Tír na nÓg 1.13 (16)
St. Enda’s 3.19 (28)
Report: Aimee McAtamney
Photographs: JJ Lawell
A large crowd gathered on Sunday evening at Whitehill Park to watch Tír na nÓg and St. Enda’s in the second round of the All County Hurling League Division2. St Enda’s, who now have former All Star Terence McNaughton at the helm, dominated the first half and went in 10 points to the good at half time. Tír na nÓg came out fighting in the second half and brought the deficit back to 4 points heading into injury time, however corner forward Dermot Maguire and centre half forward Ruairi Donaghy brought Whitehill’s hope to an end when they found the back of the net with just minutes remaining.
Kevin Sheerin’s 4 points in the opening 30 minutes were all that the home side could manage as Tír na nÓg struggled to find their rhythm. St. Enda’s dominated all over the park and dictated the pace of play while the home side failed to get to grips. Jennings struck the first point of the game followed by Kevin Sheerin for the home side. St. Enda’s then took control and hit the next nine scores (1.8) before Tír na nÓg would register their second score.
Ryan Bogue got the visitors second point of the game from midfield and Philly Curran caught a ball straight from the puc out and stroked it leisurely over the bar. Jennings struck his first dead ball of the game after 9 minutes. A trio of points from Conor McSteen, Brendan Cormican and Ryan Bogue extended the St. Enda’s lead to six points, and in the 17th minute Cormac Ross got the score of the game when he put the ball between the black spot from 80metres out from goal. Jennings then brought his tally to 3 points when he hit a free over the bar before setting up Ruairi Donaghy who slotted home the Hightown men’s first goal.
Tír na nÓg were struggling for answers, Aaron McNeilly drove at the visitors defence twice and was taken down; Kevin Sheerin stepped up and knocked both balls over the bar. Jennings and Sheerin exchanged frees and Philly Curran got the last score of the half to leave the score 1.11 (14) to 0.4 (4) in favour of St. Enda’s.
After the short whistle Sheerin hit his fifth point of the game swiftly followed by one from Ciaran Logan. Jennings and Bogue furthered their tallies before Sheerin turned the puc-out over and split the posts again. With the game becoming more competitive and the home side getting to grips with the St. Enda’s attack Ciaran McKeown got a point and Kevin Sheerin converted a free after a foul on newly introduced substitute Ciaran O’Neill. Cormac Ross stepped forward and once again demonstrated long accurate striking, this time from a free from inside his own half. Ciaran O’Neill and Eamon Og McAllister brought new life to the Tír na nÓg attack and McAllister was trailed down for another free which Sheerin coverted with ease.
Four minutes later McAllister was driving in on goal only to be brought down again and after protests referee Vincent Boyle brought the free more central. Sheerin had only one thing on his mind, 25metres from goal and in a central position, he duly found the back of the net and reduced the deficit to 4 points. In what seemed like a shootout between Jennings and Sheerin, the St Enda’s man stroked over another free and Kevin Sheerin went deep into his own half and replied from a 70 meters, which made him top scorer, finishing with a tally of 1-9. Man of the match Cormac Ross hit his third score of the game, also from 70 metres, before Ciaran O’Neill then brought the game back to 4 points.
With 30 minutes of normal time played, the game headed into injury time. Tir na nOg still looked in with a shout of gaining something but, St. Enda’s shifted up a gear and put the game to bed with points from Jennings, McSteen and a second goal from corner forward Dermot Maguire, who got the slightest of touches from Mark Donaghy’s long puc in to finish the ball to the back of the net. Logan got one last point for the home side and Jennings hit a further free and danced past the Tír na nÓg defence to put the nail in the coffin with yet another goal which turned out to be the last play of the game after 8minutes of injury time. The men from Hightown head home with their second brace of points of the league campaign to move top of the division, but though they won this one comfortably Tir na nÓg made them work for their victory.
The next outings for both these teams is Easter Sunday, 21st April. St. Enda’s face Glen Rovers Armoy at home and Tír na nÓg travel to neighbours Creggan.
Tír na nÓg: 1. R. Graham 2. M. Higgins 3. K. Kerr 4. B. Kerr 5. T. Martin 6. R. O’Neill 7. C. Fitzgerald 8. C. Duffin 9. C. McKeown 10. E. Martin 11. K. Sheerin 12. S. Carey 13. C. Logan 14. P. Sheerin15. A. McNeilly 17. C. O’Neill 18. L. Carey 19. E. Og McAllister 20. N. Shannon 21. O. McAtamney 22. N. Devlin 23. R. O’Neill
Subs used: E. Og McAllister for P. Sheerin (21mins), C. O’Neill for E. Martin (39mins), R. O’Neill for S. Carey (50mins)
Scorers: K. Sheerin (1.9- 7 frees), C. Logan (0.2), C. Mckeown (0.1), C. O’Neill (0.1)
St. Enda’s: 1. J. McGoldrick 2. N. O’Connor 3. R. Gillan 4. M. McGivern 5. C. Ross 6. M. Donaghy 7. M. O’Hare 8. D. Lowry 9. R. Bogue 10. B. Cormican 11. R. Donaghy 12. C. McSteen 13. K. Jennings 14. P. Curran 15. D. Maguire
Scorers: K. Jennings (1.8- 7 frees), R. Bogue (0.3), P. Curran (0.2), C. McSteen (0.2), B. Cormican (0.1), C. Ross (0.3-2 frees), R. Donaghy (1.0), D. Maguire (1.0)
Referee: Vincent Boyle (Dunloy)
