Setanta prevailed in a long battle that went to extra-time with a youthful Burt side today to win another Senior Hurling Championship Final in O’Donnell Park.
Setanta 1-20 Burt 0-18
Liam McKinney was vital in keeping Burt in the game, with 100% accuracy in his free taking, while Setanta couldn’t shake their opponents off despite having a four point lead at one point in the second half.
The point scoring from play was scarce compared to the shots taken, but McKinney and Declan Coulter were flawless from frees.
A superb point from play by Danny Cullen looked to win the game for Setanta, but McKinney’s late free, his tenth in normal time, made it 0-13 apiece at the final whistle.
But Setanta’s main men such as Gerard Gilmore, Declan Coulter and Davin Flynn (who scored a superb goal late on) showed their class in extra time, along with good scores from subs Sean Ward and Dean Harvey, gave Setanta what would in the end look like a comfortable win.
Burt were hindered by the sending off of Christopher McDermott for an altercation with Gilmore in the first minute of extra time and Setanta pulled away with the man advantage.
Conor Gartland and Davin Flynn pointed for each side early on but it wouldn’t be until the 15th that we’d see the third point as both sides had several wides.
McKinney took his first point but Setanta would go ahead for the first time after Gilmore levelled and Coulter scored his first free.
McKinney levelled again for Burt but Setanta upped their game with two brilliant scores from Niall Cleary, followed by another Coulter free.
Burt would claw it back to a one point game as McKinney scored another free and Gerard Boyle, an early substitute for the injured Kieran Brady, flicked over from close range to make it 0-6 to 0-5 in Setanta’s favour at half-time.
Coulter and McKinney exchanged points from frees and Gerard Gilmore got his second score of the game, with Coulter getting two more as Setanta went four ahead.
But two more from McKinney, one from play, with a Ronan McDermott point in between, gave Burt a bit of momentum.
Bernard Lafferty got another Setanta point but young McKinney was again on fire, scoring three frees in a row to give Burt the lead with five minutes to go.
Coulter levelled again and Danny Cullen scored his only point of the game, but it was a sensational one in added time that looked to seal the game.
But man of the match McKinney got one last shot from a free and unsurprisingly, he converted to take it to extra time.
Gilmore was one of the stars of extra-time, winning multiple high balls and he got the first point of the third period after just 25 seconds and moments later, Burt’s Christopher McDermott received a second yellow for an altercation with the Setanta man.
The advantage gave Setanta a second wind and Sean Ward and Flynn had them three ahead, but Ciaran Bradley got a free back for Burt.
Josh McGee thought he had a goal after a great run and shot which was brilliantly saved by Paul Burns but Coulter knocked over the 65.
Mckinney’s 11th point before half time followed Gilmore’s fourth point as Setanta went in 0-18 to 0-15 ahead at half-time.
Dean Harvey came on and pointed for Setanta while McKinney scored again, but the following minutes saw the tie ended as a contest.
First, a super run from Ruairi Campbell as he burst away from the Burt players before lobbing over the bar preceded the only goal of the game.
Davin Flynn picked up the ball and smashed it into the top left corner, giving Burns no chance.
Burt would get two late scores through Bradley as they battled valiantly but Setanta would lift the Munster Cup once again by a score of 1-20 to 0-18
Setanta: Mark Kane; Mark Callaghan, Stevy McBride, Denim Rowan, Mick Donoghue, Danny Cullen (0-1), Bernard Lafferty (0-1); Declan Coulter (0-7f), Richie Kee; Gerard Gilmore (0-4), Oisin Marley, Ruairi Campbell (0-1), Niall Cleary (0-2), Josh McGee, Davin Flynn (1-2).
Subs: Sean Ward (0-1), Dean Harvey (0-1), Conor McGettigan, Ruairi McLaughlin.
Burt: Paul Burns; Callum Purves, Ciaran Bradley (0-3f), Tom Doherty, Dara Grant, Caolan McDermott, Stephen Gillespie; Christopher McDermott, Ciaran Curran; Jack Gallagher, Ronan McDermott (0-1), Stephen Gallagher, Conor Gartland (0-1), Keiran Brady, Liam McKinney (0-12,11f).
Subs: Gerard Boyle (0-1), Gareth Quinn, James Donaghey.
