Tir na nOg away to a win in the wind and rain

ACHL Div2

Cloughmills 1.7 (10) Tír na nÓg 0.12 (12)

By Aimee McAtamney

With the wind blowing a gale and the heavens opening numerous times during the 60+minutes it made for less than ideal conditions for St. Brigid’s and Tír na nÓg to open their hurling league campaigns for 2019 in Cloughmills today.

The home side went two points ahead after three minutes but when the visitors edged a point ahead in the 16th minute it was aad they were to maintain for the remainder of a well contested game. It may not have been ideal weather conditions but it was a perfect league start for Smokey’s Whitehill men, despite missing players and losing their county talisman at the end of the first half.

Aaron Mcneilly fires over a Tir na nOg point

Liam Kearns started proceedings for the home side with a well taken free and doubled his tally after only three minutes and Cloughmills were to rely on Kearn’s free taking ability to keep them in touch throughout. Kevin Sheerin pulled one back from a placed ball before the lightening quick Aaron McNeilly converted. Kearns put the Biddies back in front before Sheerin equalised again as play swung from end to end.

A bright performance from youngster McNeilly saw him cut inside and get his second of the day and wing half forward Pearse Sheerin opened up his shoulders to send the ball over the black spot and put Tír na nÓg in the driving seat.

With 5 minutes remaining on the clock Sean Duffin fielded a puc out but under pressure tumbled over and injured his ankle causing him to be carried from the field. Stephen Carey came on to replace him. Due to the time elapsed for the injury, 8 further minutes were to be played and Kevin Sheerin got 2 more points, one from play and one from a free.

St. Brigid’s Aaron Smylie and Tir na nOg’s Ciaran McKeown battle for possession

Malachy Duffin also scored a point from a near impossible angle to increase the Tir na nOg lead to 5 points. Liam Kearns stepped up to fire over a free for the ‘Biddies’ just before the short whistle keeping his side still in it with 4 points between the sides and a strong breeze on their back for the second half.

Tír na nÓg looked up against it in the second half with the wind blowing into their faces and Kevin Kerr took up a position deeper in defence allowing Ryan O’Neill to drive out and control the defence ably aided by wing half back partner Tony Martin.

With conditions worsening both sides struck wide balls as they struggled to judge the wind. Michael Devlin for the home side was the first to break the deadlock before Kevin Sheerin added to his tally. Ciaran McKeown was the player to take the game by the scruff of the neck and in his second direct run at the Cloughmills defence they were forced to pull him down again resulting in a well taken free by Kevin Sheerin. Substitute Stephen Carey then got himself on the end of a breaking ball to give the visitors a 6 point lead as they continued to enjoy the better of the exchanges in increasingly trying conditions.

When it seemed like Tír na nÓg had done enough to take the points, centre half forward Conor Laverty pounced on a spilled ball in a goalmouth scramble and only had one thing on his mind, rattling the bottom corner of the visitors net to bring his side back into contention, with more than enough time still to play.

Kevin Sheerin who started in attack before moving out the field and finished with 0-6 ( 4 frees) for Tir na nog

With the game hanging in the balance both teams fought hard against each other and the weather conditions. Ciaran McKeown then burst forward to receive a pass and get the visitors last score of the game but Cloughmills continued to push and threaten and Micky Devlin and Liam Kearns both converted from frees before they were reduced to 14 men following a straight red card.

An end to end game which was highly entertaining for spectators saw Tír na nÓg come out on top by only two points and take their own two points back to Whitehill. On the 7th April Tír na nÓg take on a much fancied St. Enda’s at home while Cloughmills head to the Bear-pit to face Sarsfields.

Tír na nÓg: 1. R. Graham 2. M. Higgins 3. D. Martin 4. B. Kerr 5. T. Martin 6. R. O’Neill 7. C. Fitzgerald 8. C. Duffin 9. K. Kerr 10. P. Sheerin 11. S. Duffin 12. C. McKeown 13. M. Duffin 14. K. Sheerin 15. A. McNeilly 17. S. Carey 18. L. Carey 19. E. Martin 20. N. Shannon 21. D. O’kane

Subs used: S. Carey for S. Duffin (inj-26mins)

Scorers: K. Sheerin (0.6 -4 frees), A. McNeilly (0.2), P. Sheerin (0.1), M. Duffin (0.1), S. Carey (0.1), C. Mckeown (0.1)