Intermediate Hurling Championship

Oisins 1-18 Carey Faughs 0-23

Carey held off a late rally from Oisins Glenarife to book their place in the semi-final of the Intermediate Hurling Championship against Tir na nOg in two weeks’ time. The Faughs came into the game knowing that anything less than a win wouldn’t be good enough and for most of the game it looked like they were going canter over the winning line, such was their superiority. However the Oisins, who started without four of their first choice players who will play in next week Minor final against Dunloy, brought two of those players on at half time, and the other two midway through the second half, and suddenly the tide began to turn.

The first two substitutions of Calum McIlwaine and Niall Magee had no apparent effect, and in fact Carey’s lead increased from six to eight, but when Orrin O’Connor and Phelim Ward were introduced suddenly things began to change. When O’Connor batted a high ball to the net on 51 minutes the tempo of the game suddenly increased and when Alex O’Boyle, Oliver Kearney and Seanie Tosh added points in quick succession the gap was suddenly down to just two, with five minutes still to play.

Shea Hunter put the gap out to three again and entering injury time O’Connor fired a shot in which hit the Carey goalkeeper on the helmet and deflected over the bar. There was still time to salvage something for the home team but Carey showed great resolve in the run-in to hold on and secure a semi-final place.

Carey flew from the traps and were 0-05 to 0-00 to the good after eight minutes Conor McBride, Paddy Butler, Conal McGlynn (2) and James Black found the target.

Brogan O’Connor and Seanie McIntosh got the Oisins on the scoreboard but two from Conor McBride restored the five point cushion midway through the first half. Glenariffe closed the gap on a couple of occasion but points from Conal McGlynn, Conlith McKinley and James Black stretched the lead to eight, before late points from Seanie McIntosh and Conor Kell hit back to close the half time deficit to six at the short whistle.

When the Oisins hit the first three points of the second half the their fans were suddenly in full voice, but Carey weathered the early storm and three in a row from free taker Conal McGlynn had the gap out to six again and they pushed that gap out to eight as the game entered the closings stages.

When substitution Orrin O’Connor doubled a high ball to the Faughs net, O’Boyle, Kearney and McIntosh followed with points and suddenly just two points separated the team.

The Oisins now looked like they could salvage the game, but the Faughs put their shoulder to the wheel and held out to win by two to secure a semi-final spot.

OISINS

Seanan McToal, Conor Patterson, Niall Murray, Donal Kearney, Michael Haughey, Daniel Kearney, Oliver Kearney, Odhran Gillan, Kieran McKendry, Alex O’Boyle, Ronan Leech, Brogan O’Connor, Dan Mckillop, Seanie McIntosh.

CAREY FAUGHS

Steven Maginn, Zach McCaughan, Sean McBride, Patrick Gillan, Michael McVeigh, James McCouaig, Conal McGlynn, Calum Cane, Caolan McCaughan, James Black, John McBride, Shea Hunter, Conlith McKinley, Patrick Butler, Conor McBride.

REFEREE – Mark O’Neill.