Intermediate Hurling Championship (quarter final)

Carey Faughs 2-20 Cloney Gaels 2-13

Pics and report by John McIlwaine

Two goals near the end of the first half were the scores that really turned this quarter final in Carey’s direction as they went on to record a seven point win over Cloney Gaels, Ahoghill in Sunday’s Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter final at Healy Park, Loughgiel. The Ahoghill men had started the game well and with the breeze at their backs they were on top early on and though Carey had hit back to lead by the 21^st minute the Gaels slipped back ahead with just three minutes of the opening half left to play. That is when disaster struck the Ahoghill men for after Martin Hunter had grabbed the Faughs opening goal with a ground shot Carey got in less than a minute later when James Rocket Black blocked down the goalkeepers attempted clearance before rounding the netminder and steering the ball to the empty net.

After the game Cloney Gaels manager Hugh Dobbin felt that the club’s All County Football League relegation battle on Wednesday evening against Rossa had been taken a bit out of the team and they were never as sharp as they had been a week earlier against Cloughmills. However the Loughgiel man was quick to point out that Carey had hurled really well and that they fully deserved their win.

Cloney Gaels started the game in the fashion they had ended last week’s win over Cloughmills and Dan O’Neill had them ahead inside thirty seconds with a great catch and point on the turn. James O’Connell made it two a minute later and though James Black pulled one back for the Faughs, two more from James O’Connell frees had them 0-4 to 0-1 clear after eight minutes.  Black pulled another one back for Carey, again from a free before two excellent points from Eoin Graham and Dan O’Neill stretched the Cloney lead to 0-6 to 0-2.

There was some concern among the Carey fans as the gap was beginning to widen but the Faughs were getting to the pace of the game and in a purple patch between the 14th and 21^st minutes they hit six unanswered points, two from the ‘Rocket’ Black, two from midfielder Caolan McCaughan and one apiece from John McBride and Paddy Gillan. This run of scores put Carey two ahead but back came Ahoghill with three quick scores of their own from Donal Graham, James O’Connell and PJ O’Connell to take a slender one point lead with just three minutes of normal time remaining. It was at this stage that things started to go wrong for the Gaels and from being a point up they found themselves five down at the break as Hunter and Black grabbed goals for the Faughs.

Two to the good at the break the Faughs stated with a Fiachra McVeigh point from a narrow angle in the opening minute, which stretched the gap to three, but a minute later Cloney Gaels were back on terms when midfielder Eoin Graham raced through from midfield and blast the ball home one handed. The Carey men were undeterred and came back with four points on the trot form Martin Hunter, Caolan McCaughan, Paddy Butler and Paddy Gillan to give themselves a four point cushion. Points from James O’Connell and Eoin Neeson in reply to one by Fiachra McVeigh left just three between them by the 41^st minute, but the Faughs were able to up the pace when it was needed and in another fertile spell they added five points in as many minutes, four of them from Rocket Black and one from substitute Paddy Butler.

It looked like that was it and we could all pack up and go home, but the Ahoghill men are a resilient lot and a Martin Graham goal gave them a glimmer of hope. The O’Connell brothers James and PJ added points apiece and the gap was down to six and while Carey were creating plenty of chances they had lost their scoring touch and wides mounted. There was never really any real concern that they would be caught but a there must have been a wee bit of anxiety creeping in among the fans until the Rocket settled it all with a pointed 65 in injury time to secure a semi-final meeting with Creggan in two weeks’ time.

CAREY

1. Chrissy Butler
2. Eoin Hill
3. Sean McBride
4. Peadar McVeigh
5. Eggy McVeigh
6. Shea Hunter
7. James McCouaig
8. Daniel McBride
9. Caolan McCaughan
10. James Black
11. John McBride
12. Sean McLoughlin
13. Patrick Gillan
14. Martin Hunter
15. Fiachra McVeigh

Subs – Nathaniel Hunter for John McBride; Patrick Butler for Sean McLoughlin; Connor McBride for Patrick Gillan

 

 

CLONEY GAELS

1 Aidan Graham

2 Stephen O’Connell

3 Francis Neeson

4 Diarmuid Graham

5 Bernard Graham

6 Neill O’Connell

7 Eamon Brady

8 Donal Graham

9 Eoin Graham

10 Eoin Neeson

11 Patrick Graham

12 Ronan Graham

13 Dan O’Neill

14 PJ O’Connell

15 James O’Connell