Junior B Hurling Championship
Ardoyne 8-18 Loughgbeg Harps 0-11
It was a goal feast for Ardoyne at Fennell Park this afternoon as the Kickhams made it into the final of the Junior B Hurling Championship against a valiant Loughbeg. The men from the loughshore had no answer to Ardoyne’s machine Matt McKillen, who bulged the net on four separate occasions to put the Northenders back into a hurling final.
It didn’t look like it was going to be the visiting team’s day from the start, as a free from Aran Stewart somehow found its way into the Loughbeg net. The depth of Ardoyne’s first half dominance was demonstrated through eight different players lighting up the scoreboard, while Loughbeg struggled to get a grip on the game.
Half-Time: Ardoyne 6-8 Loughbeg Harps 0-4
The second half started with another McKillen goal for Ardoyne in the opening minute. However, while still outscored, Loughbeg showed glimpses of play as the game proceeded that must surely give them heart in the quest to re-establish hurling around the loughshore. They more than held their own at times during the second half but in the end they had no answer to the strength in depth of the Ardoyne team.
Padraig O Deorain came off the Ardoyne bench in the closing stages and produced a point of the highest quality that Henry Shevlin would have been proud of. Ardoyne now look forward to a final against Loch Mór Dál gCais who have run them close on several occasions this season. Ardoyne will know that their finishing will need to be more clinical if they are finally to lift the Junior B Championship.
Ardoyne: 1 JP Agnew, 2 Pascal Clarke (0-2), 3 Paul Baker, 4 Cathal Clarke, 5 Sean Searle (1-0), 6 Caolan Wallace, 7 Micheál McGreevy (0-1), 8 Dean Goodall, 9 Paul McGuigan, 10 Oisin Mac An Bhiocaire (1-2) 1f, 11 Aran Stewart (1-3), 12 Pearse Hull(1-2), 13 Matt McKillen (4-2), 14 Cormac Barnes (0-3), 15 Jim Og McAuley (0-1), Kealan McCallan, Diarmuid Martin, Joe McDowell, Conor Flannery, Stephen Hill, Eoghain Mac An tSearraig, Eamon Mac Lochlainn (0-1), Matthew Crommie, Padraig O’Deorain (0-1), Paul O’Halloran, Christopher McShane, Cahal Keown
Loughbeg: 1 Francis Boyd, 2 Gary Maybin, 3 Diarmuid Scullin 0-1, 4 Paul Quinn, 5 Aidan McErlain, 6 Seanchan O Duifinn, 7 Rory Taggart, 8 Colm McStocker, 9 Shannon O Lochlainn, 10 Damian Carroll, 11 Conor McElhinney 0-5 (3f), 13 Shane McGinty 0-1, 14 Brian McManus 0-3 (2f), 15 Conor Harrison 0-1, 17 Adrian Hegarty, 18 Mark Walsh
