Senior Reserve Hurling Championship Quarter-Final
Dunloy 0-27 Ballycran 3-20
Monday August 12
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
For those who made the journey to Pearse Park on Monday evening, they were treated to a cracking game of hurling. It took extra time to separate these sides but the old saying of ‘goals win games’ came true once again. Ballycran edged the Cuchullains to progress to the semi-finals of the Reserve Championship with substitute Ben Arthurs scoring the decisive goal in the second period of extra time.
Colum McManus top scored for the Down side with nine points in total while Phelim Savage and Conor Dorrian chipped in with 2-5 between them. Captain Michael Ennis was a star performer in the heart of their defence with Declan Ennis’ poc outs going deep and a huge outlet throughout the game.
Miceál Murphy finished the match with 0-12 in an impressive display for the Cuchullains, four white flags coming from play while Nicky McKeague was always a threat, three of his six points coming from place ball also. Karl O’Kane and Aaron Crawford excelling throughout while Cathair McGuigan was more prominent for the home side as the game progressed.
After the opening 30 minutes it looked like it was going to be a comfortable win for the men from the Ards peninsula. They had a four point lead with goals from Conor Dorrian and Phelim Savage ensuring they were in control. Dorrian’s major coming after a long ball wasn’t dealt with into the Dunloy full back line and when the sliotar fell loose, he was in the right place at the right time. Savage’s goal was something similar in the 22nd minute and it gave Ballycran some breathing space on the scoreboard that their efforts deserved in the first half.
Dunloy made a slow start and couldn’t get any ball to stick in the forwards. They took some cracking scores from distance to get the scoreboard ticking but they had trailed by six after Savage’s major. The home side finished the first half strongly however with Murphy, Nicky McKeague and Chrissy McMahon finding the scores to reduce the Ballycran lead. Their defence were working their socks off with Oran Quinn in particular catching the eye with good reading of the game and pace to break from deep but the visitors half back line turned numerous ball with Gerard Hughes, Michael Ennis and Savage on form.
The Cuchullains continued with the same vein of form the ended the first half after the restart with Miceál Murphy and Nicky McKeague landing telling scores. They upped their game to draw level in the 43rd minute and when the influential Cormac McAllister was sent off for a second yellow card six minutes later, it looked like there was only one winner. Ballycran regrouped however and when Gerard Hughes scored his second point of the night, they looked to have done enough. The Cuchullains forced extra time however when Murphy stepped up to score his seventh free of the match and 11th point overall with the last poc of the hour.
The sides were tied after the initial ten minutes but the whole momentum of the game changed just 12 seconds into the second period of extra time. Paul Miskimmon finding Arthurs in space and the Ballycran substitute made no mistake from point blank range. Dunloy pushed hard for the major that would tie the scores at the death and had one last roll of the dice when Murphy stood over the sliotar from wide on the right. The ball fell to substitute Ryan McFarline but his first timed pull went over the bar in what was the last action of the game.
Ballycran’s ability to create goal chances proved to be the difference but after a disappointing first half, the Cuchullains could have won this one before the end of normal time. A few missed chances coming and going for Dunloy but Ballycran did enough in extra time to advance to the next round.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Paul Doherty; Oran Quinn, Karl O’Kane, Adam Mullan; Oran Shivers, James McKeague, Aaron Crawford; Callum Scullion, Cathair McGuigan; Nicky McKeague, Miceál Murphy, Ciaran McQuillan; Chrissy McMahon, Anton McGrath, Oisin McErlean.
Scorers: Miceál Murphy 0-12 (8 f’s); Nicky McKeague 0-6 (3 f’s); Anton McGrath 0-2; Chrissy McMahon 0-1; Ryan McFarline 0-1; James McKeague 0-1; Aaron Crawford 0-1; Callum Scullion 0-1; Oisin McErlean 0-1; Ciaran McQuillan 0-1.
Ballycran: Declan Ennis; Brad Wilson, Thomas McManus, Rory Brown; Gerard Hughes, Michael Ennis, Michael Traynor; Philip Miskimmon, Phelim Savage; Cormac McAllister, Paul Miskimmon, Conor Dorrian; Niall Breen, Colum McManus, David Gilliland.
Scorers: Colum McManus 0-9 (7 f’s); Conor Dorrian 1-3; Phelim Savage 1-2; Gerard Hughes 0-2; Cormac McAllister 0-2; Philip Miskimmon 0-1; Niall Breen 0-1.
Referee: Paul O’Neill (Creggan)
