Junior B Hurling Championship
Loch Mor Dal gCais 2-14 Kickham’s Ardoyne 2-14
As darkness fell at St. Agnes on Friday night, Bailey Graham fired a rocket to the Ardoyne net in the fading light to give Loch Mor Dal gCais a share of the points that seemed highly unlikely minutes earlier.
The Kickkham’s had finished strongly with three points on the bounce from corner-forward, Patrick McGreevey and looked to have done enough to have edged a thrilling Junior B Hurling Championship encounter.
With time almost up Graham applied the coup de grâce and these two sides could meet again in the decider if the final round of games fall in both their favour.
In a game of changing fortunes that swung in favour of one and then the other throughout these two well matched sides could not be separated during an exciting opening half where both teams played some excellent hurling in far from ideal conditions
The game turned into a shootout between Loch Mor’s Darragh Turley and Patrick McGreevey of Ardoyne who both gave an exhibition of free taking over the hour despite the driving wind and rain.
Turley would account for 0-6 of his sides 0-11 first half total while McGreevey replied with three for the Kickham’s but significantly it was Aaran Stewart with goals in the 2nd and 27th minutes that kept them on level par at the change of ends.
On the restart it was Loch Mor Dal gCais who looked the more likely winners as they dominated the opening exchanges with Turley carrying on where he had left off with three points in the opening four minute, one a superb long range effort.
It certainly look to be swinging very much in favour of the Lough Shore side when Bailey Graham fired home their opening goal of the contest in the 5th minute and Ardoyne looked in trouble as they trailed by six points.
McGreevey began the comeback for the Kickham’s with points in the 10th and 11th minutes with Daniel Moore and Paul McGuigan splitting the posts as they slowly reeled in the Loch Mor lead.
The momentum was now very much with Ardoyne as McGreevey and Goodall brought matters level by the 22nd minute and three late strikes from the Ardoyne corner-forward looked to have secured victory.
Loch Mor were not yet finished however and Bailey Graham became their hero when he fired home with time almost up to secure his side a point that on the balance of play was probably the right result.
Both side deserve credit for their performances on the night and both are still in there battling for Junior B Championship success.
Loch Mor Dal gCais travel to Loughbeg Harps on the 5th September while Ardoyne face Belfast Saints at Fennell Park on the same day.
Kickham’s Ardoyne: 1 JP Agnew, 2 Pascal Clarke, 3 Paul Baker, 4 Cahal Clarke, 5 Sean Searle, 6 Micheal McGreevey, 7 Christopher McShane, 8 Dean Goodall, 9 Oisin McVicker, 10 Daniel Moore, 11 Cahal Keown, 12 Pearse Hull, 13 Patrick McGreevey, 14 Aran Stewart, 15 Jim Og McAuley, 19 Paul McGuigan
Loch Mor Dal gCais: 1 Michael Morgan, 2 Aaron Monaghan, 3 Sean Burke, 4 James Magorrian, 5 David McAreavey, 6 Conor Jones, 7 Declan Phillips, 8 Martin Braniff, 9 Cormac Dwyer, 10 Ruairi Bannon, 11 Bailey Graham, 12 Cal Burke, 14 Ferdia Carson, 15 Darragh Turley, 22 Gerard Pickering
