Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship, quarter-final
St John’s 0-30 Naomh Éanna 2-15
Pics by MT Hurson
A free flowing St John’s side ran up an impressive total of 30 points as they saw off the challenge of Naomh Eanna with a bit to spare at Pairc Rossa on Saturday, and in doing so set up a mouth-watering semi-final with county champions Cushendall in two weeks’ time.
On top from the first minute the Corrigan Park side were impressive against their Glengormley opponents who found it really hard to get to the pace of the game, struggling to match the Johnnies intensity. The West Belfast side started like a steam train, firing over from all angles, Conor Johnston and Oisin McManus playing starring roles, ‘Jonty’ ending with eight from play and free taker McManus with nine overall, four of them from play.
A quick start saw the wind assisted Johnnies set the scoreboard in motion in the opening minute with Oisin Donnelly firing over and the scores followed from Bohill, Shannon (2) and Johnston as the gap began to widen. Cormac Jennings got Naomh Eanna on the scoreboard and Ciaran McAlister added one from play, but a real barrage of scores from the Corrigan Park outfit saw them his eight without reply to open a twelve point gap.
St Enda’s kept battling though and they got their reward when corner forward Conor Bradley fired to the net late in the first half after good approach work by McAlister. However St John’s hit back with four more before the break to lead by 0-18 to 1-05 by the time match referee Barry Winters sounded the half time whistle.
Naomh Eanna made a great start to the second half and with Niall O’Connor leading the line they hit the first four scores of the second half, O’Connor accounting for three of them and Ruairi Donaghy one. Shea Shannon and Conor Johnston got the Johnnies going again, but Naomh Eanna were much more competitive now and with the gap down to eight entering the final ten minutes.
When John McGoldrick grabbed his team’s team’s second goal and Joe Maskey added a point to gap was down to just four and there was real hope for Naomh Eanna, but St John’s responded well to the danger with Johnston, Dudley and the accurate McManus among the scorers as they pulled away again to win by nine.
ST JOHN’S: S Doherty; S Wilson, Ciaran Johnston, J Bohill; R McNulty, P McCallin, C Morgan; A Bradley, M Dudley (0-4); O Donnelly (0-1), Conor Johnston (0-8); C Bohill (0-3); D Carson, S Shannon (0-4, 2f, 1 65), O MacManus (0-9, 4f, 1 65).
Subs: M Bradley (0-1) for D Carson (40), R Galbraith for A Bradley (48), D McGuinness for O Donnelly (58), S Tierney for M Dudley (60+2)
NAOMH ÉANNA: M Curran; D Maguire, M McGibbon, R Eager; E Conlon (0-2), R Donaghy (0-2), R Diamond; C O’Connor, C McAllister (0-1); L O’Connor, Cormac Jennings (0-2, 1f), E O’Connor; N O’Connor (0-6, 2f, 1 65), J Maskey (0-1), C Bradley (1-0).
Subs: J McGoldrick (1-1) for C O’Connor (40), P Curran for C Bradley (41), Cillian Jennings for E O’Connor (42)
REFEREE: Barry Winters (Dungannon)
