AIB Ulster Intermediate Hurling Final
Carey Faughs (Antrim) 1-11 Swatragh (Derry) 0-13
Brendan McTaggart reports from Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel
It was a war of attrition in a second half that saw Swatragh throw everything in their armoury at the Faugh’s but Carey held on to bridge a 20 year gap and win the Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship.
This was a gruelling but epic and compelling hour of hurling that you just couldn’t take your eyes off. Carey showed glimpses of their best but this win came from digging deep and grinding out the result. Those closing stages when Swatragh were throwing everything, including the kitchen sink at the Faugh’s defence were tailormade for heroes. Step forward one James ‘Rocket’ Black. For 50 minutes he was on the fringes of the game, appearing briefly with unimaginable catches and work in rucks. In the closing stages, Rocket was the difference between the sides. When Carey needed a block, Rocket was there. When Carey needed to win clean ball, Rocket was there.
It was far from a one man show, however. Given the low scoring nature of the final, it’s remarkable the Faughs had six different scorers and with all coming from play but for two points.
Michael McVeigh played more in defence and the middle third while he was in the right place and the right time when Swatragh thought they had crossed the Carey goal line. Calmness personified. Maybe too calm for those of a Carey persuasion. Time seemed to stand still as the sliotar stopped inches from the line and McVeigh cleared – eventually.
In a first half that saw the Ballyvoy side play with the wind, they started superbly to hold a two point lead after four minutes. The Derry men did go close to a major in the opening attack of the game but Steven McGinn was equal to the effort of first Dominic Bradley and then PJ O’Connell before Fintain McGurk’s effort went wide.
Black, James McCouaig and Caolan McCaughan all raised white flags before a James Friel free reduced the deficit to the minimum in the fifth minute.
The Faughs went close to a major with Conall McGlynn going close after McQuillan spilled the sliotar into his path but his effort was deflected wide.
McGlynn would convert the resulting ’65 before McCaughan’s second of the game to open a three point lead but scores from Sean Martin Quinn and Friel (free) kept Swatragh in touch. Friel’s second free would be Swatragh’s last score for 15 minutes and while Carey weren’t exactly shooting the lights out, they got daylight between the sides.
Scores from Black and McGlynn came after a series of bad misses from the Faugh’s. Three points was the difference going into the 22nd minute when McKinley scores the only goal of the game. Callum Cane’s effort had dropped short and McQuillan failed to deal with the dropping sliotar. McGlynn showed his predatory instincts and pulled first time to the back of the net.
Points followed through midfielder Patrick Butler – twice splitting the posts in the space of 60 seconds with the first coming from a huge distance out. Swatragh would finish the half on top however with scores coming from Sean Martin Quinn and O’Connell to leave the half time score 1-9 to 0-6.
Swatragh would have been content with the half time score given the elements in their favour for the second half. It was going to take a massive effort from the Faugh’s to get over the line, but not many could have predicted just how much of an effort and how far they had to dig deep.
The lead was reduced to four by the 8th minute of the second half with Sean Martin Quinn (free) and Friel splitting the uprights. A McGlynn free in the 40th minute briefly halted the Swatragh charge but the Derry champions hit a purple patch with another three points in barely three minutes. Sean Francis Quinn, Friel (free) and Bradley all converting to leave two between the sides.
The Swa had another glimpse of the Carey goal when substitute Michael Kirkpatrick’s effort dropped wickedly into the six yard box. Swatragh had a sniff, the Carey defence scrambled and McVeigh was the man to clear the threat.
Conlith McKinley pointed to take his tally to 1-1 for the final with 14 minutes of the hour remaining. Incredibly, that would be Carey’s last score of the game. Three points separated the sides going into the final quarter and Swatragh laid siege on the Carey defence.
Points from Sean Martin Quinn and Friel (free) reduced the deficit to the minimum with five minutes of the hour remaining. It was as close as Swatragh got, however. They had chances with Friel skewing a couple of frees wide and substitute Kevin McAllister’s deflected effort going wide of the post while Rocket rose to the challenge.
As the final whistle blew three minutes over the hour, the outpouring of emotion onto the Fr Healy Park surface matched the occasion. Epic scenes after an epic hour of hurling.
For Carey, the journey continues.
TEAMS
Carey: S McGinn; Z McCaughan, S McBride, P Gillan; J McCouaig, J McBride, J Black; C McCaughan, P Butler; C McKinley, C McGlynn, C McBride; C Cane, M McVeigh, S Hunter. Subs: F McVeigh for C McBride (60+2)
Swatragh: N McQuillan; B Kearney, P Turner, M Ó Hagáin; T Walsh, J Friel, C Quinn; M McCormack, S F Quinn; S M Quinn, P Cunning, C Murray; D Bradley, PJ O’Connell, F McGurk. Subs: O O’Kane for F McGurk (40); M Kirkpatrick for P Cunning (42); D Quinn for M McCormack (57); K McAllister for C Murray (60+2)
SCORERS
Carey: C McKinley 1-1, C McGlynn 0-3 (1’65, 1f); J Black 0-2, C McCaughan 0-2, P Butler 0-2, J McCouaig 0-1
Swatragh: J Friel 0-5 (4f), S M Quinn 0-4 (3f), C Murray 0-1, D Bradley 0-1, PJ O’Connell 0-1
Referee: Peter Owens (Laitroim, Down)
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