Dunloy keep record intact

ULSTER SHC FINAL/Dunloy (Antrim) 2-16 Ballycran (Down) 2-11:DUNLOY CHALKED up their 10th Ulster SHC title at Casement Park yesterday to keep their unblemished record in the provincial final as they defeated Ballycran by five points. 

Two second-half goals by Paddy Richmond made all the difference in this game that never rose above the mediocre while the winners’ Seán Dowds also tossed over five points from frees and veteran Greg O’Kane hit four excellent points from play.

The free-taking of Simon Wilson kept Ballycran in the game as he notched 1-6 from placed balls. Wilson opened the scoring in the fourth minute but Ballycran didn’t score again until he hit another free on 22 minutes as Dunloy rifled over six points without reply.

The winners were coasting at 0-8 to 0-3 on the half-hour but in injury time Paul Keith pointed for the Ards men and Aidan Clarke hit a goal to leave the interval score, 0-8 to 1-4.

With three early points Ballycran went ahead at 1-7 to 0-9 but once Dowds equalised from a free and then put Dunloy ahead, the Antrim champions were never really in danger.

Richmond fielded a free from his goalkeeper Gareth McGhee in the 48th minute to bag his first goal and he scrambled the second home five minutes later, a minute after a Wilson long-distance free went straight to the Dunloy net.

That left the winners 2-14 to 2-8 ahead and in the closing action Ballycran outscored Dunloy 0-3 to 0-2 but it wasn’t enough.

DUNLOY: G McGhee (0-2, 0-1 pen, 0-1 free); M McClements, J McKeague, Cathoior Cunning; K Martin, C McKinley, K Molloy; Colum Cunning, P Doherty; S Dowds (0-5, all frees), L Richmond (0-3), G O’Kane (0-4); A Elliott (0-1), P Richmond (2-1), D Quinn. Subs: C Brogan for Elliott (53 mins), D Kelly for Doherty (60 mins).

BALLYCRAN: D Ennis; M Hughes, P Hughes, S Ennis; M Ennis, P Flynn, S Wilson (1-6, all frees); G Gordan, A Bell; P Keith (0-1), P Savage, J Coyle (0-1); C Woods (0-1), A Clarke (1-0), C Arthurs (0-1). Subs: B Ennis for Clarke (45 mins), M Braniff (0-1) for Savage (53 mins).

REFEREE: G Devlin (Armagh).