Derry 0-17 Antrim 1-19
Antrim bagged their seventh successive Bord Gáis Energy Ulster U-21 Hurling title with a five-point win over Derry in Ballinascreen.
The Saffrons were forced to dig deep, in a game which saw the sides level on five occasions in the opening half, including at the interval at 1-07 to 0-10.
Conor Johnston (1-04) bagged the only goal of this game after just five minutes, but Derry kept in touch throughout.
Free-taker Deaglan Foley (0-11) was in superb scoring form from placed balls for the hosts, but crucially they couldn’t find the goal they needed.
Two points separated the sides with 10 minutes remaining, but Antrim kicked on, on the way to a five-point win.
Antrim were dealt a blow in the days leading up to this game, with Ciaran Johnson - one of their key men in the semi-final win over Armagh, ruled out with a hip injury.
The game was moved from the Derry GAA Centre of Excellence at Owenbeg, due to the death of Dympna O’Kane, wife of Colm, the care-taker at the venue.
Derry got off to a perfect start at the ideal setting of Ballinascreen, with Deaglan Foley delivering the first of his six first half points after just 28 seconds from a pointed free.
Antrim equalised thanks to a Conor Johnson pointed free a minute later, but failed to build on this, and shot two quick wides over the next two minutes.
Derry were sharper and following a score from Slaughtneil clubman Brendan Rogers they reigned the lead in the fifth minute.
However Antrim responded well with the only goal of the opening half arriving from the resulting puck-out, with Saul McCaughan cutting through before corner forward Johnson smashed the ball to the net.
Antrim pushed 1-02 to 0-02 ahead after six minutes thanks to a James Connolly point, but once again Derry responded.
The Oak Leafers hit five unanswered points, with Cormac O’Doherty, Foley and Eamon McGill on target as the hosts took a 0-07 to 1-02 lead.
Antrim continued to be guilty of missed chances, firing wide, but also having some efforts drop short into the hands of Derry goalkeeper Conor Owens.
McCaughan broke Antrim’s scoring drought with a fine points from play, before his goal effort was stopped by Owens.
Antrim dug deep, and a point from midfield Michael Dudley levelled matters, but a Connolly pointed 65 pushed the Saffrons back in front.
Both sides added to their wides tally, before a Foley 65 ensured the sides were level at 0-08 to 1-05.
Scores from Niall McKenna and Conor Johnson pushed Antirm ahead, but Foley fired a brace of unanswered points at the end of the half, to ensure a 0-10 to 1-07 interval score-line.
Antrim manager Kevin Ryan rang the changes at half-time, with Sean McBride, Deaglan Murphy and Cormac Ross introduced, and Donal O’Hara, Patrick McBride and Tomas Ó Ciarain making way.
Defender Eoghan Campbell got the visitors off the perfect start in the second half, with a points, while Niall McKenna further extended their lead soon after.
Mark McGuigan and Eoghan Campbell traded scores, while the free-taking of Foley ensured the score stood at 1-11 to 0-13 early on the restart.
However, Antrim suddenly dominated possession, but failed to totally make it count, with three wides in a row, before points from McCaughan and James Connolly, before further misses ensured Antrim’s wides tally stood at 12, with the game now in the final quarter.
Derry badly needed a score, and found it through midfielder and captain Tiernan McCloskey.
But a two-point gap was as close as the hosts could get in the final 10 minutes, with McGuigan blazing a goal chance wide.
Foley continued to be deadly accurate from placed balls, but Antrim firmly saw the finishing line, with late points from Dudley and Maol Connolly ensuring a five-point margin at the end.
After the game Antrim captain Ryan McCambridge received the Cup from Ulster GAA Vice Chairman Michael Hasson.
ANTRIM: C Heyden; J McGoldrick, P Burke, T Burns; E Campbell (0-02), R McCambridge, M Connolly (0-01); D O’Hara, M Dudley (0-03); P McBride, J Connolly (0-03, 0-01 65), N McKenna (0-03); C Johnson (1-04, 0-03f), T Ó Ciarain, S McCaughan (0-02). Subs: S McBride for O’Hara (HT); D Murphy for McBride (HT); C Ross (0-01) for Ó Ciarain (HT); D Traynor for Murphy (60).
DERRY: C Owens; S Doyle, J McCullagh, C Quinn; M McGrath, M Mulgrew, E McGill (0-01); T McCloskey (0-01), G Bradley; B Rogers (0-01), M McGuigan (0-01), D Foley (0-11, 0-10f, 0-01 65); J O’Dwyer, C O’Doherty (0-02), B Dougan. Subs: T Brady for Dougan (28); B Laverty for McCloskey (55).
REFEREE: James Clarke (Cavan)
