Casement Social Club Junior Hurling Championship, Group 2
Glen Rovers, Armoy 7-16-1-09 Lámh Dhearg
Kevin Herron reports from Slemish Park
Armoy all but secured themselves a place in the semi-final of the Junior Hurling Championship with a comfortable 7-16-1-09 win over Lámh Dhearg at Slemish Park on Friday evening.
They laid out their stall early on and had struck two goals within the first five minutes. Trevor Linton running onto the end of a Ciaran McKenna pass before slamming a low shot to the net and full-forward Owen Kinney added a second.
On each occasion Lámh Dhearg responded, first through an Adam Murray free and Calum Fegan split the posts after Kinney’s goal.
Kinney would clip over his sides first point of the evening and Murray doubled his account from the placed ball in response.
Goal scorer Linton converted a free – though Daniel Murray drove over a point from range and Mark Finnegan followed up with his first of the evening to narrow the deficit at the midway point (2-02-0-05).
The sides would trade the next four points, Thomas Burns sent a fantastic shot between the large posts and Trevor Linton added to his personal account with an angled effort that dropped over.
In between times Ciaran Boyd produced an excellent score and Mark Finnegan converted a free.
Adam Murray’s first point from play brought the Hannahstown side to within two-points five minutes before the break, however Armoy finished with a late flurry to take firm control at the break.
They restored their three-point lead through Owen Kinney’s second point of the half and then extended their advantage through successive Linton points, one from play and the other from a free.
A minute before the interval Kinney doubled his goal tally, taking full advantage of a mishap and rifling home to give his side a 3-07-0-08 lead.
Linton would add a further point from a free in the aftermath as Armoy were very much in the driving seat at the interval.
The Glen’s men picked up where they left off as Emmett O’Hara confidently landed a score inside the opening seconds of the restart and Owen Kinney then flicked home on the 33rd minute to seal his hat-trick and make it 4-09-0-08.
Things didn’t let up with Kinney adding two further points, Turlach McBride scored a long range free in-between, and Arthur Devlin produced another impressive score from range.
Armoy’s fifth goal arrived on the 38th minute as Emmett O’Hara’s long range shot squirmed to the net to make it 5-13-0-08 and 2-05 without reply since the restart.
Lámh Dhearg eventually got up and running for the half with Mark Finnegan converting his second free of the evening.
Turlach McBride dropped over another long-range free and two goals inside less than a minute before the midway point in the second half really emphasised the gap between the sides.
Kinney conjured up his fourth of the evening after it looked as the danger was clear and after a goal-mouth scramble less than 60-seconds later, Trevor Linton shot home his second goal to make it 7-14-0-09.
The changes flowed in the aftermath and after almost 10 scoreless minutes there was scant consolation for the Lámhs after Adam Murray’s side-line cut fell to substitute Aaron Ferris and he squeezed a low shot to the net.
Armoy added to their impressive tally in the closing stages with Turlach McBride adding another two frees from range to wrap up a 7-16-1-09 win and a home semi-final spot baring a monumental collapse in their final group game in two-week’s time.
GLEN ROVERS, ARMOY: C Devlin, C allum Coyles, S Devlin, L Dillon, T McBride (0-04f), A Devlin (0-01), E O’Hara (1-01), R Lavelle, C Lordan, C McKenna, C Christie, E Boyle, T Linton (2-05, 0-03f), O Kinney (4-05), T Burns. SUBS: K McToal for E Boyle (41), T Burns for C Christie (45), C Watterson for C McKenna (45), D Connolly for S Devlin (52), Ciaran Coyles for O Kinney (52).
LÁMH DHEARG: R Camlin, N McGarry, O Waldron, F Clenaghan, D Murray (0-01), R Diamond, F Mervyn, C Boyd (0-01), A Murray (0-03, 0-02f), A McGuigan, M Finnegan (0-03, 0-02f), C Fegan (0-01), O Lee, SP Gibson, D Martin. SUBS: T McKenna for R Camlin (36), M McGarry for F Clenaghan (42), A Ferris (1-00) for O Lee (53).
REFEREE: Paul O’Neill (CREGGAN)
