Antrim U15 Hurling League – Division 1
Oisins 4-17 Ard Na Rí 4-5
Oisins continued their unbeaten run in the U15 Hurling League when they beat visitors Ard Na Rí by fourteen points on Thursday evening at Waterfoot. However this win was not the formality that the final scoreline would suggest as the visitors more that matched them in the opening half and at the break were not flattered by their four point interval lead (1-7 to 4-2). The second half turned out to be a different matter however as the Oisins hit their stride and with the light breeze at their backs they hit three goals of their own on their way to a comfortable win.
Corner forward Dara Quinn gave the visitors’ the perfect start when he grabbed a goal in the second minute and when James Kelly added a point from a 65 they were 1-1 to 0-1 up after five minutes. Two point from Orrin O’Connor closed the gap to a single point when Ard Na Rí’s centre forward Ehtan Wlash fired in his team’s second goal, and when James Blaney added a point from play they were 2-2 to 0-3 ahead. Man of the match Orrin Connor brought the Oisins right back into the game when he cut through to score a great individual goal just before the water break and when Oisin Mort tapped over a point they were just one in arrears at the first water break. (1-4 to 2-2)
When Phelin Ward knocked over two points to edge the home team in front it looked like they had weathered the early Ard Na Rí storm, but that was not the case and in the lead-in to half time corner forward Sean Bellew knocked in two more goals to give the Belfast boys a 4-2 to 1-7 lead at the interval.
An early goal from John Scullion, who had been moved from full back to full forward for the Oisins, closed the gap to a point before Orrin O’Connor and Niall Magee added point to edge them ahead. James Kelly replied with a great individual point for Ard Na Rí to level the scores once again, but points from O’Connor, Peadar McDonnell, Phelim Ward and Joseph Leech gave the home side a four point cushion, though Ethan Walsh pulled one back for the Belfast boys just before the second half water break.
The final quarter was all Oisins as they added five more points plus two goals of the ‘soft variety which gave the scoreboard a somewhat flattering look for the home team at the end.
OISINS
Padraig McIhatton, David Murray, John Scullion, James Kearney, Oran McClintock, Colla Ward, Daniel Douthart, Callum McIlwaine, Peadar McDonnell, Phelim Ward, Orrin O’Connor, Joseph Leech, Eoghan Robbin, Oisin Mort, Cahir McNaughton
Subs – Michael Furey, Niall Magee, Gerard Burns, Daniel Mitchell and Oisin Gillan
ARD NA RÍ
Joshua Southern, Matthew Madden, Eoin Mullan, Dara Sidebottom, Senan de Sanctis, Michael Marlow, Donacha McGurk, James Kelly, James Blaney, Segdae Mac Adhaimh, Ethan Walsh, Ronan Taylor, Dara Quinn, Conor McElhatton, Sean Bellew.
