Burt make light work of MacCumhaills in dominant Senior Hurling Championship win

As expected, a rampant Burt had few problems in beating MacCumhaills in a one-sided SHC affair at Hibernian Park.

The returning Conor Gartland and Stephen Gillespie got the goals for Burt while MacCumhaills relied on Lee Henderson for the bulk of their scores.

The victors were superior in all departments with the talismanic Liam Óg McKinney weighing in with 0-14 as they led comfortably by 0-12 to 0-4 at the break.

McKinney, Kieran Brady, Kieran Bradley and Gartland were all on target for the Inishowen men while Lee Henderson responded for the visitors.

Burt improved their scoring efficiency in the second half and points from McKinney (2), Brady (2) and Caolan McDermott had them 13 points clear before Fintan Griffin earned Shane McNulty’s outfit a 39th minute penalty when he was impeded in the parallelogram.

Henderson emphatically dispatched the penalty past Paul Burns and Griffin stroked over a point soon after to leave it Burt 0-17, MacCumhaills 1-5. 

Burt hit eight of the next nine points, Gavin Brown’s effort from midfield the only response MacCumhaills could muster as McKinney continued to convert placed balls and Stephen Gallagher, Callum Purves and Stephen Gillespie all pointed from play.

Gartland got Burt’s first goal ten minutes from the end. Picked out on the edge of the square by Stephen Gillespie, Donegal’s Nicky Rackard Cup winning captain rifled the sliotar low and hard past his county teammate Laverty and was withdrawn from the action soon after, his night's work accomplished.

Henderson posted his side’s final point of the night with Ciaran Bradley hitting two quickfire points and Kieran Brady pushing Burt’s tally up to 1-27.

Stephen Gillespie got a late somewhat fortunate goal for the impressive hosts who now meet old rivals Setanta in a fortnight.

Burt scorers; Liam Óg McKinney 0-14, 7f, 1 65; Conor Gartland 1-2; Stephen Gillespie 1-1; Kieran Brady 0-4;  Ciaran Bradley 0-2; Caolan McDermott 0-1; Callum Purves 0-1; Stephen Gallagher 0-1; Aiden McKinney 0-1;

MacCumhaills scorers: Lee Henderson 1-5,1pen, 3f; Fintan Griffin 0-1; Gavin Browne 0-1.

Burt: Paul Burns; Ciaran Bradley, Christy McDermott, Oisin Kelly; Kevin Curran, Caolan McDermott, Callum Purves; Dara Grant, Stephen Gillespie; Stephen Gallagher, Liam Óg McKinney, Ciaran Porter; Aiden McKinney, Kieran Brady, Conor Gartland.

Subs: Ciaran Curran for Caolan McDermott (half-time); Fiachra Gill and Paddy Curran for Stephen Gallagher and Ciaran Porter S(49 ); Gareth Quinn for Dara Grant (51); Dara Grant for Conor Gartland (54 ).

Seán Mac Cumhaill’s: Dylan Laverty; Eoghan Wright, Kyle Tourish, Aaron McCauley; Chad McSorley, Conor Griffin, Sean Brady-Devenney; Gavin Browne (0-1), Jamie De Ward; Rian McBrearty, Fintan Griffin, Dean Hannigan; Aaron Toner, Patrick Bradley, Lee Henderson:

Subs used; Davitt Bradley-Flynn.

Referee: James Connors (St Eunan’s)