The Glenariffe team stand for a minute’s silence in memory of Orlaith O’Kane before Friday night’s Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter final with St Gall’s

Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter final

St Gall’s 1-17 Glenariffe Oisins 1-9

St Gall’s are the first team through the semi-finals of the Intermediate Championship after a convincing win over Glenariffe under the lights at Quinn Park, Ballymena on Friday night. The Oisins were well in the game in the opening half and trailed by just a point at the break but after the change of ends St Gall’s took control of the match, hitting 12 scores to Glenariffe’s 4 to book a semi-final spot against the winners of tomorrow’s St Enda’s v Tir na nÓg quarter final.

Glenariffe made a promising start and they took an early lead when Alex O’Boyle finished a good passing move with a point from close range and they went two points up on seven minutes when Conor Patterson sent over a 65 after a goalbound shot by Alex O’Boyle had been turned around the post by St Gall’s goalkeeper Kurtis McGreevy.

St Gall’s were slow to settle but when CJ McGourty grabbed their opening score on eight minutes they began to find their rhythm. A Tomas O’Ciaran point from a free brought the Belfast men level a minute later, and though Alex O’Boyle restored the Oisins lead with a brilliant point direct from a sideline cut, O’Ciaran soon had his team back on terms with his second pointed free. A Karl Stewart point put St Gall’s ahead for the first time with a well taken point from play on 16 minutes but a lovely point from a narrow angle by Dan McKillop tied things up again and the Oisins slipped back in front two minutes later when Alex O’Boyle hit his fourth point of the game. Glenariffe were still ahead with just two minutes of the opening half remaining but St Gall’s were slowly getting on top and three points without replay by Tomas O’Ciaran, Marcus Donnelly and Kieran McGourty put the Milltown men two clear in first half injury time, but a fifth point from Alex O’Boyle, this time from a free, left them trailing by a single point at the interval.

Sean McAreavy fires over a St Gall’s point.

Whatever the St Gall’s manager said to his team in the half-time huddle certainly had the desired effect for they came flying out the traps in the second half and when CJ McGourty found Karl Stewart in space in the opening minute the former county star sent over from 40 metres to put his team two clear. Connor Patterson trimmed the lead back to the minimum again soon afterwards when sent one over from out on the left wing, but that was to be his team’s first score for 23 minutes as St Gall’s took control of the game.

A great ball in behind the Glenariffe defence on 33 minutes was snapped up by corner forward Sean McAreavy  who sent the ball between the posts from the left corner and thought it took further twelve minutes for the next score to come it was McAreavy who got it, another well take effort from the left. McAreavy was to go on and dominate his area during the second period and after midfielder Anthony Healey had put four between the sides McAreavy struck again with a carbon copy of his earlier score.

Glenariffe were struggling to get to the pace of the game but when an Alex O’Boyle point was followed by a goal from substitute Seamus McDonnell the Oisins were suddenly back in the game. However they couldn’t add to those scores as St Gall’s got back on top with two pointed free by CJ McGourty and one from play by substitute Gregory McGreevy to stretch the lead to six as the game entered injury time. Paddy Burns offered Glenariffe a glimmer of hope with a point at the other end but Gregory McGreevy put the seal on his cameo role in the final quarter but firing home a goal and seal his team’s 1-17 to 1-9 win.

ST GALL’S

Kurtis McGreevy, Stephen Morrison, Joe McDaniels (c), Alfie Hannaway, Ryan Irvine, Aodhan Gallagher, Jackson McGreevy, Jack Hopkins, Anthony Healy (0-01), CJ McGourty (0-02, 0-02f), Kieran McGourty (0-01), Tomás Ó Ciaráin (0-03f), Marcus Donnelly (0-01), Karl Stewart (0-02), Sean McAreavey (0-04).

Substitutes: Gregory McGreevy (1-0) and Anton McCaffrey

OISINS

Seanan McToal, Michael Haughey, Randal McDonnell, Niall Murray, Shane O’Connor, Conor Patterson (0-01, 0-01f), Kieran McKendry (c), Daniel Haughey, Kevin McDonnell, Alex McDonnell (0-01), Michael Gettens, Dan McKillop (0-01), Paul McDonnell, Thomas Quinn, Alex O’Boyle (0-01, 0-03f).

Substitutes – Patrick Burns (0-01), Seamus McDonnell (1-00)

Referee – Kevin Parke (St Gall’s)

Pics by John McIlwaine