ACHL Div3/4 Promotion/Relegation playoff
Na Magha 0-21 Davitt’s 1-15
Some days you set off to cover a game with no great expectations. Sunday was one of those days but thank God I was appointed to cover Na Magha and Davitt’s at Dunsilly.
Division 3 survival was the prize for the Derry City side – promotion from division 4 was the prize for the men from West Belfast and what an entertaining hour’s hurling these two excellent combatants produced.
Na Magha made the early running at Dunsilly and for 13 minutes of the opening half looked like the side who had been playing their league hurling at a higher level as they sprayed the ball around with great accuracy.
They opened with points from Padhraig Nellis and Deaglan Foley but Davitt’s responded with a pointed free from Donn Whelan and another from play from Jay Maguire to draw level with five minutes gone.
Slowly though the greater accuracy of Na Magha began to tell and they would hit four on the bounce through Keelan Doherty 0-2, Aaron Campbell and a superb effort from Mark McCloskey.
At this stage the Derry side had hit half a dozen wides and it looked like those misses might come back to bite them as a dogged Davitt’s started to deny them space and time as they slowly clawed their way back into the game.
Free specialist, Donn Whelan began the comeback and Jay Maguire followed with another before Alan Grant in the Na Magha goals brought off a good save to deny Anthony Rowntree.
Whelan from another free and Marcas Toner closed the gap to two and the momentum had changed dramatically as Davitt’s began to get on top and a pointed ‘65’ from Whelan and two more from Jay Maguire saw the Falls Road side hit the front by the 24th minute.
Michael Davitt’s were now calling the shots as Grant again came to Na Magha’s rescue with another splendid stop to deny Anthony Rowntree as Na Magha continued to add to their wide count at the other end.
Deaglan Foley finally found the target with the Derry side’s first point in 15 minutes to level the contest but the final score of the half would fall to ace free taker, Whelan who edged his side to a 0-8 to 0-7 lead at half time with a superb effort from 70 yards.
Fifteen seconds into the second half Colm McKee brought a loud roar from the big Davitt’s followers who had made their way to Dunsilly and a Na Magha side who had disappeared looked badly in need of some inspiration.
The excellent Deaglan Foley got them up and running again from a free in the third minute and this score seemed to settle them as points from Mark McCloskey and Ryan Adams saw them retake the lead by the 7th minute.
Donn Whelan brought it level once more as he sent over from play at the other end but Na Magha had found their rhythm again as Padhraig Nellis and Tomas Gallagher split the posts.
Stephen McGivern closed the gap to one again and Foley and Whelan exchanged further points to leave just one in it with ten minutes remaining and it still looked anybody’s game.
The Derry City men found another gear at this stage however with the free taking of Deaglan Foley proving vital as they began to assert control. Foley converted three frees and Padhraig nellis and Keelan Doherty were all on target with Davitt’s only reply coming from a Donn Whelan free as Na Magha moved five ahead with six minutes remaining.
Davitt’s were still battling and Anthony Rowntree pointed before Alan Grant pulled off another good save to deny Cormac Maguire with Ryan Adams and Foley responding with another converted free to put the contest out of reach.
The Belfast men continued to battle to the end and were finally rewarded for their effort when Colm McKee finally found a way past the excellent Alan Grant but it will be Na Magha who will be playing their hurling again in Division 3 of the Antrim league next season while an excellent Davitt’s will reflect on what might have been..
Na Magha: 1 Alan Grant, 2 Odhran Clenaghan, 3 Conor Murphy, 4 Aaron Campbell, 5 Oisin Glass, 6 Daniel Doherty, 7 Mark McCloskey, 8 Padhraig Nellis, 9 Ruaidhri McLaughlin, 10 Adam Cutliffe, 11 Deaglan Foley, 12 Ryan Adams, 31 Keelan Doherty, 14 Timothy Rankin, 15 Tomas Gallagher.
Davitt’s: 1 Gearoid Cosgrove, 2 Jason Park, 3 Thomas Toland, 4 Caoinhin Rainey, 5 Peter Og Carelton, Caoimhin Heaney, 7 Deaglan Mooney, 8 Michael Og Rowntree, 9 Colm McKee, Marcas Toner, 11 Stephen McGivern, 12 Donn Whelan, 13 Jay Maguire, 14 Anthony Rowntree, 15 Christopher Gallagher.
Referee: Niall Clifford (Armagh)