Andersonstown Social Club
Intermediate Hurling Championship Quarter-Final
Naomh Éanna 0-13 Kickhams, Creggan 0-11
Friday August 30
Brendan McTaggart reports from Randalstown
An absorbing contest between two evenly matches sides and a titanic battle that wasn’t decided until the final whistle. There was never going to be much between Naomh Éanna and Creggan and this was a contest that neither side really deserved to lose. Despite trailing by one point at the interval, Creggan sprang to life after the restart and dominated the Hightown Road side. Their defence were superb, led by man of the match Sam Maguire and while they weren’t exactly firing in front of the posts when they reached double figures for wides in the second half alone, Creggan looked set to make the push that would see them get over the line.
Those missed chances came back to haunt them in the final quarter however. Naomh Éanna dug deep in the closing stages and with John McGoldrick in imperious form over placed ball, they took a two point lead for the first time in the match with two minutes remaining. Creggan threw everything and the kitchen sink at the death and they had calls for a penalty turned down deep in injury time but Naomh Éanna clung on to claim a nervy win in the end.
As the rain continued to pour on the Whitehill pitch, Creggan started with tremendous intensity and refused to let Naomh Éanna settle. With tackles crunching and chasing in packs, Creggan opened the scoring with Oran McCann firing over a brace of frees before the sixth minute. The Kickhams were relentless in those opening exchanges with their tackling and starved Naomh Éanna of space and time all over. They went into a deserved three point lead when Kevin Rice fired over and it was all one way traffic, such was the start Creggan made.
The first Naomh Éanna score came from a John McGoldrick free in the 15th minute, his first of seven over the 60 minutes and when Ryan Bogue split the posts soon after, despite the good start made by Creggan, Naomh Éanna were just one point behind after 16 pulsating minutes.
A brace of frees from McGoldrick took the Hightown Road side into the lead for the first time in the match in the 18th minute, rounding off a scoring burst of four points in as many minutes. With Mark Donaghy, Cormac Ross and Ruairi Donaghy all prominent, Naomh Éanna looked to have weathered the Creggan storm. The Staffordstown Road side took the lead once again with Oran McCann bagging a brace of frees in the 22nd minute but Naomh Éanna edged the closing stages.
Two McGoldrick frees and Oran McCann’s first from play in the time that remained meant the Glengormley side held a slender one point lead at the interval.
Half time: Naomh Éanna 0-7 Creggan 0-6
The second half began much like the first with Creggan on top and not giving Naomh Éanna an inch. The intensity they brought and pressure they put on the Hightown Road side was creating errors but they didn’t make the most of their superiority. McGoldrick’s sixth of the match and first from play opened the scoring in the 36th minute but came after a trio of missed chances by the Kickhams.
Creggan were back on terms by the eight minute of the second half when Sam Maguire and Oran McCann (free) fired over and as the Creggan bench found their voices in approval of their sides efforts, they sensed victory. Conor Small’s first of the match restored their lead soon after and Creggan were worthy of their lead and put for more missed chances, they could have been further ahead.
Naomh Éanna began to find their feet in the second half but neither side gave an inch as the pressure increased in a relenting contest. Aiden McKeown raised a white flag in the 43rd minute to open a two point lead for the Kickhams men but they wouldn’t trouble the score board operator for another ten minutes as Naomh Éanna dug deep to grind their way back into this tie.
Manus Mullan split the posts for Naomh Éanna finishing a simple but effective move as the Hightown Road side began to make better use of the sliotar. Creggan were still tigerish and relentless with their tackling but Naomh Éanna remained calm and when McGoldrick fired over his second point from play, he restored parity to the score line with just under a quarter of the match remaining.
Creggan still looked more likely to make something happen but a series of missed chances hurt their championship assault. Conor Small scored a fine point from wide on the left to give Creggan a one point lead in the 53rd minute but it was the last score of the game for his side. Philly Curran levelling the scores two minutes later before a pair of McGoldrick frees by the 58th minute gave Naomh Éanna a two point lead.
With enough time remaining, Creggan continued to push for the scores that would restore their championship dreams but their radar left them when they needed it most. The Naomh Éanna defence were superb in those closing stages and held off the Creggan charge. The Kickhams men had a late shout for a penalty turned down when Conor Small was felled in the box but the shots fell on deaf ears as referee Mark O’Neill waved play on.
The relief was visible and there for all to see at the final whistle. Naomh Éanna got out of jail but they got the scores when it mattered most and they look forward to another semi-final and a meeting with either Cloughmills or Glenariffe.
TEAMS
Naomh Éanna: Martin Curran; Niall O’Connor, Rian Gillen, Ruairi Diamond; Cormac Ross, Mark Donaghy, Joe Maskey; Ryan Bogue, Ruairi Donaghy; Philip Curran, Manus Mullan, Edward O’Connor; Dermot Maguire, John McGoldrick, Killian Jennings.
Subs: Oliver Breen for D Maguire (HT); Daniel Lowry for E O’Connor (42); Ruari Crummey for D Lowry (inj)
Scorers: J McGoldrick 0-9 (7 f’s); Ryan Bogue 0-1; Ruairi Donaghy 0-1; Philip Curran 0-1; Manus Mullan 0-1.
Creggan: Emmet Long; Jake McAteer, Aidan Maguire, Sam Maguire; Conor McCann, Cairan Rice, Eunan McAteer; Thomas McCann, Ruairi McCann; Aidan McKeown, Morgan Nelson, Kevin Rice; Conor Small, Ethan Carey-Small, Oran McCann.
Subs: James Dougan for M Nelson (47)
Scorers: Oran McCann 0-6 (5 f’s); Conor Small 0-2; Kevin Rice 0-1; Aidan McKeown 0-1; Sam Maguire 0-1.
Referee: Mark O’Neill (Glenrovers, Armoy)
