Burt turn on the style to down Red Hugh's

Burt are the new U-21 C county champions after they put Red Hugh’s to the sword in emphatic style at the Donegal GAA Training Centre in Convoy. 

Burt 5-11
Red Hugh’s 1-7 

In the end, Mel O’Donnell’s lads had 16 points to spare with the Inishowen side’s’ ability to find the net the crucial factor in that lopsided outcome. 

Burt had gone in five clear at the break on a difference of 2-4 to 0-5. But there was still a route back into contention for Red Hugh’s at that stage. 

However, with Burt raising a third green flag just moments after the restart, Red Hugh’s challenge more or less instantly faded. 

Early on, it was Burt that looked by far the more competent outfit as they raced into a 1-2 to no score lead, inside just three minutes.

Conor Gartland grabbed the game's opening score with a well struck free. And with Red Hugh's coughing up possession from the resulting kickout, Keith McColgan raced in to fire to the back of the net.

The same player then increased the gap out to five as Red Hugh's struggled to deal with Burt's high press. But the Cross men soon began to settle and a super Jack Gillespie free eventually had them off the mark on five minutes.

Gillespie, again from a free from the hands, doubled Red Hugh's early tally as 1-2 now led 0-2. A deep searching delivery from the lively Gillespie was then flicked over by Cathair Browne and just two now split the teams.

A pair of Gartland frees, back to back, gifted Burt some breathing room once again, five minutes out from the midpoint. But another Gillespie free left three in it at 1-4 to 0-4.

Red Hugh's must have thought they'd found parity when a direct ball into the area broke kindly for the arriving Bryan Irwin. And while his first-time strike was good, a quite outrageous diving save, on the line from opposite corner back, Darren Bradley, somehow kept the ball out.

To compound that disappointment, up the other end, Red Hugh's stopper Thomas McMenamin somehow let Conor O'Donnell's tame effort from a tight angle creep in under his body.

On the stroke of half-time Gillespie pulled one back from a free, but at the changeover it was Burt that exited in a commanding 2-4 to 0-5 lead.

The second stanza had barely begun when Michael McElroy stroked home a third Burt goal, from close range, after McMenamin had failed to hold the original effort from Shane McMonagle. McMonagle then clipped over as Burt went 3-5 to 0-5 up. 

On 34 minutes, Darragh McMenamin managed to move Red Hugh’s out to six. But three on the trot from Caolan McKinney, Shayne Gallagher and McColgan (free), meant that 11 points now split the sides. 

Gillespie was again on target for Red Hugh’s with their seventh and final over of the contest. But a lovely McColgan strike from distance stroked that out. And while James Doherty’s attempted pass inside somehow ended up in the back of the net for a Red Hugh’s goal; that was the end of the Killygordon men’s scoring. 

Before the end, Gareth McElroy and Gartland both cleared the crossbar while Michael McElvoy and Gartland, right at the very death, rolled in fourth and fifth goals for the victors. 

Burt scorers: Keith McColgan 1-41f; Conor Gartland 1-4,2f, Conor O'Donnell 1-0, Michael McElroy 2-0, Shayne Gallagher 0-1, Shane McMonagle 0-1, Caolan McKinney 0-1.

Red Hugh's scorers: Jack Gillespie 0-5,5f, James Doherty 1-0, Cathair Browne 0-1, Darragh McMenamin 0-1,

Burt: Shea Brown; Kevin Curran, Ciaran Curran, Darren Bradley; Conor O'Donnell, Oisin Kelly, Caolan McKinney; Liam Og McKinney, Gareth McElroy; Michael McElroy, Shane McMonagle, Keith McColgan; Shayne Gallagher, Conor Gartland, Patrick Curran.

Subs: Callum Purves for K Curran (49), Leo Kelly for P Curran (49), Ciaran Porter for C McKinney (55), Eoghan Kerr for S Gallagher (58). 

Red Hugh's: Thomas McMenamin; Bryan Irwin, Luke Browne, Aaron McGlinchey; Gareth McGill, Steven McBride, Adam Sweeney; James Doherty, Darragh McMenamin; Oisin Duffy, Jack Gillespie, Kieran Neeson; Tiernan Kelly, Jack Bradley, Cathair Browne.

Subs: Ruairi Campbell for Nesson (ht), Ryan Callaghan for G McGill (53), Ronan McLaughlin for Duffy (58), Cian Gallagher for McGlinchey (59). 

Referee: Greg McGrory (Four Masters).