Burren crash to Carryduff

Burren 1-09 Carryduff 0-20

BURREN were left scratching their heads as their season crumbled before their eyes and a grateful Carryduff took advantage to set up a mouthwatering Down Senior Club Championship Final against Kilcoo.

Carryduff’s revenge for defeat at the same stage last season was emphatic with an eight-point lead but what was also staggering was how after a stunning start, everything failed to work for Burren.

The St Mary’s side struck 1-03 in the opening six minutes, then another five points before the break and then only a single point in the entire second half in-between 15-wides, many of them two-pointer efforts.

Odhran Murdock is the only Down player nominated for GAA All-Star this year and fully deserved as this year he has been the best player at club level too but on Sunday, former Fermanagh star Eoin Donnelly done a great marking job.

Obviously, the game being rescheduled after Storm Amy meant Friday’s game couldn’t go ahead might have had an impact but it was the same for both teams who lined out in Newry’s Pairc Esler on Sunday afternoon.

Ryan Treanor’s two-pointer was backed up by Dara Mussen grabbing an opportunist goal as Burren marched into an early lead, but Carryduff replied with points from Pearse McCabe, Daniel Guinness and Joe McFlynn.

Burren’s scoring dried up, their wide tally increased as did their frustration as points from Ronan Beattie and Pearse McCabe put Carryduff ahead for the first time but only briefly as Murdock’s 50-metre free edged the St Mary’s men back in front.

It should have inspired Burren to kick on, but it was as if they were in quicksand as the harder they tried the tougher it got yet they still led 1-08 to 0-10 at the break.

Carryduff’s super-sub Cian Clinton levelled proceedings and Joe Tunney edged Carryduff ahead and Daniel Guinness stretched their lead.

Burren were putting in the hard yards but their shooting boots left them, in fact their only point of the half came from the fist of Down star defender Paddy McCarthy.

Still, there was only a score between the teams as the game entered the last ten minutes. Unlike the last round there was no Laim Kerr to spring from the bench but Donal O’Hare was on the pitch and then Kevin McKernan and Niall Toner entered the fray.

However, there was no late rally from Burren, instead in was Carryduff that kept the scoreboard ticking over with Clinton, Ronan Sherry and Gareth Henderson on target. It got a little heated but the day belonged to Finnian Moriarty’s Carryduff who many fancy to put up a great battle against Kilcoo.

BURREN: Oisin McStay; Patrick McCarthy (0-01), Gearard McGovern, Malachai McAvoy; Harry

Magill, Peter Fegan, Ryan Cunningham (0-01); Ryan Magill, Odhran Murdock (0-02, 1tpf); Donagh Murdock, Ryan Treanor (0-03, 1tp), Paddy Burns; Ronan McGrath, Cian Cunningham (0-01), Dara Mussen (1-01). Subs: Donal O'Hare for D Murdock (40’), Tony Magee for C Cunningham (43’), James McCann for R Cunningham (47’), Kevin McKernan for McGovern (50’), N Toner for Mussen (54’).

CARRYDUFF: Mark Hynes; Lorcan Toal, Conor Cassidy, Odhran Sherry (0-02); Michael McGrath (0-01), Daniel Guinness (0-02), Pearse McCabe (0-03); Eoin Donnelly, Tom McCarroll (0-01); Gareth Henderson (0-01), Joe McFlynn (0-02,1f), Owen McCabe; Joe Tunney (0-01), Ronan Beatty (0-03), John McGeough (0-01). Subs: Cian Clinton (0-03,2f) for McFlynn (ht’), Sean McGonigle for O McCabe (37’), James Guinness for M McGrath (52’), Daniel Coogan for Sherry (52’), Joe McFlynn for Tunney (57’).

Referee: Paul Faloon (Drumgath)