Division 2/3 Hurling Relegation promotion play-off
Carryduff 0-24 Cloughmills 1-14
A good win over St. Brigid’s Cloughmills at Dunsilly on Monday night sees Carryduff remain in division 2 of the Antrim ACFL for next season where they will be joined by neighbours and division 3 winners Bredagh.
The county Down men proved as elusive as the numbers they were playing in as they had just too much in the end for a St. Brigid’s side who failed to reach the level that they reached against Bredagh 11 days ago to finish in second place in division 2 and earn the right to a place in this play-off.
It was Carryduff who raced into an early 0-5 to 0-1 lead by the 9th minute with Donal Rooney opening the scoring before Eoin Dobbin replied for the Cloughmills’ side.
Two from Sean O’Callaghan and another two from the impressive Rooney moved the Co Down men four in front before Callum McKendry replied with the ‘Biddies’ second point in the 11th minute.
Carryduff were looking the sharper side with a good first touch and some precise striking as they hit another three on the bounce through James Woods, Conor McAlister and Oran Teague to lead 0-8 to 0-2 by the 20th minute.
McKendry struck his second and St. Brigid’s third point in reply but it brought another response from their opponents with James Lavery and Rory McArdle on target with Eoin Dobbin and Callum McKendry replying for the Antrim side.
It was Carryduff who continued to edge the exchanges however with some crisp, sharp hurling as Conor McAlister, Lorcan Cooney, James Lavery 0-2 and Donal Lavery completing the first half scoring with points for the men in Purple and Stephen Smyth getting a late point for Cloughmills.
Trailing by 9 at the short whistle, the North Antrim side needed a marked improvement if they were to turn this one around and they did start the second half brightly with point from Callum McKendry and Liam Kearns.
Carryduff replied through Donal Rooney and Conor McAlister to keep the gap at 9 and were always able to respond when St. Brigid’s scored.
Smyth had it briefly back to 8 before Rooney and Darragh Goodwin moved the division 2 side 10 clear by the 8th minute as Cloughmills introduced Conor Laverty and Conor Reid in an effort to add some momentum to their challenge.
A pointed free from Liam Kearns and a good point from play from Eoin Dobbin suggested that the substitutions had done just that but once again the County Down side made a decisive reply.
Sean O’Callaghan, James Lavery, Lorcan Cooney and Conor McAlister hit four without reply to put 14 between the sides by the 20th minute and it was going to take a miracle to overturn this lead.
To their credit St. Brigid’s kept battling to the end with Eoin Dobbin pointing before Liam Kearns challenge for a dipping delivery ending in the Carryduff net to put a much better look on the scoreline.
That would be as close as they got with Lorcan Cooney for Carryduff and Callum McKendry for Cloughmills exchanging late points to see the Down men secure division 2 hurling for next season.
It’s been a good season for St. Brigid’s however and they won’t have time to lick their wounds after this defeat as they travel to Feystown on Saturday evening to face high flying Glenarm in the opening game of the Intermediate Hurling Championship
Carryduff: 1 Conor McLornan, 2 Niall McArdle, 3 Conor Cassidy, 4 James Lavery, 5 Oran McMeel, 6 Donal Rooney, 7 Tiarnan McMeel, 8 Ciaran Rodgers, 9 Darragh Goodwin, 10 Ciaran O’Callaghan, 11 Lorcan McAuley, 12 Ciaran Goodwin, 13 Dominic Sharkey, 14 Conor O’Neill, 15 Owen Wyer, 16 Matthew Mooney, 17 Conor McAlister, 18 Michael Conway, 19 Donal Teague, 20 Lorcan Cooney, 22 Sean O’Callaghan, 23 Oran Teague, 24 Fearghal Casey, 25 James Woods, 26 Christopher McConville, 27 Rory McArdle, 28 Liam Lavery, 29 David Morrisey
St. Brigid’s: 1 Christopher McKernan, 2 Rian Dobbin, 3 Sean McKendry, 4 Johnny Duffin, 5 James Doherty, 6 Ruairi Laverty, 7 Geoffery Og Laverty, 8 Kevin O’Boyle, 9 Stephen Smyth, 10 Martin Dobbin, 11 Callum McKendry, 12 Eoin Dobbin, 13 James O’Boyle, 14 Corey Blair, 15 Liam Kearns
Subs: Reece Watt for kevin O’Boyle, Conor Laverty for James O’Boyle, Conor Reid for Corey Blair, Joe Smith
Referee: Tarlach Conway
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