Antrim Hurling League Division One, Section B
O’Donovan Rossa 3-17 Naomh Éanna 2-20
St Enda’s came from eleven points down at one stage to earn a draw with Rossa at Shaw’s Road on Sunday, and it took an injury time point from Aodhan O’Brien to earn the home side a share of the spoils.
Rossa had started the game strongly and a point from Stephen Beatty was followed by two from Dominic McEnhill, before Ryan O’Neill pounced on a breaking ball to fire in his team’s opening goal. The home side had extended that lead with another Beatty point by the time Ruairi Donaghy got St Enda’s off the mark, but Rossa extended their lead when and O’Brien free from distance deceived Curran in the visitors’ goal and ended up in the net.
Eoin Jennings and Matthew O’Hare came back with points for the Glengormley men, but Rossa pushed on with three points from Aodhan O’Brien in response to one from Conlon for St Enda’s. Joe Maskey and Conlon kept St Enda’s in touch with well taken points but Jamesie Connolly took centre stage and added 1-1 to stretch the Rossa lead to 3-8 to 0-6.
Things looked grim for the Glengormley men at this stage and boosted by a Joe Maskey goal they closed the gap to five by the half time whistle. (3-10 to 1-11)
O’Brien and Beatty extended the lead with early points in the second half, and after Conlon pulled two back for St Enda’s, O’Brien replied with two from placed balls for the home side to keep the gap at seven at the end of the third quarter.
It all seemed plain sailing at this stage but St Enda’s battled their way back as Maskey and Donaghy points closed the gap to five, and when Maskey fired low to the Rossa net there was just two between the sides. A long range point from Cormac Jennings and another from Maskey brought them level with time almost up, and when he struck again soon afterwards it appeared they had it completed a remarkable comeback, until O’Brien saved the day for the home side with his late strik
ROSSA: D Armstrong; C Boyle, C McGuinness, N Devlin; A Orchin, M Armstrong, C Orchin; D McEnhill (0-2), O May; A O’Brien (1-9, 1-8 frees), S Beatty (0-4), C McParland; J Connolly (1-1), C McVeigh, R O’Neill (1-0).
Subs: C McGettigan (0-1) for C McParland (43), J Reynolds for R O’Neill (55)
NAOMH ÉANNA: M Curran; D Maguire, R Gillan, R Diamond; C Ross (0-1 free), R Bogue, M O’Hare (0-2); O Ó Cuinn, E Jennings (0-1); M Mullan, P Curran, C Jennings (0-1); J Maskey (2-7, 0-5 frees, 0-1 65), E Conlon (0-5), R Donaghy (0-2)
Subs: R Eager for E Jennings (17), K Jennings (0-1) for P Curran (38), C Bradley for R Eager (42)
REFEREE: Barry Winters (Dungannon)