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Down take their chances

Ulster SHC Semi-final replay/Down 5-16 Derry 1-15: Defensive errors cost Derry dearly during the first half of Saturday's Ulster…

Mon May 28 2007 - 01:00

Ulster SHC Semi-final replay/Down 5-16 Derry 1-15:Defensive errors cost Derry dearly during the first half of Saturday's Ulster senior hurling championship semi-final replay at Casement Park. Three of Down's goals in their facile 5-16 to 1-15 victory came from slip-ups in the Derry rearguard.

Those three goals, somewhat against the run of play, gave Down a first-half advantage as they led by 3-5 to 0-8 at the break.

With Derry coasting at 0-3 to 0-0 after 11 minutes, Gareth Johnston scrambled the ball to the Derry net and in the 19th minute Eoin Clarke cashed in on a goalmouth error to put Down 2-1 to 0-6 ahead and into a lead they never relinquished.

Three minutes later Johnston fired an angled shot home to leave Down 3-2 to 0-6 up. Derry were awarded a penalty in the 25th minute but Ruairí Convery opted to settle for a point.

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However, Convery made up for that decision by crashing home a Derry goal and he added a point at the start of the second half. But the Derry challenge fizzled out as Down upped the ante. In an eight-minute spell from the 47th minute Down crashed home 2-5 with Johnston and Eoin Clarke snapping up the goals.

DOWN: Graham Clarke; L Clarke, S Murray, F Conway; Gabriel Clarke, A Dynes, M Ennis; A Savage, B McGourty (0-3); P Coulter (0-1), K Courtney (0-4, 0-1 free), J Trainor; E Clarke (2-2), G Johnston (3-4), E Trainor (0-2). Subs: P Hughes for Dynes (43 mins);C McManus for E Clarke (63 mins).

DERRY: J McEldowney; S McCullagh, M Conway, R McCloskey; P O'Kane, L Hinphey, S Henry; K Hinphey, R Convery (1-10, 1-0 free, 0-7 frees, 0-1 pen, 0-1 a '65'); G O'Kane, C Quinn (0-1), R Kennedy; G Kelly, D McSorley (0-1), SL McGoldrick (0-2). Subs: S McBride for M Conway (45 mins); M Craig (0-1) for Kennedy (55 mins).

Referee: F Smith (Meath).

Three injury-time points by Darren Hamill secured Antrim a 2-14 to 3-8 victory over Down in an exciting Ulster minor hurling final at Casement Park on Saturday. Down trailed 2-7 to 1-4 at the interval but second-half goals from Aidan Clarke and captain Conor Woods (via a penalty) brought them level before Hamill sealed Antrim's victory.

SCORERS: Antrim - M McCarthy (1-4, o-1 free), D Hamill (1-4), PJ O'Connell (0-3), C Carson (0-2), C Donnelly (0-1); Down - J Coyle (1-2, 0-2 frees), C Woods (1-1, 1-0 pen, 0-1 a '65'), A Clarke (1-1), P Keith (0-2), K Maxwell (0-1), A Higgins (0-1).

Referee: M Mulholland (Derry).