ACHL Division 2
Cloney Gaels 2-17 St. Paul’s 2-16
Cloney Gaels withstood a late rally from St. Paul’s to claim their second brace of points in a well contested ACHL Division 2 clash in Ahoghill on Sunday. The home side were pushed all the way by a Shaw’s Road side who were excellent on the press and gave the home side little time to settle on the ball.
It was Caolan Crossan who pointed the visitors in front in the second minute but their lead was short lived as Dan O’Neill cut in from the right and fired past Chris Murray to give the Gaels the lead.
The game was being played at breakneck pace and Sean Munce closed the gap to the minimum with a point for the visitors before Patrick Graham restored the Ahoghill side’s two point advantage with only four minutes gone.
Both sides were giving it everything and Dan O’Neill 0-2, for the home side and Caolan Duffin 0-2, for St. Paul’s kept the score board ticking before Daire Stevens from a long range free and Ronan Graham exchanged further points as play swung end to end.
St. Paul’s had trailed for most of the opening half but they responded with a goal of their own in the 20th minute when Caolan Duffin’s well struck free from 25 meters appeared to have been blocked but the sliotar deflected of an Ahoghill stick and crept over the line.
Duffin added a point and Paul Magee followed with a second goal and the visitors were five ahead and worthy of their lead but Cloney finished the half strongly with points from Ronan Graham 0-2 and Patrick Gram to leave it 2-7 to 1-7 for the visitors at the halfway point, Duffin getting the last point for St. Paul’s
It was Cloney Gaels who made the better start to the second half and within 2 minutes they were back on level terms as Dan O’Neill from play and Ronan Graham from two pointed frees tied the contest.
Graham added another from play and then Patrick Graham was on hand to finish to the net from close range after Colla McDonnell’s shot had been saved by Chris Murray in the St. Paul’s goals.
The visitors rallied once more and Caolan Crossan from play and a couple of pointed frees and one from play from the excellent Duffin had them back on terms by the 19th minute.
It was end to end hurling as the intensity of the game increased and Bernard Graham and Ronan Graham pushed the Ahoghill side two in front again and when James O’Connell split the posts with his first touch after entering the contest things appeared to be turning in the Cloney Gaels favour.
Caolan Crossan for the visitors and Ronan Graham exchanged further points and two more from Colla McDonnell and the sweet striking Graham looked to have sealed it for the Ahoghill men but the visitors quite simply refused to go away.
They dominated the closing exchanges as they fought to take something from the game and replied through Crossan and a massive free from full-back Daire Stevens deep in injury time to close the gap to one but that was as close as they got.
An excellent game of hurling, played at real championship pace with Aiden Graham, Patrick Dougan, Patrick Graham and Ronan Graham excellent for the Gaels and Daire Stevens, Caoimhin Killyleah, Caolan Duffin and Caolan Crossan in great form for St. Paul’s.
Cloney Gaels: 1 Aiden Graham 2 Shea Neeson, 3 Patrick Dougan, 4 Harry O’Donnell, 5 Charlie McCloskey, 6 James Magee, 7 Diarmaid Graham, 8 Eamonn Brady, 9 Bernard Graham, 10 Patrick Graham, 11 Ronan Graham, 12 Eoin Graham, 13 Donal Graham, 14 Dan O’Neill, 15 Colla McDonnell.
Subs: Fionnbar O’Neill, Jack McFall, James O’Connell, Neil O’Connell
St. Paul’s: 1 Chris Murray, 2 Padhraic McKevitt, 3 Daire Stevens, 4 Tiarnan Auld, 5 Mark Munce, 6 Liam Walsh, 7 Thomas Duff, 8 Sean Lawell, 9 Caoimhin Killyleah, 10 Caolan Duffin, 11 Caolan Crossan, 12 Declan Chapman, 13 Sean Munce, 14 Paul Magee, 15 Declan Quinn
Referee: Colin Thompson
TO VIEW MORE PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW