Hot-shot Coulter turns on style as Setanta secure semi-final place

FORMER Armagh ace Declan Coulter turned on the style for his new club Setanta in Donegal by hitting six points in their 1-18 to 2-8 win over Down champions Ballela in the Ulster junior hurling championship quarter-final.

Coulter’s accuracy was complemented by that of Kevin Campbell who scored 0-7 in what was a fractious, foul-laden contest.

Setanta goalkeeper Ciaran Browne received a red card for appearing to stamp on Ballela’s Ryan McCusker and more than one other player should have merited a similar sanction.

Malachy Magee certainly worked overtime to try and keep Ballela in the picture by scoring 2-4, his 7th-minute goal highlighting his team’s early flourish before the Donegal champions slowly but surely turned the screw.

Derry side Na Magha, meanwhile, cruised past Monaghan representatives Carrickmacross by 3-15 to 1-4 in a one-sided affair in which the outcome was never in doubt from an early stage.

Cavan outfit Mullahoran were pressed all the way by a gallant Naomh Colm Cille (Tyrone) before coming out on top by 3-8 to 0-14.

In the intermediate quarter-finals Derry side Lavey romped to a handsome 4-25 to 0-10 win over Down champions Liatroim Fontenoys.

Lavey were quickly out of the blocks and Liatroim were never in the hunt. And Antrim champions Patrick Sarsfields had an equally smooth passage into the last four by overcoming Castleblayney by 1-27 to 0-11.

The Belfast side led by 1-14 to 0-8 at the interval and afterwards proceeded to pick off points throughout the second-half which cemented their dominance.