All County Hurling League Division 2
St. Galls 1-16 Tir Na nOg 1-8
Tomas O’Ciarain stole the show as St. Gall’s defeated visitors Tir Na nOg at Milltown on Sunday. The full-forward hit 1.11 of his side’s 1.16 total and proved a handful for the visitors defence throughout the hour.
Sean Duffin opened the scoring for the visitors when he converted a 2nd minute free but O’Ciarain replied with the equaliser with three minutes gone.
Kevin Sheerin edged the Whitehill side ahead once more from another free following a foul on Ciaran McKeown but again St. Gall’s were able to respond and Karl Stewart sent over the equaliser in the 14th minute.
The visitors were certainly holding their own at this stage as Kevin Sheerin pointed them ahead once more as he converted another free after being fouled himself.
It was the Milltown side who finished the half the stronger however as O’Ciarain hit four points to leave his side leading by 0-8 to 0-4 at the break, Tir Na nOg’s other point coming from Kevin McCann.
Indeed it could have been worse but Ruidi Graham pulled off an excellent save to deny Brendan Bradley what looked a certain goal.
O’Ciarain extended the St. Gall’s lead on the restart when he was on hand to scramble the ball over the line following a shot from Jackson McGreevey.
Tir Na nOg responded with another pointed free from Kevin Sheerin following a foul on Ciaran McKeown before Karl Stewart placed O’Ciarain for a St. Gall’s reply.
O’Ciarain was in fine form as he hit the next two points, one from play but again Kevin Sheerin split the posts in reply.
O’ Ciarnain and Colm Duffin exchanged further points and when Kevin McCann set up Pearse Sheerin for a goal in the 47th minute a Tir na nOg come-back looked on the cards.
It was as close as they were to get however with Jackson McGreevey replying for the Milltown men before setting up Anto Healey for another and Tir na nOg tagging on a late consolation point from Sean Duffin to conclude the scoring.
Tir na nOg, although well beaten in the end certainly had their chances in a game where some of the shooting from both sides was wasteful in the extreme.
The visitors hit 16 wides over the hour but their opponents weren’t a lot better in the shooting stakes, racking up 15. St. Gall’s hit 10 in the first half while Tir Na nOg hit 8.
While others were wasteful it was that man O’Ciarain who showed how scores should be taken as he fired over from every angle in a man of the match performance.
Kevin Sheerin once again top scored for the Whitehill side getting 0-4 of his side’s total with their goal coming from his brother Pearse Sheerin.
St. Gall’s: Tomas O’Ciarnan (1.11), Karl Stewart (0.1), Kieran McGourty (0.1), Justin McGreevy (0.2), Anto Healy (0.1)
Tir Na nOg scorers: Kevin Sheerin (0.4-4frees), Sean Duffin (0.2- 1 free), Colm Duffin (0.1), Kevin McCann (0.1), Pearse Sheerin (1.0)
St Gall’s
S O’Hare, P Fion, S Burle, S Morris, A Gribbon, J McDonnell, R Irvine, J McGreevy, A Hanaway, A Healy, P Friel, K Stewart, A McGourty, T O’Ciarain, B Bradley.
Tir na nOg:
Ruidi Graham: Stephen Carey, Tony Martin, Brendan Kerr: Conor Fitzgerald, Colm Duffin, Caoimhin Duffin: Sean Duffin, Emmet Martin: Ciaran McKeown, Pearse Sheerin, Ciaran Logan: Kevin Kerr, Kevin Sheerin, Rory Bonnes.