U19 Hurling Championship – Quarter-Final
Dunloy 3-19 St Paul’s 1-5
Thursday 21 September
Dunloy made safe passage to the semi-finals of the U19 championship under the floodlights of Pairc Ui Cheallaigh against St Paul’s. Twenty points was their winning margin in what is fair to say, a feisty affair that threatened to boil over on a number of occasions. As it was, just one red card was issued early in the second half but there could have been more follow, such was the nature of this championship encounter.
In a contest that was slow in starting, the Cuchullains eventually showed their class and scoring power. Just two points of their final score came from open play while Aodhan McGarry finished top scorer with 2-4 beside his name before coming off in the 50th minute. He had plenty of support however with Oisin McCamphill’s second half performance particularly eye-catching. The young Cuchullain finished with 1-4, 1-3 of which came after the half time break.
Strangely despite the final score, St Paul’s were well in this game for the majority of the first half. Both sides were guilty of missing chances and with their composure letting them down but the Shaw’s Road men had an ace in their pack with Lorcan Phillips causing the Dunloy defence plenty of problems. He had little in the way of support though and when Dunloy did come to terms with his threat, they began to turn the screw. They held St Paul’s to just the one point in the second half while their attacking play and ability to take scores from all angles shone.
McGarry’s first major came in the 19th minute with Dunloy holding a three point lead. Joseph Magee delivering long to McCamphill who showed great vision to find McGarry in space. He had the composure needed to find the bottom corner of Daire Brown’s goal.
St Paul’s continued to harass and tackle as best they could and it was through their workrate and intensity that they scored their goal in the 23rd minute. Forcing a turnover in the Dunloy half back line, Caoimhin Duffy collected the sliotar and went for a point. The sliotar dropped just below the crossbar however with Dunloy ‘keeper Eoghan Richmond misjudging the flight of the ball.
The Dunloy response was instant and emphatic. A quick counter up the field saw McGarry bag his second major with the instant reply while further points from the impressive Tom McFerran, McGarry again and a huge point from Daire McMullan opened a ten point lead. St Pauls had the last say of the first period with Phillips scoring his fourth of the half, showing superb wrists to get his strike away under pressure on the stroke of half time.
While the second half started slowly just like the first, it wasn’t long before the Cuchullains clicked into gear with an array of brilliant scores. The game was stopped on numerous occasions throughout the second half with a number of dangerous challenges coming in and though only on red card was issued, it felt like it was only a matter of time before we saw someone else would follow.
The Cuchullains scored 1-9 in the second half with all the scores coming from open play. The goal coming from the impish McCamphill in the last minute of the hour. Collecting a cross field ball from Ryan Mort, McCamphill collected and took aim from 25 yards out, finding the bottom corner and adding the icing to a fine second half display.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Eoghan Richmond; Reece Cunning, Sean Og Blaney, Michael Traynor; Ben O’Kane, Joseph Magee, Frances McMullan; Daire McMullan, Tom McFerran; Luke McFerran, Aodhan McGarry, Barry McCloskey; Oisin McCamphill, Ryan Mort, Padraig Martin
Subs: Conal Elliott for P Martin (42); Niall McIlhatton for T McFerran (47); Eoin O’Kane for A McGarry (50); Dara Watterson for L McFerran (54); Cathaoir McFerran for B O’Kane (58)
Scorers: A McGarry 2-4 (2fs); O McCamphill 1-4; D McMullan 0-3; T McFerran 0-2; L McFerran 0-2; P Martin 0-2; B McCloskey 0-1; C Elliott 0-1
St Pauls: Daire Brown; Caoimhin Rainey, Tiarnan Auld, Callum Murray; Thomas Duff, Liam Walsh, Diarmuid O’Sullivan; Declan Quinn, Caoimhin Killyleagh; Daire Maguire, Caoimhin Duffy, Baire Burns; Sean Munce, Lorcan Phillips, Paul Og Donnelly
Subs: Pauric McKeritt for C Murray (18); Eoin Brown for D Maguire (47); Adam Ravel for D O’Sullivan (49)
Scorers: L Phillips 0-4 (2fs); C Duffy 1-00; T Duff 0-1
Referee: Sean Elliott (Lamh Dhearg)
