Casement Social Club Junior Hurling Championship – Round robin 2
Glenarm 2-22 Glen Rovers 3-10
Glenarm Shane O’Neill’s qualified for the knockout stages of the Junior Hurling Championship when they beat Armoy Glen Rovers in the second round-robin game at Feystown on Friday evening. Another win in their final game against Cloughmills would see Glenarm go straight into the semi-final, but though they are still pointless after two games Armoy can still make the quarter finals if Cloughmills were to beat Lamh Dhearg in their round robin game on Saturday and they themselves beat the Hannahstown men in their final game in two weeks’ time.
Armoy were in this game until the last ten minutes of the first half when they trailed by just a point, despite facing a stiff breeze, but a strong finish to that first period by the home side, including a goal from a penalty from man of the match Darren Hamill, saw them pull eight clear by the break put them firmly in charge of the game.
‘Rocky’ Dillon put Armoy ahead in the opening minute, but Darren Hamill had them level within thirty seconds. Owen Kinney put the visitors back ahead on three minutes but Glenarm were settling better into the game and three points from Hamill and one from the excellent Dylan McLaughlin saw them open a three point gap by the tenth minute. Trevor Linton came back with one from a free for the Glen Rovers side, which was answered a minute later by Glenarm’s Padraig McDermot, but Armoy were starting to build a bit of momentum and two minutes later they drew level when great work by midfielder PJ McBride set Linton clear and the full forward fired the ball to the net to bring his team back on terms.
Ciaran Magill and Daniel Black came back with quick replies for the Feystown men but Eoin O’Boyle hit the target for Armoy to leave just a single point separating the sides. It was still that way with just eight minutes of normal time left in the first half, but Glenarm took command and produced a storming finish to all but wrench the game away from the visitors. Darren Hamill started it with a pointed free on 22 minutes and a minute later Dylan McLaughlin added one from play. A good move involving the same two players saw a ball delivered in around the ‘square’ by McLaughlin, and when corner forward Kevin O’Boyle made a great catch, he was pulled down in the area and referee Paul McSparran had no hesitation in awarding a penalty.
Hamill stepped up to the mark and drove it home, and added two more from points soon afterwards, and though Emmet O’Hara came back with one for Armoy, Dylan McLaughlin had the last score of the half to give his team a 1-13 to 1-5 lead at the short whistle.
A dominant third quarter by Glenarm saw them stretch the lead out to 13 points, the scores coming thick and fast from Darren Hamill, Sean O’Boyle, Ciaran Magill, Dylan McLaughlin, Padraig McDermot and Niall McGarel, in reply to just two from PJ McBride and second half substitute Eamon McCaughan. There was a brief flurry when points from Trevor Linton and Tommy Burns were followed by a an Eamon McCaughan goal on 55 minutes and the gap was back to eight. You felt another goal could set up a nervy finish for the home side, but corner forward Kevin O’Boyle settled the contest just a minute later with a splendidly taken goal from a narrow angle. Another goal did come at the other end when Owen Kinney fired a free through a packed goalmouth, but it was all settled by this stage and fittingly Darren Hamill had the final score of the game to seal an emphatic win.
SHANE O’NEILL’S GLENARM
Michael Abram, Kieran O’Boyle, Barry Hamill, Liam McLaughlin, Padraig McDermott, Declan McDermott, Daniel Black, Kieran O’Boyle, Sean O’Boyle, Darren Hamill, Dylan McLaughlin, Kevin O’Boyle, Ciaran Magill, Niall McGarel.
Subs – Conal Ward and Sean O’hare
ARMOY GLEN ROVERS
Conor Devlin, Callum Coyle, Shane Devlin, Emmet O’Hara, Arthur Devlin, Eoin O’Boyle, PJ McBride, Joey McFetridge, Ciaran McKenna, John Dillon, Tommy Burns, Turlough McBride, Conor Watterson, Owen Kinney, Trevor Linton.
Subs – Eamon McCaughan
Referee – Paul McSparran (Cushendun)
