AIB Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship Semi-Final
Naomh Éanna 0-18 Bredagh (Down) 0-16 (aet)
Saturday October 26
Brendan McTaggart reports from Hannahstown
If Naomh Éanna ever needed proof that the old saying was true, they were given it on Saturday afternoon in Hannahstown. Nobody said it would be easy. It took extra time and a gargantuan effort from the Hightown Road men but they sealed their place in the Ulster final with two points to spare.
It was another battle and huge test of character for Naomh Éanna, just like their quarter-final win over Banagher. They held a six point lead at half time, to hanging on at the end of the hour when Bredagh staged an almighty fightback. They held their nerve in extra time however to outscore the Down champions four points to two with substitute Killian Jennings grabbing the insurance point in injury time.
It was another workman like performance from Naomh Éanna where they had to dig deep and grind out the result. An error strewn first half while playing with the aid of a substantial wind did little to help their cause but once again their Naomh Éanna defence were immense. The full back line were imperious and half backs just got stronger as the game progressed – lead superbly by captain Cormac Ross. He was in the right place at the right time on innumerable occasions while landing two points from play.
The work rate in midfield from Ruairi Donaghy and man of the match Ryan Bogue was relentless. Donaghy with a mountain of work in rucks and repelling the Bredagh efforts while Bogue was superb. His point from a side line midway through the first half seemed to spark Naomh Éanna into life but he was their stand out performer on the day. He run himself into the ground for the Naomh Éanna cause on a day when defences were on top.
Bredagh came close to causing an unlikely upset. They kept Naomh Éanna to just one point in the lats ten minutes of the hour while scoring six points of their own, having managed just six in the previous 50 minutes. They were buoyed into life with the efforts of Sean McGourty in midfield, Ronan Costello on the full forward line while captain Ian Galway’s performance was immense. His free taking kept the Down men ticking before the late scoring surge looked to have taken them to the brink of defying the bookies. But like Naomh Éanna, their performance was built around a brilliant defence led superbly by full back Tom McGuckian with Matthew McAreavey and Danny Robinson immense either side. Extra time proved to be a step too far for the Down men though as Naomh Éanna held their nerve in extra time.
Both sides weren’t firing from the first whistle on Saturday afternoon. With a biting cold wind playing down field in favour of Naomh Éanna and with the onus on the Hightown Road side to make the early running, it wasn’t happening for the Antrim champions. During the first half, they hit nine wides with passes going astray and the normal, fluent, cohesive style of hurling was missing.
Bredagh weren’t far behind them with nerves playing their part but they did strike the opening two points of the match. Donal Hughes and a Galway free from his own ’65 settling them into the semi-final after five minutes. Cormac Ross and John McGoldrick (free) restored parity by the 11th minute but the Naomh Éanna wide count had already mounted to four by that stage.
Galway’s second free of the match in the 17th minute edged the Bredagh men ahead once again but Naomh Éanna finally found their form in the closing stages of the first half. Bogue sending the sliotar between the posts from a side line cut, 35 yards from the posts before Eddie O’Connor’s superb individual piece of skill yielded their fourth score of the match in the 20th minute to give them the lead for the first time.
Joe Maske, O’Connor and Ross all followed suit to make it four points in just under five minutes and while Cormac Hughes responded for Bredagh, Naomh Éanna were on top. A pair of McGoldrick frees either side of a Cormac Jennings score meant Naomh Éanna held a six point lead at the short whistle.
Half time: Naomh Éanna 0-10 Bredagh 0-4
The closing stages to the first half were exactly what Naomh Éanna required. The wind was substantial enough though to give Bredagh a glimmer of hope in the second half. Costello opened the scoring two minutes after the throw in before Ruari Donaghy replied for Naomh Éanna.
The Hightown Road side were finding playing into the elements difficult but Bredagh were hit with the same problem Naomh Éanna had in the first. They would hit an inordinate number of wides throughout the second half but a trio of unanswered points from Galway (two frees, one ’65) cut the deficit to four points midway through the second half.
