Ulster Minor Football League 2011 (includes result of 2012 Final)

[AFS]

League Final Result

Armagh 3-6
Derry 1-10

No result up yet on the Ulster council website for that shield for weaker counties like Tyrone and Donegal.

[sheamy]

Donegal won the shield

[ONeill]

Tyrone minors were defeated 3.10 to 0.9 by Donegal in the Ulster minor shield final this afternoon in Enniskillen

(from a boy)

[Rma13]

Congratulations to the Armagh panel & management, fully deserving of the win yesterday, nice to have a wee bit of silverware to celebrate. 

[ONeill]

Tyrone Minors Well Beaten

It looks like  Tyrone minors hopes of retaining an Ulster Championship never mind an All Ireland title are fairly slim this year.  Playing in the Ulster Shield Final this afternoon in Enniskillen they lost out by ten points to a much superior Donegal outfit.

The game was over by the 23rd minute thanks to two Paddy McBrearty goals (one penalty) and a Lee Carr strike.  Tyrone struggled in the early stages to get to grips with the power and pace of the Donegal attack and had only reduced the gap to ten points by the break.  Half time Tyrone 0-4 Donegal 3-5

Tyrone did make a number of changes in personnel in the second half and the introduction of Conor McAleer, Jonathan Munroe and Ryan Mayse clearly helped the cause.  Darren McCurry finished as Tyrone's top scorer with 0-3 on a hugely disappointing day for the Tyrone men.

Much to ponder then for the Tyrone management ahead of their Ulster Championship opener against Monaghan on 28th May.

Tyrone scorers – Sean Quinn (0-2), Darren McCurry (0-3) Aidan McGarrity (0-2) Ryan Mayse (0-2) Sean Hackett (0-1)

http://www.teamtalkmag.com/?p=4558

[AFS]

A few random minutes from the final.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hrOFmS9mc4

[AFS]

Orchard buds in full bloom

Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Armagh 3-06 Derry 1-10.

ARMAGH produced a grandstand finish against Derry to claim the Ulster Minor Championship League title, in Enniskillen, on Saturday.

With five minutes to go Forkhill's Jemar Hall showed his marker a clean pair of heels as he sped towards goal dragging the Tyrone Derry full-back out, before intelligently passing across goal to Conor McNally who punched into the net at the back post.

With the Ulster Minor Championship clash against Down less than five weeks away, there was much interest on how far this Orchard team could go.

Down Minor manager Pete McGrath was in the stand and with the Ulster Championship clash just over a month away, he knows his much-fancied side won't get it easy and history dictates so.

This current crop of Minors join an elite group of players from Armagh, as the only previous Ulster League winning teams, in 1992 and 2009, have gone on to win Ulster Championship titles and indeed the '92 team reached the All-Ireland Final, while of course, the 2009 lads went on to claim the national title, under the management of Paul McShane. (Ssshhhh about 2003.)

And the Silverbridge man admits that winning the Ulster League is perfect preparation ahead of the Ulster Championship contest with Down in the Athletic Grounds, on Saturday, May 28.

"We will celebrate winning the league but five weeks down the line is our main goal," said McShane.

"While winning the Ulster League doesn't guarantee anything in the Championship, and we will be instilling that with the lads, you couldn't have asked for better preparation than a good tough game like that against Derry, and they responded when they needed to, but we are not the finished article just yet."

Armagh were ahead for much of the game but the Oak Leaf County took the lead with eight minutes remaining, testing the Orchard lads resolve.

Armagh led by a point after 10 minutes, with Micheal McKenna and Newry Shamrock's Conall Gough (free) giving the Orchard County the lead before Derry's Neil McNicholl replied with a converted free.

But on 10 minutes big Paul McGeown showed composure to slot home a goal after and excellent sweeping move, where Killeavy's Ciaran O'Hanlon kicked across the pitch to Diarmaid O'Hagan, who then dropped the ball into double-marked Conor McNally, who cleverly knocked onto the on-rushing McGeown, and the big Sarsfield man slid under the keeper for a great goal.

Derry's response was immediate and two quick points from Anthony O'Neill and Ryan Bell let Armagh know they weren't getting it all their own way.

Indeed, Armagh were lucky to stay in front as Bell's effort from the edge of the square flashed narrowly wide.

McNicholl's second point for the Oak Leaf County narrowed the gap to a point before McGeown's monster 40-metre free extended the lead once more.

However, the sides were level at the break after Derry returned two classy points, from Bell and Emmett Bradley.

Half-time: Armagh 1-03 Derry 0-06

Bell (free) gave Derry took the lead for the first time in the opening minute of the second half, but Granemore Grange's McKenna levelled with a wonderful curling effort.

The Armagh supporters were delighted when Killeavy's Ciaran O'Hanlon displayed initiative and courage to beat two defenders before stroking over the bar.

This seemed to fan Armagh's flames and McKenna then bagged the second goal after an insightful pass from O'Hanlon, and from the right corner of the square, the Grange lad coolly placed the ball into the top corner of the net.

But, like the first half, Derry cancelled out the goal with three unanswered points.

Armagh needed something special and McKenna supplied it with when he squeezed over from the right corner of the Enniskillen pitch.

Still though, Derry threatened to find the net and came close on two occasions before Bell hammered home when the ball broke loose.

Armagh trailed for only the second time in the game and as their character was questioned, they provided the answer, when substitute Hall left his marker for dead and offered the winning goal on a plate for McNally.

Armagh: David O'Hagan, Brendan McCarron, Conor White, Donal O'Neill, Sean Connell, Colm Hoey, Diarmuid O'Hagan, Aaron Findon, Shay Grimley, Ciaran O'Hanlon, Michael McKenna, Conall Gough, Conor McNally, Paul McGeown and Calum Comiskey.
Subs used: Michael Murphy, Jemar Hall and Paul Og Grant.

Derry: Chris Bradley, Gareth McKinless, Joe Morgan, Martin Breen, Shane Farren, Nathan Rocks, Michael Kerr, Brian Og McGilligan, Conor McAtamney, Emmett Bradley, Neil McNicholl, Fergal Duffin, Anthony O'Neill, Ryan Bell and Ryan Moore.

http://www.newrydemocrat.com/articles/sports/20527/orchard-buds-in-full-bloom/

[ONeill]

2012 final:

Tyrone 1-10 Derry 0-8