Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship, Group One
Naomh Éanna 2-11 O’Donovan Rossa 4-24
Naom Eanna failed to cope with the intensity and pace of a totally focused Rossa in this Bathshack Antrim Senior |Hurling championship game at Hightown this afternoon. The visitors controlled matters from early in the contest and at no time did the Glengormley men look like getting into contention.
The outcome of this clash was decided long before the final whistle as the West Belfast side were nine clear at the break and at one stage led by 20 but a couple of late Naomh Eanna goals put a better reflection on the final score-line.
Rossa were long out of sight at this stage however and will head to Loughgiel next Sunday with the opportunity to top the group and earn a bye into the semi-final.
Right from the start the visitors showed a greater appetite for the contest, winning the most of the dirty ball and time after time they emerged from the ruck with possession as St. Enda’s struggled to match them in this department.
It was the hosts who enjoyed an early lead thanks to a Cormac Jennings free, but it lasted less than a minute as Gerard Walsh nipped in to intercept and fire over at the other end before Tiernan Murphy opened his account to give the visitors a lead they would hold until the final whistle.
Daire Murphy added another beforeJoe Maskey replied at the other end but it was all Rossa as they hit the next five points on he bounce to lead 0-8 to 0-2 at the water break with the pick of the scores coming from Chris McGuinness who got on the end of a long pass from deep in defence.
Naomh Éanna were first to score after the water break through Luke O’Connor, but Tiernan Murphy responded and then when Daire Murphy got in for a goal in the 22nd minute after being placed by Dominic McEnhill it looked as good as over.
The teams shared the final eight points of the half between them with another McGuinness effort from a tight angle for Rossa and a monster point by Naomh Éanna’s Ruairi Donaghy the pick of them, but it was Rossa who looked in control at the half-time whistle as they led by 1-13 to 0-7.
There was no respite for the Hightown side as play resumed for the second half with Rossa outscoring the hosts by seven to two in the third quarter with the Murphy trio of Deaglan, Daire and Tiernan all on target, while Dominic McEnhill landed two brilliant points, one from play and another from an acute angle while all the hosts replied through two Cormac Jenning’s frees.
There was no way back for Naomh Éanna as Rossa pushed forward relentlessly with Stephen Beatty blasting home a 50th minute goal, substitute Eoin Trainor added a fine point and Deaglan Murphy fired home his side’s third goal.
Points from Tiernan Murphy, Conal Shannon and Seaghan Shannon increased the Rossa total but to their credit Naomh Eanna kept battling against impossible odss and received some reward with a great goal from Eddie O’Connor who shrugged off a challenge to guide his shot from outside the penalty area into the top corner.
While Cormac McGettigan responded in kind at the other end with a fine finish after being set up by Conal Shannon, Naomh Éanna had the final say with Philip Curran finding the net from a 20-metre free but it came much too late to influence the outcome
Naomh Eanna still have an outside chance of joining today’s opponents in the play-offs should they beat Ballycastle next Sunday, while Rossa will have ambitions of toping the group and earning a bye that would be most welcome given their dual status.
NAOMH ÉANNA: M Curran; C Ross, R Gillan, R Bogue; M Donaghy, N P’Connor, E O’Connor (1-0); D Maguire, L O’Connor (0-2); R Diamond, R Donaghy (0-3), J Maskey (0-1); D Lowry, C Jennings (0-4 frees), M O’Hare (0-1).
Subs: P Curran (1-0 free) for D Lowry (24), K Jennings for R Bogue (39), E Maguire for M O’Hare (55).
ROSSA: D Armstrong; C Orchin, A Kennelly, A Orchin; Stephen Shannon, M Armstrong, A O’Brien; G Walsh (0-1), Seaghan Shannon (0-2); Daire Murphy (0-3, 1 free), S Beatty (1-0), D McEnhill (1-2); T Murphy (0-4), C McGuinness (0-2), Deaglan Murphy (1-7, 0-6 frees).
Subs: C Shannon (0-1) for M Armstrong (11), D Rocks for C McGuinness (47), E Trainor (0-1) for S Beatty (50), C McGettigan (1-0) for D McEnhill (52).
REFEREE: Hugh Torney (Ballycran)
