Intermediate Hurling Championship
Quarter-Final
Saturday September 1
Kickhams Creggan 0-17 St Mary’s Rasharkin 1-6
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
2015 Intermediate Champions Creggan coasted to the semi-finals of the 2018 intermediate championship on Saturday afternoon with an eight point victory over Rasharkin. A late goal from substitute Conor McFerran took some of the shine off the final score for the Kickhams men but a man of the match performance from Conor McCann was enough to see the Creggan men through to the last four. McCann would finish the match with a personal tally of 0-10 of his side’s 0-17 as he put in an accomplished performance from placed ball and open play. Eight of McCann’s ten points came from placed ball (one ’65) but his overall play throughout the hour was a major factor in Creggan’s victory.
The men from Dreen had three men sent off by the end of the 60 minutes, Conor Donaghy, James Scally and Daniel Doherty seeing red in the second half but it had little baring on the final score. Rasharkin will look at the opening 30 minutes when they analyse this match and try to decipher where it all went wrong. One point in 30 minutes of championship hurling isn’t going to win you many matches at this level but seven wides in a low scoring and nervy opening certainly hurt their challenge in the first half.
Throughout the match they battled superbly and their full back line, in the main, held strong. Daniel Doherty was having an outstanding game on the edge of the square for his side before the red mist descended while Conor Donaghy and Conor Hasson were able deputies on either side. Dual star Thomas McMullan was everywhere on the Pearse Park surface for his side before dropping into the full back line after Doherty’s dismissal. It was up front where Rasharkin’s downfall fell. 1-3 from play in their tally of 1-6 was never going to be good enough as Creggan put in a gritty performance from the first whistle to full time. The Kickham’s half forward line of Oran McCann, Sam Maguire and Kevin Rice put in a huge shift at the breakdown and laid the foundation for Creggan’s victory. Ruairi and Keelan McCann were excellent at midfield but Tommy McCann will know that if Creggan are to replicate their feat’s of 2015, they will have to reach greater heights than those that seen them to victory on Saturday.
It was a nervy opening to the quarter-final with both sides lacking any cohesion of fluency. A couple of wides apiece in a game of cat and mouse in the opening exchanges was all they could muster before Thomas McCann landed the first score of the match in the eighth minute. A brace of frees from Conor McCann followed before Sam Maguire found himself in the right place and the right time to give his side a four point lead by the 12th minute.
Rasharkin’s Eamon McNeill was lively in the opening quarter without any reward but he did score his sides first point of the match in the 16th minute, gathering the sliotar from a ruck before dissecting the posts. Creggan responded by dominating the time that remained. But for the bravery of Conor Hasson, Thomas McCann would have scored the first goal of the game with the next attack. Hasson using his body to deny McCann from point blank range. Conor McCann pointed the resulting ’65 and a free shortly after to stretch the Creggan advantage to five points and as the half progressed, Rasharkin were struggling to deal with the agility of the Creggan half forward line and Conor McCann was the main beneficiary. Creggan landed four further points in the time that remained, three from Conor McCann (two frees) and Liam McCann assisting Oran McCann for his first of the match to leave the Kickham’s men ahead by eight points at the interval.
Creggan 0-9 Rasharkin 0-1
It was a first half to forget for Rasharkin and but for Daniel Doherty, Creggan almost made the dream start to the second 30 minutes. Thomas McCann feeding the sliotar to Kevin Small but his shot was heroically blocked by Doherty when a goal looked a certainty in the early exchanges of the second half. Daniel Hasson landed his first point of two in the second half to open the scoring before Kevin Rice landed his second point of the match to restore the Creggan half time advantage.
A long ball from Liam Tunney gave Rasharkin a hint of goal chance in the 36th minute, Daniel Hasson finding space 25 yards from goal but elected for a point when he had a clear shot at Eunan McAteer’s goal. Conor McCann’s first free of the second half was answered by a free from Conor McKeever for Rasharkin but Creggan began to turn the screw once again. Sam Maguire landed his second point of the match before Conor Donaghy was sent off for the men from Dreen in the 43rd minute for a second bookable offence. An uphill task became mission impossible for Rasharkin and it was all about damage restriction as the game entered the final quarter. A brace of points from Conor McCann (frees) and Rice stretched the Creggan lead to 11 points before Conor McCann pointed from play in the 49th minute.
Seeing the game enter the final quarter, Creggan looked to their bench to see the game out and give their squad players game time. Rasharkin’s hopes were dashed when James Scally was sent off for a second bookable offence but the men from Dreen continued to push and fight for every sliotar. Conor McKeever’s second and third free’s of the match reduced the deficit before they scored the only goal of the game. Substitute Conor McFerran firing low to the bottom of Eunan McAteer’s net to give his side hope. That hope was dashed moments later when they were reduced to 12 men in the 51st minute. Outstanding full back Daniel Doherty seeing red for an off the ball incident to end Rasharkin’s hopes of a comeback. A point from Liam McCann rounded off the scoring in injury time for Creggan as they sealed safe passage to the last four and a meeting with the winners of Carey and Clooney Gaels.
Creggan: Eunan McAteer; Jake McAteer, Aidan Maguire, Dannan O’Hara; Aiden McKeown, Donal Carey, Liam McCann; Ruairi McCann, Keelan McCann; Oran McCann; Sam Maguire, Kevin Rice; Conor McCann, Thomas McCann, Kevin Small.
Rasharkin: James O’Mullan; Conor Donaghy, Daniel Doherty, Conor Hasson; Shane Hasson, Aidan McKeever, James Scally; Emmet McFerran, Thomas McMullan; Donagh Quigg, Liam Tunney, Daniel Hasson, Eamon McNeill, Brian O’Neill.
Scorers for Creggan: Conor McCann 0-10 (7 f’s, 1 ’65); Kevin Rice 0-2; Sam Maguire 0-2; Thomas McCann 0-1; Oran McCann 0-1; Liam McCann 0-1
Scorers for Rasharkin: Conor McKeever 0-3 (3 f’s); Conor McFerran 1-00; Daniel Hasson 0-2; Eamon McNeill 0-1
Referee: Vincent O’Boyle (Dunloy)