Casement SC JHC Group 1
Rasharkin 6-20 St. Brigid’s 0-10
St. Mary’s Rasharkin turned in a devastating second half performance to sweep aside the challenge of Junior B Champions, St. Brigid’s at Dreen today and move to the top of Group 1 in the Casement SC Junior Hurling Championship.
It took the home side a time to settle and indeed they trailed 0-5 to 0-3 after 22 minutes thanks to some dogged defending from the visitors and poor shooting on their own part but they did finish the half with a flurry.
A rather fortuitous goal from Connor McKeever, which deceived Brigid’s net minder, Chris Lundy proved to be the turning point as the home side went on to lead 1-9 to 0-7 at the break but there was little indication at this stage just what was to come in the second half.
The Dreen side went on to add a further five goals as they swept aside the challenge of the South Belfast side who would have been glad to hear Paul O’Neill’s full-time whistle as they struggled to contain their opponents.
Eamonn McNeill opened the scoring with a point for the home side but St. Brigid’s replied through Fintan Cleary and Keevan Grieve to lead after 8 minutes.
Points from Connor McKeever and Donagh Quigg saw Rasharklin retake the lead but they were wasteful in the extreme in their shooting and St. Brigid’s rePlied through Fearghal Layden and two well struck frees from Fintan Cleary to lead 0-5 to 0-3 with 8 minutes remaining to the break.
Slowly the St. Mary’s attack began to find their range and they hit back with four on the bounce through Connor McKeever 0-2, Eamon McNeill and Tiernan O’Boyle as they began to take control.
Corner back, Bryan Hallihan got forward for a St. Brigid’s point but it brought another response from the home side as Connor McKeever’s attempted point dropped over the head of Chris Lundy and into the net.
McKeever followed with a point and the excellent Eamonn McNeill added another before St. Brigid’s excellent free taker, Fintan Cleary concluded the first half scoring with a point from a ‘65’.
The visitors would still have been harbouring notions of a comeback as the second half got under way but in truth it never looked like materialising. Donagh Quigg extended the Rasharkin lead with a point on the restart with Fintan Cleary pointing another free in reply with only two minutes of the new half gone.
It was as good as it was to get for the Musgrave Park men however with Eamonn McNeill firing home Rasharkin’s second goal in the 37th minute and three points from Connor McKeever and another from McNeill had them 11 ahead by the 39th minute.
It was all St. Mary’s at this stage as they drove forward relentlessly with a McKeever point followed by a goal from the same player putting the game out of reach with 20 minutes still remaining.
There would be no let-up however as the Dreen side began to score, almost at will as Eamonn McNeill pointed from play and added another from a free before Fintan Cleary briefly lifted the siege with a pointed free for the visitors.
McNeill 0-2 from play and Cleary from two more frees kept the score board ticking but Cleary’s second in the 49th minute would be St. Brigid’s final score as their hosts ran rampant in the closing stages.
Shane Hasson fired home their fourth goal with nine minutes remaining with the impressive Connor McKeever bagging a fifth and Donagh Quigg making it six as the flood gates opened. McKeever and Quigg weighed in with points to bring their side’s total for the day to 6-20 and their meeting with Davitt’s in Dreen on the 4th of September will now decide who tops the group.
All Saints, who lost to Davitt’s on Friday night and St. Brigid’s will meet two days earlier and despite both sides losing their two opening games a quarter final place for the winners of that one is still up for grabs.
