AIB Ulster Club Junior Hurling – Quarter Final
Rasharkin 4-23 Sean Treacy’s 0-13
Saturday 2 November
Brendan McTaggart reports from the Box-It Athletic Grounds, Armagh
Rasharkin’s Ulster odyssey began in spectacular fashion on Saturday afternoon as they swept aside the challenge of Sean Treacy’s in Armagh. It was a top performance from the Antrim champions who put on a show from the first whistle.
The trio of Donagh Quigg, Conor McKillop and Conor McKeever did the majority of the damage on the scoreboard, combining to register 4-16 between them which is remarkable in itself. When you factor in some of the interplay between them and their team mates, the men from Dreen were mighty impressive.
Goals came at regular intervals with Quigg bagging majors in either half while McKeever and McKillop also found the back of the net.
With a 17 point lead at half time, it was about seeing out the second half with no major dramas. Team manager Brendan McMullan emptied his bench to give his panel experience of playing at this level and they cruised through the second half.
The first goal of the game came in the 4th minute with what was the first score. Sean Treacy’s had made a bright start and James O’Mullan was called into action moments before Quigg broke the line to fire into the net.
Rasharkin had built a seven point lead by the mid point of the first half with McKeever, McKillop and Quigg all finding their range before McKeever scored his sides second goal. Tiernan O’Boyle delivered the sliotar long towards the corner where Quigg collected. He spotted the run of McKeever from deep who broke the line and finished superbly. It was a brilliant run from the Rasharkin man only matched by the vision of Quigg to pick the pass.
The men from Dreen kept the scoreboard ticking and opened further daylight as the Lurgan side just had no answer in an opening half that saw them blitzed.
They did test out the goal keeping ability in the 23rd minute when Reece Magee and Patrick Kane went close but ‘Brucey’ was equal to their efforts with a quite brilliant double save showing outstanding bravery.
Leading 2-16 to 0-5, Rasharkin made a slow start to the second half but there was no pressure coming from the Armagh champions who never looked like making an unlikely comeback.
Donagh Quigg bagged his second and Rasharkin’s third goal when he showed the Sean Treacy’s defence a clean pair of heels and finished from an acute angle to give Caolan McCann no chance between the sticks.
22 points was the gap midway through the second half when McKillop found the back of the Sean Treacy’s net. Gathering the sliotar 20 yards from goal, McKillop unleased a pile driver that was just too hot for McCann in goals. He got his hurl to the sliotar but such was the force of McKillop’s shot, the sliotar crossed the line.
The closing quarter was played with less fluency, no surprise given the number of substitutions that were made. Rasharkin continued to impress, playing an expansive brand of hurling and look forward to a meeting with East Cavan Gaels in the semi final who accounted for Omagh St Enda’s by a score line of 6-10 to 1-14.
TEAMS
Rasharkin: James O’Mullan; Daniel Doherty, Conor Doherty, Connaire Doherty; Ruairi O’Boyle, Aiden McKeever, Tiernan O’Boyle; Shane Hasson, Conor McFerran; Cathir Henderson, Emmett McFerran, Conor McKeever; Donagh Quigg, Conor McKillop, Declan McKay
Subs: Conor Higgin for R O’Boyle (42); Daniel Hasson for S Hasson (42); Caolan Maria for D Doherty (47); Terry McGregor for C McKillop (51); Brian Og O’Neill for D McKay (51)
Scorers: C McKeever 1-9 (5fs 2’65s); D Quigg 2-3; C McKillop 1-4; S Hasson 0-2; C McFerran 0-2; T O’Boyle 0-1; C Henderson 0-1; B Og O’Neill 0-1
Sean Treacy’s: Caolan McCann; Marcus Magee, Gabriel Basara, Ciaran McCann; Conan Patterson, Ryan Stewart, Patrick Scullion; Tam McKavanagh, Jack Anderson; Reece Magee, Kane Laverty, Thomas McMorrow; Conor Carabine, Anthony Carville, Patrick Kane
Subs: Neil Corey for T McMorrow (27); Declan Maher for P Kane (45); David Conway for C McCann (49); Terry Grimley for J Anderson (60)
Scorers: C Carabine 0-6 (4fs); A Carville 0-3; R Magee 0-2; N Corey 0-1; D Maher 0-1
Referee: James Clarke (Cavan)
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