Under 21 Hurlers fall to Armagh. Derry 0-10 Armagh 2-12. Report now added.

Photo courtesy of Seamus Loughran 

Bord Gais Ulster U21 Hurling Championship Semi-Final
Casement Park July 21 2010 Armagh 2-12 Derry 0-10
Derry PRO Sean Gunning
The bad run of form in Ulster competition against Armagh teams continued on Wednesday night last, when our u21 hurlers fell to the same opposition as our minor hurlers and minor and senior footballers had done earlier.
Casement Park too has of recent times proven to be a poor hunting ground for the Oak Leaf sides, and the constant torrential rain throughout did nothing to assist skilful hurling.
Nevertheless, Derry can have no complaints and were always playing catch up; the margin possibly even greater had the Orchard men not accumulated so many wides.

Armagh settled first and had accrued five points before Derry got off the mark. With fifteen minutes played, and Paidi Kelly now operating at centrefield, corner back Ciaran Mackle pulled of a crucial stop on the goal line, before Paddy Henry converted a thirty metre free to register Derry's first score.
Armagh however dealt a sucker blow and replied with two goals before Henry exchanged points with Armagh's Conor Coulter to send the teams in at the break Derry 0-02, Armagh 2-06.
Whatever words management James O Kane and Sean McCloskey used at half time, Derry produced their best hurling in the second period. Along with a replacement referee who had been suffering from flu, Brian Og McGilligan was introduced in and around midfield, and immediately Henry pulled one back for Derry from open play. Armagh scored three points without reply, before the Oak Leaf men hit a purple patch securing four points without interruption, two from placed balls by Henry and one each from play from Dermot O Neill and substitute Paul Cleary.
With seven minutes to go, Armagh's Kieran McKiernan converted a free to open the gap again to ten points. Henry stepped up again and converted another couple of frees before Alan Grant sent his effort over the bar to cut the deficit to seven. Coulter however had the final say as his effort went over the bar to finish the game Armagh 2-12, Derry 0-10.
Derry will look back at conceding two goals in the first half as the determining factor in losing this game but can take some comfort in the fact, they outscored their opponents in the second half 0-08 to 0-06.
Team & Scorers
Darryl McDermott (Beannchar), Ciaran Mackle (Caoimhín Ó Loingsigh), Lee Hawkins (Na Magha), Dean Flanagan (Baile Na Scríne), Sean Cassidy (Leacht Neil), Dara McCloskey (Beannchar), Colm Murphy (An Leamhigh), Bliadhan Glass (Leacht Neil), Gearoid O'Neill (Beannchar), Alan Grant (Na Magha) 0-01, Dermot O'Neill (An Leamhigh) 0-01, Patrick Henry (An Leamhigh) 0-07 6f, Conor McSorley (Baile Na Scríne), Paidi Kelly (Caoimhín Ó Loingsigh), Conor McElhinney (Caoimhín Ó Loingsigh).
Subs used Brian Og Mac Giollagáin (Caoimhín Ó Loingsigh) for Murphy (HT); Paul Cleary (Baile Na Scríne) 0-01 for McSorley (36); Christopher Crossan (Baile Na Scríne) for Hawkins (42).

Subs Brian Lagan (Caoimhín Ó Loingsigh), Malachai O'Hagan (An Suaitreach), Ciaran Farren (Caoimhín Ó Loingsigh), Antoin Kelly (Baile Na Scríne), Michael McGlade (Baile Na Scríne).
Referee Garrett Duffy (Aontroim) and Ray Mathews (Aontroim) second period.

Wednesday 21st July
Bord Gais Ulster GAA Under 21 Hurling Championship Semi Finals
(Extra Time if necessary in both games)

Antrim v Down at Casement Park (6.45pm)
Derry v Armagh at Casement Park (8.15pm)