Ulster Intermediate Hurling Club semi-final
Kickham’s Creggan (Antrim) v Eire Og Carrickmore (Tyrone)
Saturday Owenbeg 2-00pm
Saturday’s Intermediate Hurling semi-final at Owenbeg sees Antrim champions, Kickham’s Creggan face Tyrone kingpins Carrickmore in what promises to be a close and hard fought encounter that could go either way.The sides met in the Ulster Intermediate final back in 2015 with Creggan emerging victorious but a lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then.
Creggan have confounded their critics and indeed logic itself to reach Saturday’s semi-final. A poor league campaign in Antrim saw the Kickham’s relegated from division 2 after winning only one of their thirteen league fixtures.
It was hardly surprising then that they were ranked as outsiders going into the Antrim Intermediate championship but as a long term injury list abated, too late to save them from relegation, but just in time for the championship, and the men from the Lough Shore began to show their true potential.
They recorded three wins from their four group games to qualify with Sarsfield’s to the semi-finals and as their season gained traction, they made people sit up and take notice with a win over a fancied Emmet’s Cushendun in the semi-final.
In the other semi-final Sarsfields beat Tir na nOg after extra time to set up another meeting with Creggan in the final. Oran McCann’s 54th minute goal was pivotal in Creggan seeing off a determined Sarsfields side 1-16-0-14 in the Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Final at Dunsilly.
Creggan trailed at the break in an evenly contested final and regained the initiative through a Thomas McCann score 12 minutes from time. There was never more than two-points between the sides until the 54th minute when McCann stretched the lead and then assisted in namesake Oran firing home the game’s only goal, seconds later to seal their first Intermediate crown since 2015.
That win set up a meeting with Bredagh, the Down champions in the semi-final and two late pointed frees from Conor McCann gave Creggan a 1-12-1-06 advantage at the interval in Newry. Bredagh came back strongly in the second hald and with extra time appearing to be on the cards Creggan’s Liam McCann proved his team’s hero when he broke clear of his marker around the middle of the field deep in second half injury time and sent over the winning point to seal the Antrim champions place in the semi-final this weekend. There were chances for the Down men to draw level in the added time but the Creggan defence held firm and deny a luckless Bredagh side who contributed greatly to a top class game.
Liam McCann was excellent in defence for the Staffordstown Road side and contributed 0-2 on the day and alongside him Sean Duffin was equally impressive, scoring 0-3 from wing half back. Once again their county player, Conor McCann top scored with 1-6 (0-4f’s, 0-02 ’65’) with the Creggan talisman recently returning to the side after a long term injury.
Tyrone Senior Hurling Championship Final
Éire Óg, Carrickmore 1-15 Eoghan Ruadh, Dungannon 2-6
Eire Óg Carrickmore made it four Tyrone SHC titles in a row thanks to a convincing six-point victory over great rivals Eoghan Ruadh, Dungannon.
The winners started strongly with Oisin Daly opening the scoring and then Justin Kelly following up with a goal, but Eoghan Ruadh fought back with a goal through Branan Molloy.
Éire Óg put their foot on the gas again to move 1-8 to 1-2 ahead, but Eoghan Ruadh gave themselves some hope with a goal from Kiefer Morgan late in the half that reduced the deficit to three points by the break.
It looked like the comeback was really on when Eoghan Ruadh hit the first two points of the second-half to leave the minimum between the teams, but that’s as close as the Dungannon club would get.
Éire Óg hit the next six points in a row to move seven clear by the 51st minute, and never looked like losing it from there.
The Tyrone champions had to dig deep in their Ulster quarter-final meeting with Lisbellaw of Fermanagh and it took extra time to separate them from the Fermanagh champions.
The sides were locked at 1-10 to 1-10 after 60 plus minutes of hard hurling with Eire Og hitting a late equaliser and Lisbellaw hit the first point five minutes into added time to move ahead once more.
It would be the only time they would lead however as Carrickmore came back to lead by five at half time and would eventually run out winners by four points.
Sean Og Grugan top scored for Carrickmore, hitting 1-3 on the day while Aidan Kelly 1-1, Justin Kelly 0-4, Conor Grogan 0-3, Dermot Begley 0-2, Ruairi Slane 0-2, Bryan McGurk and Jonathan Munroe were all on target for he Tyrone champions.
Creggan face a strong and experienced side in Saturday’s semi-final in Owenbeg and will have to be at their best to deal with an Eire Og side who have plenty of experience at this level but will take heart from their last meeting back in 2015.
The sides met in the Ulster final back then with Kickhm’s Creggan emerging as 2-12 to 1-7 and while it should be a lot closer on Saturday I expect Aidan McKeown, Sam Maguire, Liam McCann, Ruairi, Conor and Thomas McCann, Kevin Rice and Co. to lead the Antrim champions to a place in the 2023 final.