Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter final
St Enda’s 3-17 Tir na nÓg Randalstown 2-8
When St Enda’s were reduced to fourteen men five minutes into the second half of Saturday’s Intermediate Championship quarter final against Tir na nÓg in Ahoghill the Randalstown fans must have thought they were in with a great chance of victory. They had played fairly well in the opening half and scored two goals, and though they trailed by three points, the man advantage had to be a major boost. However the exact opposite happened and it was the men from Glengormley who took control of the match. Substitute Daniel Lowry who had just been introduced grabbed a goal two minutes after coming on and when he got his second six minutes later the game was gone from Tir na nÓg’s grasp and St Enda’s were on their way to a semi-final.
The opening half was tight and competitive with an early exchange of points between St Enda’s Cormac Ross and Tir na nÓg’s Ciaran Logan and Logan put the Randalstown men ahead in the third minute before John McGoldrick tied things up again for the Saints. It was still deadlocked when Kevin Sheerin (Tir na nÓg) and Brendan Cormican (St Enda’s) exchanged points but when Pearse Sheerin’s high ball from distance went all the way to the St Enda’s net in the 13th minute Tir na nÓg suddenly had an edge. The Hightown men responded well however and three points without reply from Cormac Ross, John McGoldrick and Ruairi Donaghy brought parity once again.
Tir na nÓg appeared to have gained the upper hand again when a well worked move involving Ciaran McKeown and Ronan O’Neill set up Pearse Sheerin for his team’s second goal and restored their three point advantage. Things looked good for the Randalstown men but just like the last time St Edna’s found an instant response and within 30 seconds the ball was in the net at the other end of the field as Dermot Maguire capitalised on the goalkeeper’s hesitancy to prod the ball home. It proved to be a bad blow for Tir na nÓg as they failed to score again in the opening half while St Enda’s finished strongly with points from Ruairi Donaghy, Conor McSteen and Cormac Ross to go in at the break with a three point advantage.
When Conor McSteen and kevin Sheerin exchanged points in the opening minutes of the new half it looked like we were in for a hard fought contest, but things were to change when St Enda’s John McGoldrick, who had received a yellow card in the opening minute of the game, got a second yellow and subsequent red card. It looked advantage Tir na nÓg but that didn’t happen and the introduction at the same time of substitute Daniel Lowry was to pay early dividends. Lowry grabbed his first goal within minutes of his introduction and then added a second six minute later and the gap that was a very bridgeable three points was suddenly out to nine. Pearse Sheerin and Ciaran Logan pulled points back for Tir na nÓg but St Enda’s had their tails up and in a blistering ten minute spell they hit six points to just one in reply, the scores coming from Cormac Ross (3), Joe Maskey (2) and Ruairi Diamond.
The win earns the Glengormley men a semi-final meeting with St Gall’s in two weeks’ time in what should be an intriguing contest.
ST ENDA’S
Philip Curran, Cillian Jennings, Matthew O’Hare, Michael McGivern, Edward O’Connor, Manus Mullan, joe maskey, Cormac Ross, Aidan McGowan, Brendan Cormican, Ruairi Donaghy, John McGoldrick, Dermot Maguire, Conor McSteen, Ruairi Diamond.
Subs – Oliver Breen for McSteen; Michael McQuillan for McGowan.
TIR NA NÓG
Rudi Graham, Conor Fitzgerald, Daniel Martin, Brendan Kerr, Tony Martin, Colum Duffin, Darragh Fagan, Conor Fitzgerald, Caoimhin Duffin, Sean Duffin, Pearse Sheerin, Ciaran McKeown, Ciaran Logan, Kevin Sheerin, Ronan O’Neill.
Subs – Aaron McNeilly for D Fagan; Declan Mallon for C Mckeown.
Pics by John McIlwaine