Ulster SHC: Saffrons and Orchard County set up final date

June 19, 2016

Derry's Tiarnan McCloskey and Antrim's Eddie McCloskey.
©INPHO/Presseye/Lorcan Doherty.

Antrim and Armagh will go head-to-head in this year's Ulster SHC final following their respective semi-final wins over Derry and Down today.

The Saffrons warmed up for next Saturday's Christy Ring Cup final replay against Meath with a comfortable 3-28 to 0-14 victory over the Oak Leafers in the first game of the Athletic Grounds double-bill.

PJ O'Connell, Eddie McCloskey and Sean McAfee raised green flags for the winners.

O'Connell's goal helped establish a commanding 1-16 to 0-5 interval lead and they refused to ease their foot off the pedal after the resumption.

Antrim - E Gillan; S McCrory, T McCloskey, B Graham; O McFadden (0-1), N McAuley, J Dillon; E Campbell, D McKernan (0-1); E McCloskey (1-4), N McKenna (0-9), C Johnston (0-4); N Elliot (0-2), PJ O'Connell (1-1), C Clarke (0-6). Subs: B McCarry for PJ O'Connell, S McAfee (1-0) for N Elliot, F Donnelly for T McCloskey, M Dudley for D McKernan, C Duffin for J Dillon.

Derry - D McDermott; D McCloskey, C Quinn, E McGuckin; S McCullagh, C McSorley (0-1), B Quigley; B Og McGilligan, O McCloskey (0-1); A Grant, T McCloskey, R Convery (0-5, 4f); M McGuigan (0-1), P Henry (0-6, 2f), G O'Kane. Sub: P Cleary for G O'Kane.

Referee - J Clarke.

The second game finished 4-12 to 0-17 in the Orchard County's favour.

The hosts trailed by nine points at one stage but fought back to claim a final spot thanks to goals from Declan Coulter (2), Cahill Carvill and Conor Corvan.

It was a day to forget for a Down team which finished with 12-men.

Armagh will be aiming to get their hands on the silverware for the first time on Sunday, July 10 at the expense of an Antrim team which will be looking to pick up title number 56.

Armagh - S Doherty; C Clifford, A McGuinness, C Devlin; J Corvan, N Curry, J King (0-1); K McKernan, S Renaghan; P McKearney, C Carvill (1-1), D Carvill; D Coulter (2-1), E McGuinness (0-2), C Corvan (1-7). Subs: F Bradley for D Carvill, O Curry for P McKearney, T Nevin for C Devlin, A Fox for K McKernan.

Down - G McMullan; M McCullough, P Flynn, S Ennis; R Campbell, C Woods, F Conway; D Hughes, S Nicholson; C Egan (0-1), C O'Prey (0-8, 5f), A O'Prey (0-1); P Sheehan (0-2), C Mageen (0-4), D Toner (0-1). Subs: S Dineen for P Sheehan, O McManus for A O'Prey.

Referee - C Canning.

Meanwhile, the 2016 Ulster Senior Hurling Shield final will pit Donegal against Monaghan.

Donegal overcame hosts Fermanagh on a scoreline of 3-18 to 3-14 in Brewster Park while the Farney County received a walkover from Tyrone who parted company with manager Kevin Ryan recently.


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