Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship
Shaw’s Road is the place for hurling fans to be tomorrow afternoon with the two Intermediate semi-finals down for decision. The first sees Naomh Eanna take on Oisin’s Glenariffe at St Paul’s at 12.30 while in the other one at 2pm at Rossa Park Sarsfields play Carey Faughs.
Naomh Eanna had to work hard last time out to get the challenge of Creggan. The sides met at Tir na nÓg on a wet and windy Friday evening in a game that turned out to be a real dogged affair with the accuracy of John McGoldrick getting the Glengormley men over the line. Naomh Eanna led by a point at the end of a first half in which both teams struggled to adapt to the conditions but Creggan got on top during the second half and edged in front. However the men from the Lough Shore shot eleven wides in the second half and though Naomh Eanna were not at their best they showed great resilience to win in a tight finish, McGoldrick’s accuracy from placed balls proving the difference in the end.
It took extra time for the Oisins to get through in a high scoring game against Cloughmills in their quarter final in Cushendall. Cloughmills, who hadn’t won a league game all season started the game like an express train and were 0-7 to 0-2 ahead after fourteen minutes. An upset appeared to be on the cards but the Oisins found two heroes to drag them back into the game, one of them goalkeeper Seanan McToal and the other corner forward Alex O’Boyle. McToal made a couple of unbelievable saves to keep his team in the hunt while at the other end O’Boyle gave a brilliant display of score taking, ending the game with 1-17 to his name. The Oisins appeared to be cruising entering the final quarter but the Biddies rallied with three Liam Kearns points and a last gasp goal from John B McGuckian to take it to extra time. The extra time turned out to be a one sided affair as Glenariffe ruled the roost and with O’Boyle slotting them over with ease they ended up winning by seven on a scoreline of 3-26 to 3-19.
Their superior league form, and the fact that they will play their hurling in Division 1 next season, makes Naomh Eanna favourites going into this one but Glenariffe have the hurlers to trouble anyone on their day. Much will depend on the two free takers, McGoldrick and O’Boyle and it is important that both defences keep their discipline or they could be made to pay dearly.
Sarsfields and Carey both had comfortable wins in their respective quarter finals, the Paddies accounting for Tir na nÓg by 0-19 to 0-10 while the Faughs beat their neighbours Glen Rovers by 3-20 to 2-13.
These two last met in the championship two seasons ago when Sarsfields beat the north Antrim men in the 2017 Intermediate final in Armoy. In their two meetings in the league Sarsfields have held the upper hand, winning by 2-12 to 0-9 in Ballyvoy back in March while in their most recent meeting in the Bear Pit in August the Paddies had twelve to spare – 2-23 to 1-14. All that would point to a Sarfields victory tomorrow, but of course this is championship and as we know anything can happen in these big games. The Faughs will be looking for big performances from the likes of Sean McBride, James McCouaig, James Black and Conor McBride if they are to cause and upset, while Sarsfields will look to Niall McAlea, Jack Daniels, Kevo McKernan and their great leader Niall McKenna to see them through.
These were the teams who started for the four club’s in their quarter finals:
SARSFIELD’S: D Ward; K Ward, J Cunningham, J Daniels; N McAlea, C Caldwell 0-1, J McKernan; K McKernan, D McGuinness; T Doherty, N McKenna, R Carson; C McKernan, M Rea, G Lennon
OISINS: Seanan McToal, Michael Haughey, Randal McDonnell, Kieran McKendry, Shane O’Connor, Mickey Gettins, Daniel Haughey, Caolan O’Connor, Aaron Cosgrove, Dan McKillop, Conor McAlister, Thomas Quinn, Alex McDonnell, Paul McDonnell, Alex O’Boyle.
NAOMH EANNA: 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.
CAREY: Christopher Butler, Colm McBride, Sean McBride, Patrick Gillan, Michael McVeigh, James McCouaig, Peadar McVeigh, Sean McLaughlin, Caolan McCaughan, James Black, Cathal McAuley, Daniel Martin, Fiachra McVeigh, John McBride, Conor McBride