Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship
Preliminary Round
Clooney Gaels 3-27 St Brigid’s, Cloughmills 1-15
Saturday August 25
Brendan McTaggart reports from Páirc Naomh Mhuire, Cushendall
Devastating. Simply put, an utterly devastating display from Clooney Gaels on Saturday afternoon as they steam rolled the challenge of St Brigid’s in the opening round of the Intermediate Championship. 18 points separated the sides after the hour and while the Biddies put up a better fight in the second half, the damage was already done in the first half.
After 30 minutes, the Ahoghill side had already opened up a 19 point lead. They made a dream start to the game, reeling off 1-10 unanswered in the opening quarter and continued to outclass the beleaguered Cloughmills men. From the first whistle, the Gaels were sharper, crisper, more fluent and cohesive. Cloughmills were hit a knockout blow with the speed of the Clooney start and they just didn’t recover.
It was a strong team performance from the victors with Neil O’Connell and Francis Neeson providing the rocks at the back but there was no doubt who the star of the show was on Saturday afternoon. Corner forward James O’Connell put in the type of display that he’ll be able to talk about in years to come. 2-13 over the hour with 2-7 from play, O’Connell was imperious. The Biddies couldn’t handle him as he and Dan O’Neill wreaked havoc, between them scoring 3-11 from open play.
Cloughmills managed their first shot from open play in the 18th minute, such was the dominance of Clooney Gaels and managed just three points from their efforts in the opening 30 minutes, a start to the match that had many in attendance at Páirc Mhuire scratching their heads. Before a ball was thrown in, this tie had many calling it the game of the round with Cloughmills edging the betting beforehand. The Gaels proved that winning becomes a habit. It breeds confidence and having secured promotion to Division Two at the first time of asking, the Clooney men played like a team full of confidence and belief. They played an attractive brand of hurling that is bourn from their dual roots. They support each other and tackle in numbers. They have a ferocity in the breakdown that makes them hard to overcome and on Saturday it took the Biddies until the second half to come to terms with their opponents.
The Biddies ended up winning the second half 1-12 to 1-11, a silver lining on an extremely dark cloud for Geoffrey Laverty’s side. After the interval they showed more fight and hunger but the damage was already done. Aaron Smiley top scored with 0-7 over the hour while Conor Laverty scored their goal to finish the match with 1-2. It will be a small crumb of consolation for St Brigid’s who would have had hopes of claiming the Intermediate crown. Clooney Gaels had other ideas however and booked their place in the next round and a meeting with Carey Faughs and on this display, who would back against them retaining the crown they won in 2016?
The Ahoghill men scored five points in as many minutes from the restart as they caught Cloughmills on the hop early doors with the inside forward duo of Dan O’Neill and James O’Connell giving the early signs of what was to transpire. PJ O’Connell was playing in midfield with Donal Graham playing further up the pitch and the stick work of O’Connell, athleticism and agility in the midfield was a huge asset for the Gaels as they upped the intensity and pressure on Cloughmills.
The first goal of the game came in the 12th minute with Dan O’Neill benefitting from a dropped sliotar by Chris McKiernan. The Biddies ‘keeper looked to gather a high ball from Donal Graham but he lost possession and O’Neill was first to the lose ball, pulling first time to the back of the net to underline his sides superiority in the opening exchanges.
Conor Laverty scored St Brigid’s first point of the match in the 19th minute but by that time Clooney Gaels had already opened a 13 point lead. The Clooney second goal came soon after and while James O’Connell finished, the score was laid on a plate by his team mate Patrick Graham. Collecting a pop pass from Dan O’Neill, Graham drew in defenders before laying the sliotar off to the waiting O’Connell. The Clooney man applied the finish and it already felt like a winning score after just 20 minutes as they led 2-11 to 0-1.
The Ahoghill men continued to rack up the scores and deservedly yet astonishingly held a 2-16 to 0-3 lead at the short whistle. It could have been worse yet again for Cloughmills as the Gaels still managed to reach double figures with their wide count.
It would have taken something bordering miraculous for Cloughmills to get back into the tie. They had the wind at their backs after the restart and while they showed something close to what we’ve come to expect from the Biddies, it was never going to be enough. They managed to score four points unanswered with Liam Kearns scoring a couple of frees, Smiley and Mickey Devlin also splitting the posts but it barely raised a ripple of applause from the Cloughmills support.
The Biddies goal came in the 50th minute with Laverty latching onto a high ball from James Doherty. Timing his run to perfection, Laverty hit the sliotar first time to the back of the net to reduce the Clooney lead to 15 points. Cloughmills were creating more chances and put the Clooney Gaels defence under pressure but Neil O’Connell, Bernard Graham and Francis Neeson were excellent throughout and marshalled the defensive unit of the Gaels superbly.
The sides went score for score in the time that remained with the Gaels largely controlling the contest before James O’Connell scored the Ahoghill men’s third goal of the match in the last minute of normal time.
Clooney Gaels progress and on the evidence of this performance, their odds will have sharply decreased on retaining the Intermediate Championship.
Clooney Gaels: Aiden Graham; Stephen O’Connell, Francis Neeson, Diarmuid Graham; Bernard Graham, Neil O’Connell, Eamon Brady; James Magee, Donal Graham; Owen Neeson, Patrick Graham, Ronan Graham; Dan O’Neill, PJ O’Connell, James O’Connell.
St Brigid’s: Chris McKiernan; Steven Martin, John McGuckian, Sean McKendry; James Doherty, Michael Morrison, Joe Smyth; Mickey Devlin, Sean Og McErlain; Aaron Smiley, Conor Laverty, Ruairi Laverty; Geoffrey Og Laverty, Liam Kearns, Steven Smyth.
Scorers for Clooney Gaels: James O’Connell 2-13 (7 f’s); Dan O’Neill 1-4; PJ O’Connell 0-3; Patrick Graham 0-3; Bernard Graham 0-2; Eamon Brady 0-1; Ronan Graham 0-1; Conor Neeson 0-1
Scorers for St Brigids: Aaron Smile 0-7 (3 f’s, 1 ’65); Conor Laverty 1-2; Liam Kearns 0-2 (2 f’s); Gary McCollum 0-2; Eoin Dobbin 0-1; Mickey Devlin 0-1
Referee: Brendan Toland (Lámh Dhearg)