Casement Social Club Antrim Junior Hurling Championship Quarter-final
St Pauls 3-11-0-13 St Teresa’s
By Kevin Herron at Hannahstown
First-half goals from Colm McLarnon, Stephen Rooney and Sean Lawell saw St Pauls get the better of local rivals St Teresa’s and book a place in the semi-final of the Casement Social Club Junior Hurling Championship after a 3-11-0-13 win at Hannahstown this evening.
The Division two promotion hopefuls began the game as favourites against their near rivals from the Glen Road, who achieved promotion to Division three after an almost faultless league campaign.
On a windswept and wet evening on the edge of the Black Mountain, it was St Pauls who settled quickest; playing with the wind advantage in the opening half.
Gerard Carberry popped the ball over to give his side the lead and Declan Chapman combined with Sean O’Carroll who doubled his sides advantage.
It took almost ten minutes for the opening goal to arrive and it was simple pickings for Colm McLarnon, the wing-corner forward intercepted James Farrell’s square pass and picked his spot in the top corner – despite the best attempts of Stephen Carey in the St Teresa’s goal, to make it 1-02-0-00.
Things soon got even better for the Shaw’s Road men after Sean Lawell played a neat one-two with Gerard Maguire before releasing Stephen Rooney and St Pauls county star picked his spot low in the corner to give his side a 2-02-0-00 lead.
Sean O’Carroll doubled his tally for the evening in the aftermath as the game threatened to get away from St Teresa’s inside the opening quarter of proceedings.
The Glen Road side missed the opportunity to find the net as Phily Maguire saw his low attempt diverted to safety from the placed ball.
Maguire eventually opened his sides account for the evening in the 17th minute and two further converted frees in the next two minutes ensured his side were finally up and running with ten minutes to the break (2-03-0-03).
Five minutes before half-time Colm McGoldrick floated a high ball into the area but it evaded a telling touch from Jordan Monaghan.
St Teresa’s hit their fourth point on the bounce through Anton Taylor – though at the other end survived a double let-off.
Stephen Rooney was twice poised to double his goal account for the half, but he was twice denied – first his low shot was bravely blocked by Stephen Carey and his follow-up shot was parried away by the St Teresa’s shot stopper.
Although St Paul’s third goal did arrive as Sean Lawell’s low shot was missed by Carey and trickled to the net to make it 3-03-0-04.
Rooney (free) added a late point in the injury-time as the three first-half goals were the difference at the interval.
The sides traded scores at the beginning of the second period. Phily Maguire converted his fourth free of the evening – only for Stephen Rooney to reply at the other end from the same scenario.
A further two Maguire frees closed the deficit, only for substitute Paddy Doyle to make an immediate impact upon his introduction – popping the ball over the bar on the turn to give his side a 3-06-0-07 lead with just over ten minutes gone in the second-half.
Phily Maguire was St Teresa’s main threat and his first point from play of the evening was followed by a seventh free to put six-points between the sides heading into the final quarter.
St Pauls responded through a converted free from Stephen Rooney and Maguire secured his ninth point of the evening shortly afterwards.
Paddy Doyle doubled his tally after evading heavy pressure and popping the ball over the bar and Colm McLarnon added to his first-half goal with a superb point following smart work from Rooney.
St Teresa’s continued to push for a goal that would have given them some late hope, though they had to settle for another point as Robert Gallagher conjured up a fine score.
Successive points from Sean O’Carroll and substitute Daire Stevenson ended St Pauls scoring for the evening and there was almost a consolation goal for St Teresa’s from Jordan McAllister’s high ball into the area that was flicked over the bar by substitute Conor O’Rawe.
Phily Maguire converted a late free to bring his evening tally into double figures, but in the end it wasn’t enough to prevent St Pauls from progressing to the Junior semi-final and a clash with the winner of tomorrow’s Glenarm and Lamh Dhearg clash.
St Pauls: J Gillan, C Murray, C Hetherington, S Bradley, A McMorrow, F Sewell, S Lawell (1-00), D Chapman, F Gamble, C McLarnon (1-01), S O’Carroll (0-03), S Rooney (1-03, 0-03f), G Maguire, G Carberry (0-01), J Farrell. Subs: P Doyle (0-02) for G Carberry (35 mins); D Stevenson (0-01) for G Maguire (42 mins); M Munce for S Lawell (60+1 mins); C Magee for S O’Carroll (60+4 mins).
St Teresa’s: S Carey, P Glennon, G O’Rawe, J Magowan, C Rouse, C McKee, R Gallagher (0-01), P O’Rawe, C McGoldrick, A Taylor (0-01), P Maguire (0-10, 0-08f). J Monaghan, D McCann, C Turley, A Rooney. Subs: S Maguire for C Rouse (HT); K Burns for D McCann (HT); A Dugan for P Glennon (HT); C O’Rawe (0-01) for J Monaghan (HT); C McCann for A Rooney (46 mins).
Referee: Kevin Parke (St Enda’s).