McGoldrick’s fourth free of the match briefly halted the Bredagh charge but the Down men kept coming. Galway (free) and Cormac Jennings exchanged white flags going into the final ten minutes of the hour as Bredagh hit a purple patch to rattle Naomh Éanna. Galway (free), a brace from the impressive Costello, Sean McGourty and Sean Hughes restored parity to the sides with three minutes of the hour remaining. A run of five points in less than six minutes and it looked like there was only one winner at that point.
Manus Mullan restored the Naomh Éanna lead, Philly Curran with the assist but Bredagh came back once again. Sean Hughes setting up McGourty for his second of the half and tie the sides on 15 points each going into injury time. Naomh Éanna had chances to land what would have been a winning score but Cormac Jennings twice went close from long range frees at the death but both sides had to be content with extra time.
FT: Naomh Éanna 0-14 Bredagh 0-14
As the hailstones thundered down on the Hannahstown pitch and the temperature dropping another degree or two, Naomh Éanna were left with a mix of emotions. Relief to have staved off the Bredagh comeback and frustration at letting their lead slip.
A sublime side line cut from Galway shortly after the restart gave Bredagh the lead for the first time in the semi-final since the 11th minute of the hour. With tensions heightened and intensity cranked up, time and space became more precious. Neither side incredibly showed signs of tiring and Naomh Éanna looked to have regained a degree of composure after what they endured at the end of normal time. McGoldrick, re-introduced from the for extra time tied the sides with his fifth free of the match as the sides were still tied at half time in extra time.
ET Half Time: Naomh Éanna 0-15 Bredagh 0-15
Naomh Éanna had the wind at their backs for the second period of extra time and they played with more assurance. They began to make better use of the sliotar while their half back line repelled any attacks from Bredagh, Mark Donaghy and Cormac Ross superb while Ryan Bogue was leading the Naomh Éanna charge. Cormac Ross fired over his third point of the half before Bogue and McGoldrick combined smartly to release the midfielder for his second point of the match. A piece of brilliance between the pair among the mayhem that gave Naomh Éanna a two point lead with five minutes remaining.
Sean Hughes split the posts for his second of the match to halve the deficit and Bredagh thought they had the equaliser when Oran Flynn sent the sliotar towards the posts from distance but his shot tailed wide and with it, Bredagh’s championship hopes. Killian Jennings fired over what was the last point of the semi in injury time to ensure Naomh Éanna sealed their place in the Ulster Final and a meeting with Dungannon in two weeks time.
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; John McGoldrick, Matthew O’Hare, Cormac Jennings
Subs: Killian Jennings for M O’Hare (HT); Oliver Breen for E O’Connor (34); Ruari Crummey for J McGoldrick (47) Extra Time: John McGoldrick for O Breen (4); Matthew O’Hare for C Jennings (inj).
Scorers: John McGoldrick 0-5 (5 f’s); Cormac Ross 0-3; Cormac Jennings 0-2 (1 f); Ryan Bogue 0-2; Eddie O’Connor 0-2; Joe Maskey 0-1; Ruairi Donaghy 0-1; Manus Mullan 0-1; Killian Jennings 0-1
Bredagh: Eoghan Donnelly; Matthew McAreavey, Tom McGuckian, Danny Robinson; Chris Ferry, Oran Flynn, Declan McCartney; Ian Galway, Sean McGourty; Cormac Hughes, Donal Hughes, Niall McFarland; Joe Hanrahan, Malachy Scullin, Ronan Costello
Subs: Sean Hughes for M Scullin (HT); Emmett Trainor for J Hanrahan (49) Extra Time: Joe Hanrahan for I Galway (15).
Scorers: Ian Galway 0-7 (5 f’s, 1 ’65); Ronan Costello 0-3; Sean Hughes 0-2; Sean McGourty 0-2; Cormac Hughes 0-1; Donal Hughes 0-1.
Referee: Aiden Ferguson (Fermanagh)
