Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
Group 2 – Match Day 2
St John’s 2-24 Ballycastle 2-18
Sunday 24 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
St John’s recorded their opening win of the championship on Sunday afternoon as they defeated Ballycastle with six to spare. It was a much-improved performance from the Corrigan Park side who flew out of the traps in the first half, playing at a high tempo and huge intensity that rarely waivered throughout the hour.
Conor Johnston and Oisin MacManus did the majority of the scoring for the Johnnies, Johnston hitting 1-6 from play and while MacManus hit four of his final tally of 10 white flags from placed ball, his point taking from open play was at times, exhibitionary, especially in the second half. Aaron Bradley got the Johnnies second goal, coming at a time when Ballycastle looked like they were mounting a resurgence but it was the organisation of the St John’s defence and work rate in rucks and break down that ultimately was the difference.
Oisin Donnelly, Donal Carson and Peter McCallin all putting in a super shift while Jack Bohill, Ronan Donnelly and Conal Bohill excelled in defence.
Ballycastle will be disappointed with their first half showing. It’s the second game that they took too long to get going. Yes, they were playing into a wind but they took too long to get to the speed of the game and match the intensity St John’s started with.
That being said, when Seamus McAuley found the back of the St John’s net in the 56th minute, they had their backs up and looked to pile on the pressure. The ‘Town’s midfielder would top score for his side with 1-7 while substitute Ciaran Clarke marked his return to the black and amber with a poachers goal in the last minute of the hour to give his side hope in what was a frenetic finally.
Conor Boyd and Oran Kearney, Cathair Donnelly and Tiernan Smyth all caught the eye for Ballycastle but ultimately they left themselves too much to do in the second half.
The opening 10 minutes of the game largely set the tone for the first half with Ballycastle struggling to get to grips with the physicality and intensity that St John’s began the game with. The Whiterock Road side had six points on the board with a solitary point from Conor Donnelly the response from Ballycastle. Shea Shannon (3), Conor Johnston and MacManus all raising the white flag. Indeed were it not for the bravery of Ryan McGarry between the sticks for Ballycastle, St John’s could have had the games opening goal in that period of time. Domhnall Nugent’s long puck out causing consternation in the Ballycastle defence and when the ball dropped to Donal Carson, his first timed effort was deflected wide.
Four points in barely two minutes from Shannon, Conal Bohill, Johnston and Aaron Bradley put nine between the sides at the end of the first quarter.
A point from Tiernan Smyth seemed to give Ballycastle a boost but that was short lived with Johnston scoring the opening goal of the game. Bradley spraying the sliotar cross-field into the path of Carson who found McCallin. He was swarmed by the Ballycastle defence but somehow managed to find Johnston who made no mistake.
That goal gave Ballycastle the nudge they needed as they hit four points unanswered. Scores coming from Cathair Donnelly, McAuley (2) and Ronan McCarry and it could have been better for the Town when Donnelly tore through the heart of the St John’s defence but he drilled his effort just over the bar.
MacManus (free) and Johnston pointed to put nine between the sides once again, Johnston taking his tally to 1-3 for the half but Ballycastle and Seamus McAuley had the final say when he pointed a free in the third minute of injury time with what was the last action of the half to leave the half time score 1-12 to 0-7.
Ballycastle needed a quick start to the second half and through Ronan McCarry, Tiernan Smyth and Seamus McAuley (free), they had reduced the deficit to five points inside the opening four minutes of the restart.
The Johnnies response was ultimately the winning of the game however. Shannon (free) and Johnston split the uprights before Bradley scored his sides second major. Oisin Donnelly sending the sliotar into the heart of the Ballycastle defence and when the danger wasn’t cleared, Bradley was on hand to find the back of the net and put 10 between the sides after nine second half minutes.
It was a hammer blow at the time with Ballycastle playing with more urgency and intent since the restart. They responded with points from Seamus McAuley and Conor Donnelly but the sides went score for score in a period of time that Ballycastle needed to take a foothold in the game.
Going into the final 10 minutes, the lead was stretched to 11 when Ballycastle found another gear. Conor Boyd and substitute Diarmuid McShane both raised white flags before Seamus McAuley hammered the sliotar to the back of the net from a free fully 25 yards from goal. It left six between the sides with four to play but St John’s responded with points from MacManus (2) to quell any thoughts of a Ballycastle comeback.
With the clock ticking into the last minute of the hour, Ballycastle found another major with Ciaran Clarke showing his predatory and poachers instincts to be in the right place and the right time but time was not the friend of the Town.
Ballycastle continued to push for another major that would bring them to the brink of an unlikely turnaround but St John’s and Oisin MacManus weren’t to be denied. He would split the posts either side of Johnston’s sixth white flag of the afternoon with a Cian Baudant ’65 the only response for the Town.
The win takes St John’s to three points as they welcome Dunloy to Corrigan Park in two week’s time while Naomh Éanna will travel to Ballycastle on the same day. With the Cuchullains the only team guaranteed progress, it’s still all to play for in Group 2.
TEAMS
ST JOHN’S: Domhnall Nugent; Ryan McNulty, Conal Morgan, Jack Bohill; Ronan Donnelly, Conal Bohill, Enda McGurk; Sean Wilson, Shea Shannon; Oisin Donnelly, Conor Johnston, Aaron Bradley; Donal Carson, Oisin MacManus, Peter McCallin
Subs: Caoimhin Hanna for S Shannon (48); Daragh McGuinness for P McCallin (48); Ruairi Galbraith for D Carson (52); Michail Dudley for A Bradley (inj)
Scorers: O MacManus 0-10 (4fs); C Johnston 1-6; S Shannon 0-5 (3fs, 2’65’s); A Bradley 1-1; C Bohill 0-1; D McGuinness 0-1
BALLYCASTLE: Ryan McGarry; Oran Kearney, Cian Baudant, Ryan McCook; Mark McClean, Conor Boyd, Ronan Laverty; Seamus McAuley, Cathair Donnelly; Ronan McCarry, Eoin McAlonan, Darragh Kelly; Conor Donnelly, Neal McAuley, Tiernan Smyth
Subs: Ciaran Clarke for M McClean (36); Diarmuid McShane for D Kelly (43); Ardan Kelly for E McAlonan (49); Dermot Donnelly for Conor Donnelly (53)
Blood Sub: Jack Magowan for Cathair Donnelly (inj)
Scorers: S McAuley 1-7 (1-5fs); T Smyth 0-3; C Clarke 1-00; Conor Donnelly 0-2; R McCarry 0-2; Cathair Donnelly 0-1; C Boyd 0-1; D McShane 0-1; C Baudant 0-1 (1’65)
Referee: Darren McKeown (Naomh Gall)
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