Antrim Hurling League Division 4
St Brigid’s 3-20 St Paul’s 2nds 3-16
Pics from St Brigid’s website
Sunday May 8th will live long in the memory of all involved with the Naomh brid senior hurlers from South Belfast. The Musgrave park outfit recorded a first ever competitive win in Division four of the Antrim league against a lively St Paul’s team in front of a small but boisterous home crowd.
Naomh Brid hurlers, playing in only their second competitive season got off to the perfect start when midfielder Fintan Cleary flighted a sideline cut all the way to the back of the St Pauls net; Cleary who lives just the poc of a ball away on Stockman’s Lane, would finish the day with 1-14 to his name, the teenage midfielder would prove unerringly accurate from both dead-balls and open play.
But over the hour it was the new boys team-play which proved the difference, Phelim Lennon, a former Antrim minor, fizzed home a well struck second goal and another would shortly follow for the irrepressible “Biddies”. Oisin McDonnell received the ball just beyond the 20m line and jinked his way around two defenders before off-loading a deft hand pass into the path of Niall Duffy and at full pace the St Aquinas schoolboy drilled in a low shot to beat the Paul’s keeper at his near post.
THE homeside lead 3-12 to 0-5 at the short whistle but had to sustain a spirited second half fightback from St Pauls. Playing with the breeze the Shaws Road men rattled off three second half goals of their own to make a real contest of the game. But Naomh Brid would not be denied, the experienced John McGuckian proved a very effective ball winner at full forward and also chipped in with two classy points. Cleary, Lennon and midfielder Eoghan O’Mainnin all kept the umpires busy over the closing quarter; Bryan Hallihan expertly marshalled the defence from centre half back & behind him McEwan, Lundy and Heaney were equally resolute. Kevin Grieve gave a mature performance in nets for the hosts, his poc outs invariably finding a team mate to provide a regular attacking platform.
In a fitting footnote to the game award winning screenwriter Declan Lawn ( Salisbury poisonings ) was sprung from the Naomh Brid bench and showing scant regard for his own safety hurtled into a series of boneshaking tackles which not only raised the decibels on the sideline but also sounded a timely note of defiance that Naomh Brid would not be denied their breakthrough win. As the final whistle shrilled the home fans raised the roof for their hurlers who had just raised the bar for St Brigids hurling.
NAOMH BRÍD
1. Kevin Grieve2. Tony McEwan3. Chris Lundy4. Peter Heaney5. Michael Burke6. Bryan Hallihan7. Joe McCarney8. Fintan Cleary9. Eoghan O’Mainnin10. Niall Duffy11. Phelim Lennon12. Noel McCann13. Oisin McDonnell14. John McGuckian15. Garrett Gilleece
17. Declan Lawn18. Niall Murtagh19. Oliver Lennon
Fintan Cleary 1-14Phelim Lennon 1-3Niall Duffy 1-0John McGuckian 0-2Eoghan O’Mainnin 0-1
