Intermediate Hurling Championship preliminary Round
Kickham’s Creggan 1-18 Glen Rovers Armoy 2-8
A storming start by Kickham’s Creggan paved the way for an excellent victory over an Armoy side who will join them in division 3 next year in the second game of a double header at Clooney on Sunday. If the first game was a tame affair then this one turned into a real championship battle though Creggan were deserving winners in the end and never looked like being headed after a great opening quarter.
Creggan came racing out of the starting blocks and appeared to catch their opponents cold as they raced into an early lead with points from Conor McCann, Keelan McCann and two from Kevin Small, one after an amazing pick up as he flicked the sliotar into the air with his foot.
The Kickham’s pressure continued and after Timothy Burns pulled off a smart save to deny Small, Conor McCann just failed to get a touch on a tantalising delivery before Niall McAuley extended their lead to five with 11 minutes on the clock.
The Glen Rovers side were being out fought and out thought all over the field at this stage but they were handed a lifeline when Johnny McErlain fielded a high delivery following a Rocky Dillon interception before turning Aiden McKeown and firing past Eunan McAteer from close range.
Would this score lift Armoy? That question was soon answered but instead it was the Staffordstown Road side who made the response as they continued to dominate and Kevin Rice and Oran McCann replied with points before Conor McCann was first to the breaking ball to send to the net when the Glen Rovers defence failed to deal with a high dropping ball.
Eamon McCaughan replied with a 24th minute point, only Armoy’s second score of the half but again the Kickham’s hit back with points from Ruairi McCann and Conor McCann to move eight points ahead.
We then had a moment of controversy when the same player appeared to have added a point and the umpires agreed but the score was ruled out by the referee after a linesman appeared to indicate it was wide.
From the resulting puck out play switched to the other end where Johnny McErlain finished the first half scoring.
BETTER START
Arthur Devlin replaced Shane Devlin in the Armoy side for the start of the second half and the Glen Rovers made a much better start with points from Johnny McErlain and Conor Christie, the second after good work by PJ McBride.
Armoy were now playing with much greater intensity as they strove to close the six point gap and Conor McCann and Owen Kinney exchanged further points as the challenges went in from both sides with little quarter asked or given.
The contest was much more balanced now with Trevor Linton and Oran McCann exchanging further minors as play swung from end to end but a Conor McCann point from play and a pointed free from the same player edged the Kickham’s seven ahead and there was a feeling that Armoy would need at least one goal if they were to turn this one around.
The goal arrived with 13 minutes remaining but only after Niall McAuley had pointed at the other end. Owen Kinney climbed highest in a crowded goalmouth to get a deft flick on a Hail Mary delivery and the gap was down to five with 13 minutes still to play.
Again the Creggan men were able to find a response as the superb Conor McCann fired over a free and Oran McCann another from play to move them back into a seven point lead.
Glen Rovers battled hard until the end but the Creggan defence stood strong with Tommy McCann dropping back to play a sweeper’s role and a late Ciaran McErlain point was all Armoy could manage and it is the Kickham’s who now go forward to a place in the quarter-finals.
Creggan: Eunan McAteer, Jake McAteer, Aidan McKeown, Liam McCann, Aidan Maguire, Donal Carey, Ciaran Rice, Keelan McCann, Ruairi McCann, Kevin Rice, Niall McAuley, Oran McCann, Conor McCann, Tomas McCann, Kevin Small Subs: Sam Maguire for Ruairi McCann (Blood sub) Sam Maguire for Niall McAuley
Armoy: Timothy Burns, Shane Devlin, Charles McCormick, Emmet O’Hara, Daniel McPeake, John Dillon, Martin McErlain, Ciaran McErlain, PJ McBride, Trevor Linton, Owen Kinney, Eamon McCaughan, Thomas Burns, Johnny McErlain, Conor Christie. Subs: Arthur Devlin for Shane Devlin, Joe McBride for Conor Christie, Liam Dillon for Daniel McPeake
Referee: Vincent Boyle (Dunloy)