Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship – Group 1
Carey Faughs 3-25 Shane O’Neill’s Glenarm 4-17
Carey Faughs survived a late wobble to win their first game of the campaign when they hosted Glenarm in Wednesday evening’s Intermediate Hurling Championship Round 3 match in Ballyvoy.
Playing their best hurling in years the Faughs led by eight at half time and came flying out of the traps at the start of the second half to stretch that lead to seventeen after 42 minutes, hitting a series of wonder scores on the way. Glenarm staged a mini revival with a goal and three points, but the Faughs came again with four quick points in a row to lead by 15 with five minutes of normal time left on the clock.
Everything was done and dusted, or so it appeared, but nobody told the Glenarm men who produced a stunning final rally that produced three goals and a point to leave just five between the sides at the end.
Glenarm started the game with two quick points from Niall McGarel, but Conor McBride and Shea Hunter had the Faughs level by the fourth minute. It was point for point during the next seven minute until Conor McBride got Carey’s opening goal and when Josh Mullan got a second the Faughs started to open a gap, and they pushed on to lead by 2-13 to 0-11 at half time.
With Conor McBride and James ‘Rocket’ Black in fantastic form the home side turned on the style in the third quarter as they hit 1-7 to just a single reply for Glenarm, the Faughs goal coming from a long delivery from Shea Hunter which deceived Michael Abram in the Glenarm goal and somehow ended in the net. The gap was now seventeen points and you feared his could be an annihilation, but Glenarm dug deep and points from Benny McDermott and Niall McGarel (2) were followed by a goal from Blain McDermott.
Their good work appeared to have been wasted at hit Carey came back with four in a row, two from Sean McLoughlin and one each from Conor McBride and Rocket to lead by 15 with just five minutes to play. However Glenarm had bit of fight left in them still and in an extraordinary rally they battled back again as Shane Magill, Dylan McLaughlin and Benny McDermott fired in goals, while Blain McDermott added a points to leave just five between them in the end. Once again the Intermediate Hurling Championship has proved to be the pick of all the championships. Last years’ Junior Champions Glenram cannot make the knock-out stages, but they have acquitted themselves well. They have one game still left to play when they host group leaders Cushendun in Feystown on Saturday evening and Carey will be hoping they can do them a big favour by getting a result there.
Carey are still needing others to do them a favour if they are to make it through but if Cushendun beat Glenarm on Saturday and Tir na nOg beat St Gall’s then their race will over before their last game of the campaign in Cushendun in two weeks’ time.
