Antrim All-County Hurling League Division 2
Patrick Sarsfields 1-21 Oisin’s Glenariffe 2-14
Paul McIntyre reports from The Bear Pitt
After falling seven points behind after only six minutes, Sarsfields dug deep to grind out a deserving four-point win over Glenariffe on Wednesday evening.
The win came around in no small part to the accuracy of forwards Niall McKenna and Daniel McKernan.
Both players equally shared 0-16 of their sides’total, but it was McKenna’s haul that will garner most the attention as they all came from play. The pick of the bunch being a 56th minute effort from the left-hand side. Not even the presence of a Glenariffe sweeper could nullify McKenna’s scoring threat.
Alex O’Boyle also registered 0-8 for the visitors but Glenariffe were over reliant on their free taker for scores and their cause wasn’t helped either by the sending-off of full forward Seamus McDonnell in the 18th minute.
Glenariffe came flying out of the traps and lead 1-4 to 0-0 after just six minutes.
Odhran Gill’s first minute goal giving the visitors the perfect start. Points from Michael O’Boyle, Oliver Kearney, McDonnell and Shane McIntosh soon followed as the visitors threatened to run away with the game.
However, after firing four wides in the opening exchanges, Sarsfields soon found their range McKenna, Anthony McGarrigle, McKernan and McKenna again cut the gap before McDonnell received his marching orders.
Sarsfields held the upper hand in the closing stages of the half but thanks to O’Boyle, Glenariffe lead at the break 1-9 to 0-10.
It was a case of Déjà vu at the start of the second half as Glenariffe found the back of the Sarsfields net for the second time.
Only three minutes had elapsed when a first-time strike from David Kearney flew into Naoise Ó Faoláin’s net after good approach play from Shane McIntosh.
Glenariffe now held a six-point lead again, but Sarsfields found a way back into the contest just three minutes later.
Daniel McKernan (Snr) inch perfect pass picked the run from Ryan Carson and the centre-back fired to the net giving Paul McMullan no chance.
Carson quickly added a point and the contest was becoming a scoring duel between free takers McKernan and O’Boyle.
Sooner or later the extra man was going to tell, and in the closing stages Sarsfields more than made the extra body count.
In the 55th minute Glenariffe lead by two points but six unanswered points, which included three for McKenna, fired the Paddies to a deserving, and much needed four-point win.
Teams & Scorers:
Sarsfields: Naoise Ó Faoláin, Michael Johnston, David Johnston, Mark McCavanagh, Jim McKernan, Ryan Carson (1-2), Daniel Smyth (0-1), Anthony McGarrigle (0-1), David McAllister (0-1), Daniel McKernan (Snr), Mark Rea, Daniel McKernan (0-8 5f), Brendan Jackson, Niall McKenna (0-8), Darragh McGuiness.
Replacements: Ronan McKenna for M Johnston (2), Caolan McKernan for D McKernan (Snr) (43).
Glenariffe: Paul McMullan, Michael Haughey, Michael Gettens, Martin McAllister, Aaron Cosgrove, Conor Robert Patterson, Daniel Kearney, David Kearney (1-0), Donall Kearney, Odhran Gill (1-1), Alex O’Boyle (0-8 5f 1 ‘65’), Oliver Kearney (0-1), Shane McIntosh (0-1), Seamus McDonnell (0-1), Michael O’Boyle (0-1).
Referee: Mr Lorenzo McMullan (Bredagh)
