Four Masters suffered late heartbreak in the Ulster Minor Final as St. Canice’s Dungiven scored a late goal.
Four Masters 1-8 St. Canice’s Dungiven 2-7
Padraig Haran’s late finish after a good run from Darach McGonigle gave Dungiven the lead with just two minutes remaining on the clock.
Four Masters had an extra five minutes added to try find a way back but they couldn’t get the scores needed as the Derry Champions took the crown.
Four Masters had an early goal chance as Seanan Carr hit the bar but within half a minute Odhran McElhinney pointed brilliantly at the other end for Dungiven.
Odhran Murphy got a point and Darach McGonigle fired over as St. Canice’s took an early lead but Four Masters continued to look dangerous.
And their dangerous play prevailed at the third attempt as Conor Meehan’s free was pushed down to Seanan Carr who fired into the left corner.
Eoin Higgins’ free gave Dungiven the lead again but Conor McCahill pointed with his back to goal over his own head in spectacular style after Meehan’s free dropped dangerously again.
Higgins pointed again from an easy free but McCahill levelled again with a superb score on his left foot.
Kevin Muldoon gave Four Masters the lead for the first time into added time as he collected the high ball and fired over from the right but Higgins sprinted forward and smashes over brilliantly to level.
However, Leo McGowan gave Four Masters a slender lead when he sidestepped his man and fired over just on half-time, 1-4 to 0-6.
Callum McCrea took the first point of the second half for Four Masters as he found space in close range while a Meehan free gave them a three point lead.
But Dungiven weren’t to be beaten this early and when a long ball into the square saw Shea McLaughlin come alive, he caught the ball and brilliantly fired into the net on his left foot to level the game once again.
Dungiven retook the lead through a Higgins free but Meehan replied with a free of his own as the game started to get tighter coming into the last 10 minutes.
And there wasn’t a score for nearly 10 minutes but Kevin Muldoon, who has been vital to his side all year, picked up a pass from McCrea and drove before firing over a great score from the right hand side.
Higgins’ point attempt smashed the crossbar as Dungiven looked to level the game with two minutes left.
But they went one better when Darach McGonigle drove down the left and fisted to Padraig Haran who hit the back of the net to sink Four Masters with two minutes to go as the Donegal Town men ran out of time in the search of an equaliser as Dungiven held on.
Four Masters: Daniel McGinty; Theo Colhoun, Fiachra O’Donnell, Terence McGowan, Leo McGowan (0-1), David Monaghan, Caolan Sweeney; John Bell, Jake Graham; Ruairi McLaughlin, Seanán Carr (1-0), Kevin Muldoon (0-2), Conor Meehan (0-2f), Daniel Quinn, Callum McCrea (0-1).
Subs: Conor McCahill (0-2) Turlough Carr for Quinn (45 mins) Oisin Doherty for McCahill (55 mins), Daniel McIntyre for John Bell (61 mins)
St. Canice’s scorers: Eoin Higgins (0-4,3f) Padraig Haran (0-1), Shea McLaughlin (1-0), Odhran Murphy (0-1), Darach McGonigle (0-1), Odhran McElhinney (0-1)
