Five-Goal Swatragh storm into Ulster semi-final after demolishing Killeavy
Michael Davitt’s run riot at Owenbeg with a masterclass performance to set up an Antrim showdown
Swatragh swept aside the challenge of Armagh’s Killeavy to book their place in the last four of the provincial championship, following a commanding 5-30 to 0-7 victory over the Orchard County side in the AIB Ulster Club Junior quarter-final at Find Insurance Owenbeg on Saturday evening.
The Armagh champions were simply no match for Michael Davitt’s, with Swatragh leading 2-15 to 0-4 at the interval after a rampant first-half display. Eddie McCloskey’s charges scored 2-7 without reply during the opening quarter to effectively end the contest as a spectacle.
Swatragh will now advance to next weekend’s semi-final, where they will face Antrim champions Patrick Sarsfields.
The Armagh men registered the first score of the evening, with Gareth McMullan landing a superb point from a tight angle, but the Derry Junior champions soon took complete control. Ryan Tohill got Swatragh off the mark in the third minute, before Eoghan O’Kane followed up with an excellent solo effort. Davitt’s were simply a far sharper outfit, and the difference in class soon became apparent once the Derry men settled into their rhythm.
Cathal Murray opened his account in the sixth minute and went on to register three consecutive points before Dominic Bradley split the Killeavy defence and offloaded to Fintan McGuirk, who dispatched the ball to the net. Swatragh led 1-5 to 0-1 by the twelfth minute.
Patrick Turner and Murray added further points before O’Kane rattled the net on the quarter-hour mark to give the Derry men a 2-7 to 0-1 advantage. Remarkably, Swatragh had also registered six wides during that opening quarter, further highlighting their dominance.
Gareth McMullan ended Killeavy’s scoring drought with his second point of the evening, but another hat-trick of scores from the electric Murray, alongside a brace of frees from Ryan Tohill, pushed Davitt’s 2-12 to 0-2 ahead with five minutes remaining in the half.
Joseph O’Connor landed two frees for Killeavy before the interval, but Murray and a brace from James Friel ensured Swatragh carried an unassailable 2-15 to 0-4 lead into the dressing room.
The Derry champions continued to impose themselves after the restart, outscoring Killeavy by 1-5 to 0-2 during the third quarter. Points from Friel, Sean Marty Quinn and O’Kane, alongside a third goal courtesy of Conor Murray, left Davitt’s firmly out of sight. Killeavy’s only responses came through a Joseph O’Connor free and a score from play by Eoghan O’Kane.
Swatragh showed no signs of easing off in the closing stages. O’Kane, Cathal Quinn, McGuirk and Friel added further points before Dominic Bradley and McGuirk struck two late goals to underline the emphatic nature of the performance.
Friel and McGuirk added further scores as Davitt’s pushed towards the 30-point mark, while Darren McMullan registered a late consolation point for the Orchard County side. Swatragh ultimately cruised to a comprehensive 38-point victory to set up a semi-final meeting next weekend.
The challenge posed by Patrick Sarsfields will be a considerably different proposition to that offered by Killeavy. The Antrim champions are among the favourites for provincial honours after overcoming Cavan representatives Cootehill Celtic in their quarter-final, setting up what promises to be a far sterner test for McCloskey’s side.
At the other end of the draw, Down champions Castlewellan and Monaghan’s Truagh Gaels will lock horns after successfully negotiating their respective quarter-finals.
Swatragh: Niall McQuillan; Cathal Quinn, Patrick Turner, Ben Kearney; Tiernan Walsh, James Friel, Daire O’Lochlainn; Sean Marty Quinn, Dominic Bradley; Cathal J Quinn, Eoghan O’Kane, Conor Murray; Fintan McGurk, Cahal Murray, Ryan Tohill.
Scorers: James Friel 0-9 (7f), Cahal Murray 0-8, Fintan McGurk 1-4, Eoghan O’Kane 1-2, Conor Murray 1-0, Ryan Tohill 0-3 (3f), Dominic Bradley 1-0, Cathal Quinn 0-2, Patrick Turner 0-1, Sean Marty Quinn 0-1.
Killeavy: Connor Hannaway; Conor Bannon, Patrick O’Connor, Aaron O’Neill; Conor King, Uel O’Neill, Morgan Thomas; Niall O’Neill, Gareth Larkin; Ruairi Hanlon, David Grant, Darren McMullan; Shea Magill, Joseph O’Connor, Gareth McMullan.
Scorers: Joseph O’Connor 0-3 (3f), Gareth McMullan 0-2, Darren McMullan 0-1, Uel O’Neill 0-1.
Referee: Aiden McAleer (Donegal)