O’Neill Sportwear Hurling League Division 2

Glenravel 1-10  Rasharkin 0-17

Rasharkin’s burly full forward Conor McKeever gave a masterclass in free taking, scoring seven times from placed balls to help secure his team’s victory in a sun drenched Fr Maginn Park on Sunday. Ahead by a single point at half time, Rasharkin would stretch that lead to four by the time referee Declan McGarry called time in what was largely a good tempered game though that fell apart in second half injury time as McGarry issued three red cards after two separate unsavoury incidents as the final whistle approached. 

Rasharkin got the opening score in the first minute of the game but one minute later Declan Traynor burst through their defence and unleashed a pile drive to the net much to the joy of the home support. Conor McFerran reduced the gap to a single point but Glenravel stretched their lead with points from Caolan Mullan and Conleth O’Loan. McKeever got the first of his personal ten point tally on eight minutes but that was quickly cancelled out by a Cormac McKeown point for the home side so with ten minutes played Glenravel led 1-03 to 0-03. Having found his range, Conor McKeever would go on to score the game’s next three points, two from placed balls, to level the game. Conleth O’Loan and Donagh Quigg exchanged two points each to keep things level but in the final minute of the half McKeever scored from a placed ball to put Rasharkin in front. Conleth O’Loan again pointed to level the game and it looked like both tams would retire to the changing rooms all square but one minute into injury time Conor McFerran scored the final point of the first half to give Rasharkin the lead 1-06 to 0-10, a lead they wouldn’t relinquish to the end of the game..

Conor McKeever continued where he’d left off with the second half’s opening two scores from placed balls to put three between the teams. Ciaran Laverty replied for the home team but then in a ten minute spell Rasharkin recorded four unanswered points, two each from Aidan and Conor McKeever to open up a six point gap. Cormac McKeown took over free taking for Glenravel and he scored the game’s next three points all from placed balls to leave three points between the teams as we entered injury time. Glenravel went in search of that elusive goal but it was the Dreen men who had the final say with an insurance point to put them four ahead. As tempers flared in the closing stages, referee McGarry had to issue three red cards, the visitors collecting two of those, before calling time with Rasharkin winning on a 1-10 to 0-17 scoreline.