Referee: D Argue (Cavan)
