ACHL Division 3
Rasharkin 1-14 Armoy 2-19
Last year’s Junior Championship finalists, St. Mary’s Rasharkin and Glen Rovers Armoy met in the division 3 league at Dreen on Saturday with the men from the Glen gaining a bit of revenge for that loss to today’s opponents, St. Mary’s in last year’s final.
Glen Rovers started with a stiff breeze at their backs and had the sliothar in the Rasharkin net within two minutes. Brian Og O’Neill in the Rasharkin goals made a good catch and raced from his goals but his clearance only found Thomas Burns and his long delivery was diverted to the net by Joseph McFetridge.
Jack Quinn replied immediately with a point at the other end but the visitors were looking the sharper and PJ McBride fired over at the other end.
Conr McKeever closed the gap to a goal once more but Glen Rovers were starting to take control and Tarlach McBride, PJ McBride and Ciaran McCormick hit three on the bounce to move them 6 ahead before Jack Quinn replied with a point for St. Mary’s.
Both sides were fiercely contesting every ball but the Armoy press was more sustained and their short passing game was working a treat while too many attempted passes for the home side were going astray or being intercepted.
Conor McKeever raised his second white flag of the afternoon from a free in the 15th minute but Tarlach McBride replied with a monster score for the visitors before Brian Og O’Neill in the Rasharkin goals pulled of an excellent save to deny Timothy Burns.
The Glen Rovers high press and team work was starting to tell as they added a point from a ‘65’ from Tarlach McBride and the same player added another from a free before Emmet O’Hara struck a fine point from play to move the visitors nine ahead.
Conor Christie then hit a sweet over the shoulder point with Tarlach McBride adding another fine score and O’Hara’s late point for the visitors in response tothe Conor McKeever’s third of the half from a 45 meter free, left it 1-12 to 0-4 for Armoy at the break.
Just what influence the strong breeze would have in the second half was what most people would have been asking and given its strength, that 11 point half time lead certainly didn’t look insurmountable.
Timmy Burns put a spanner in the Rasharkin works in the opening minute however as he pulled first time on the ground to beat Brian Og O’Neill from close range to increase that lead to 14 and it looked a long way back for the reigning Junior Champions.
They refused to concede however and Conor McKeever got them going again from a free in the 3d minute but Emmet O’Hara replied with a point at the other end.
Back came the home side and Conor McFerran gave them a glimmer of hope when he deflected a long delivery past Conor Devlin and points from McKeever and Thomas McMullan had it back to nine after 13 minutes.
Substitute, Trevor Linton briefly relieved the pressure and Conor McKeever and Tarlach McBride exchanged further points to keep significant distance between the sides.
Another point from Ciaran McKenna stretched the Armoy lead to 12 with 10 minutes remaining to affectively kill of the game as a contest but St. Mary’s battled all the way to the final whistle.
Conor McKeever, who was their top scorer, sent two sublimely struck side-line cuts between the uprights and added another from a ‘65’ and Tiernan O’Boyle hit a fine point in reply to one from the excellent Tarlach McBride to conclude the scoring.
This win moves Glen Rovers to the top of the league on 6 points after 3 rounds but Rasharkin are handily placed in joint second on five points with Gort na Mona and Dunloy’s second string.
The home side were missing a number of key players due to injury and will be confident of getting back to winning ways when they become available while Armoy look capable of being challengers for the title on Saturday’s performance.
Rasharkin: 1 Brian Og O’Neill, 2 Connor Higgins, 3 Daniel Doherty, 4 Daniel Hasson, 5 Connaire Doherty, 6 Aidan McKeever, 7 Tiernan O’Boyle, 8 Cathair Henderson, 9 Conor McFerran, 10 Declan McKay, 11 Thomas McMullan, 12 Jason McGregor, 13 Conor McKeever, 14 Terry McGregor, 15 Jack Quinn.
Subs: Oisin Doherty for Jason McGregor, Brendan Kelly for Jack Quinn
Armoy: 1 Conor Devlin, 2 Calum Coyles, 3 Shane Devlin, 4 Conor Watterson, 5 Kieran McToal, 6 Thomas Burns, 7 Arthur Devlin, 8 Ciaran McCormick-McKenna, 9 Conor Christie, 10 Emmet O’Hara, 11 Tarlach McBride, 12 PJ McBride, 13 Timothy Burns, 14 Colin Lordan, 15 Joseph McFetridge
Subs: John O’Kane for Joe McFetridge, Frank McCaughan for Kieran McToal
Referee: Sean O’Connell (Ahoghill)
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