Casement Social Club Junior Hurling Championship – Group 2
Friday 2nd September
Report by Niall Kelly
Naomh Bríd Cloughmills 1-15 Shane O’Neill’s Glenarm 1-22
An emphatic finish to the net from sharpshooter, Dylan McLaughlin, five minutes from time proved to be the cherry on top of a storming come-back for Glenarm in what was a thoroughly entertaining affair between the two trailblazers in Group Two. Having trailed by five at the break, the visitors rallied strongly and produced some slick and eye-catching passages of play coupled with the enviable ability to finish clinically. Cloughmills played three quarters of the game with fourteen men and unfortunately for the Biddies, the numbers game would prove to be their demise as their North Antrim counterparts utilised the spare man to devastating effect. Niall McGarel and Dylan McLaughlin spearheaded the visitor’s revival and were ably assisted by captain Darren Hamill.
Both teams came out of the traps brightly and found their range instantly with a flurry of points sailing over in what was a high scoring opening. The scores were deadlocked at five points apiece after ten minutes as each time the hosts would edge ahead, the visitors would peg them back instantly with both teams grappling to seize the initiative.
Despite a dismissal amongst the Cloughmills ranks, the men in orange and black rallied well and took the lead on the 15th minute as industrious work from Aaron McGuckian set up midfield dynamo Ruairi Laverty who pointed from range and was the heartbeat of his side’s momentum. Aaron Smiley and Stevie Smyth raised further white flags either side of a Ben O’Boyle score from the visitors before the ever-dangerous Liam Kearns grabbed the game’s first major with an innovative effort, batting the ball into the net after embarking on a marauding solo run from deep. Kieran and Sean O’Boyle responded for the visitors but Laverty and Kearns (2) were on hand again to reinstate their six-point lead.
As the game approached the interval, Glenarm were beginning to find a better rhythm in their offense and began peppering the Cloughmills goal menacingly. Niall McGarel’s long range score just before Ryan O’Reilly’s short whistle, proved to be an ominous sign for what would follow in the second as the teams retreated to the changing rooms with the score 1-11 to 0-09 in favour of the hosts.
A rejuvenated and revitalised Glenarm side emerged from the break, stunning their opponents as they fired over six points in the opening eight minutes with the hosts only mustering two of their own. Johnny Duffin and Aaron Smiley responded positively though for the home side as they edged ahead again but it would be the last time they would do so. The hosts were forced into a plethora of changes as unwanted injuries to key players scuppered their plans further.
The Shane O’Neill’s men took the impetus and were dovetailing beautifully in attack. Niall McGarel and Dylan McLaughlin were causing pandemonium amongst the Cloughmills rear-guard. Their ingenuity and unpredictability in attack was swinging the pendulum of momentum back in favour of the visitors as both players fired over two points a piece to take the lead for the first time in the game and it would be a lead that they would refuse to relinquish.
McLaughlin’s blistering effort to the net five minutes later paved the way to victory as the game approached its climax with Darren Hamill and Ben O’Boyle in potent form to ensure a seven-point victory and automatic progression to the semi-finals for the visitors.
Despite the defeat, Cloughmills will take plenty of positives. They managed to withstand the barrage of a capable Glenarm outfit for the majority of the game with depleted numbers and personnel displaying great character and resilience which will serve them well in their next game. Glenarm will be delighted to have also shown great determination and grit to secure victory in the manner that they did. Both teams will certainly still fancy their chances to lift the Junior Crown.
Teams:
Cloughmills
C McKernan; M Dobbin, S McKendry, A McGuckian; J Duffin (0-01,) C Laverty, J Smyth; R Laverty (0-02,) G Óg Laverty; S Martin, M Devlin (0-01,) R Watt; A Smiley (0-05,) L Kearns (1-04,) S Smyth (0-02)
Glenarm
M Abram; K O’Boyle, B Hamill, L Óg McLaughlin; B O’Boyle (0-02,) D McDermott, A Scullion; D Black (0-01,) Kieran O’Boyle (0-01;) S O’Boyle (0-02,) D Hamill (0-05,) D McLaughlin (1-04:) Kevin O’Boyle, Liam Mulvenna, N McGarel (0-07)
