All County Hurling League Division 2
Shane O’Neill’s Glenarm 2-28 St Gall’s 2-11
Pics by Bert Trowlen and Pete Hyndman
Glenarm kept their chances of winning the Division 2 league title alive when they beat St Gall’s in their penultimate game at Feystown on Sunday.
Leading by 1-14 to 0-8 at half time the Glenarm men got a bit of a shock when St Gall’s scored two goals in three minutes at the start of the second half to reduce their arrears to just three points, but they soon recovered and pushed on again to win convincingly.
After Daniel Black opened the scoring for the home side with an early point St Gall’s hit back with points from Oisin Kelly and Fergus Donnelly to lead after eight minutes. However when the home side got going again they began to find a bit of form and three points from Niall McGarel, two rom Sean’Boyle and one from Dylan McLaughlin saw them start to ease away. Mark Napier and Jackson McGreevy pulled two back for the visitors to keep them in touch but a goal and two points from Ciaran Magill and Niall McGarel stretched the glenar lead to seven.
Napier, McGreevy and Marcus Donnelly came back with three on the trot for St Gall’s by the 25th minute, but the home side finished strongly and two from Daniel Black, plus one each from McGarel and McLaughlin put nine between the teams at the short whistle.
The Glenarm fans were in confident mood at half time, but their optimism was challenged just after half time when Jackson McGreevy and Michael McMullan grabbed two goals inside three minutes of the restart, and suddenly the gap was down to just three. McLaughlin and O’Boyle came back with points for the Feystown men but Mark Napier replied for the visitors and seven minute into the new half just five points separated them.
It could have been closer had it not been for a super save from Glenarm goalkeeper Michael Abram and from that point on things began to change. A Ciaran Magill goal on 40 minutes marked a turning point and the home team went on to hit nine of the next ten points, the St Gall’s point coming from Mark Napier. Marcus Donnelly grabbed another one for St Gall’s but it was to prove their last of the game and Glenarm grabbed the last three scores to seal the win.
The win keeps alive their hopes of a second promotion in two years, though they are dependent on other results going their way. If Carey beat, or draw with, Cushendun in their last game then they will be champions, but it they slip up in any way, and Glenarm win at St Paul’s then the title will be theirs.
Theoretically St Paul’s can still win the title as well, but it is highly unlikely. The Shaw’s Road men have been awarded the points for their game against Cloney Gaels a week or two ago, and though it does not show on the league table, they now have 18 points. If they were to beat Glenarm and Cushendun were to beat Carey then all three would be on 20 points. However St Paul’s score difference would let them down as they are currently on -14, while Glenarm are on plus 50 and Carey on plus 55, so it would take an awful lot of scoring to close the gap.
For more pics from the Glenarm v St Gall’s game click on the link below
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