Intermediate Hurling Championship – Group 2 – Round 3
St Paul’s 1-15 Glenravel 0-14
A goal by corner forward Paddy Doyle nine minutes into the second half set St Paul’s on the road to glory as they overcome Con Magees Glenravel by four points in Friday evening’s Intermediate Hurling Championship Group 2 game at Whitehill, Randalstown.
St Paul’s had held a one point lead at half time 0-9 to 0-8 but just after the break substitute Sean McKay brought Glenravel level. It looked like remaining a close affair but six minutes later Doyle struck the telling blow when he fired home for the only goal of the game, which put a bit of daylight between the sides, and the Shaw’s Road men held the upper hand until the end.
Glenravel had started well as the heavy rain fell and points from Conleth O’Loan, Ciaran Laverty and Cormac McKeown had them three clear after four minutes. Caolan Ó Duibhfinn, who was to finish as top scorer, got St Paul’s on the scoreboard a minute later and he added another from a free soon afterwards, but Conleth O’Loan landed a long range free and Ciaran Laverty sent one over from play to put Glenravel three clear by the tenth minute.
Two by Paddy Doyle and Conal Finnegan brought St Paul’s back to within a point again but James Duffin and Cormac McKeown hit back for the Con Magees to open the gap to three once more. The last ten minutes of the first half saw St Paul’s get on top and five points without reply, two from frees and three from play, all of them from the stick of Caolan O’Duibhfinn which put them two clear in first half injury time, but substitute Sean McKay, who had just come on for the injured Conleth O’Loan, hit the last point of the half to leave just a single point between the sides at the ‘’short whistle.’
When McKay levelled six minutes into the second half it looked like being a closely fought contest, but Doyle’s goal three minute later gave the Belfast side a lead they would not consequently lose. They added another point soon afterwards to open a four point gap and that’s is basically the way it remained as each time Glenravel brought it back to three St Paul’s found a reply as they held out to the final whistle
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