Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship – Quarter Final
St John’s 2-15 Rossa 0-20
Saturday 20 September
Brendan McTaggart reports from Naomh Éanna
A contest between the big two of the West that promised plenty and delivered on Saturday evening. Super scores, brilliant saves, late goals and an unlikely hero. In the end, St John’s lived to fight another day as they snatched a win from the jaws of defeat against Rossa with just the minimum separating the sides.
By the time referee Barry Winters called for time, there wasn’t many in attendance on the Hightown Road who could believe what they just saw in the closing stages. With three minutes of injury time to be played, by the time the clock ticked into the third of them, Rossa led by three points. In fairness to the Jeremiah’s, they controlled the second half and looked to be coasting to victory.
Michael Bradley cares not for anyone coasting nor Rossa victories. A late substitution, Bradley had scored a point with his first touch, his second may possibly have been St John’s second goal.
Yet, while his goal was Roy of The Rovers material, the scene was set for a winner. Step forward one Ryan McNulty. The clock had ticked into the fifth minute of additional time when St John’s rolled the dice one more time. They worked the sliotar superbly to find a man in shooting range and as McNulty took aim, the Johnnies held their breath. He doesn’t score many, but McNulty knew he’d scored as soon as he hit the sliotar. He celebrated, Rossa hearts sank and while there was time for one more play, St John’s had done enough. Just.
Rossa overturned a two point half time deficit with a second half that they held St John’s to just three Shea Shannon frees for 25 minutes. At the other end of the pitch, Deaglan Murphy was at his impish best from placed ball and open play while Eoin Trainor, Thomas Morgan and Tiarnan Murphy were all contributing to the Rossa cause. St John’s weren’t getting much change from a brilliant Rossa half back line who were turning the majority of ball that came their way. Gerard Walsh, Aodhan O’Brien and Stephen Beatty were immense and made the Johnnies dig deep to get this result.
Rossa had the better of the opening exchanges and held a three points to one lead by the fifth minute. The Murphy brothers firing over with Declan McCartnety also splitting the uprights, Conor Johnston with the solitary score for the Johnnies.
The first goal of the contest came with just six minutes on the clock. A brilliant move had Oisin Donnelly in space just to the left of the posts, he shot for goal only for Donal Armstrong to pull off an outstanding save. The sliotar fell for Sean Wilson and while he couldn’t connect cleanly, Conor Johnston made no mistake from close range.
The major gave St John’s momentum and while Tiarnan Murphy split the posts for his second of the match for the next score, Aaron Bradley, Conor Johnston and Shannon (’65) put three between the sides.
Deaglan Murphy and McCartney reduced the St John’s lead to the minimum midway through the half but the Johnnies turned the screw at the other end to score five points unanswered in a little over seven minutes. Shannon with three of those – two from frees and the other from a ’65 while Conal Bohill and Conor Johnston added to the Johnnies tally. It could have been even better for the Corrigan Park side but Conor Johnston was denied a certain goal having been put through by Donal Carson.
Shannon’s ’65 in the 22nd minute was St John’s last score of the half however with Rossa sending over four unanswered scores of their own. A brace of frees from Deaglan Murphy along with scores from Tiarnan Murphy and Dominic McEnhill bringing the St John’s lead to two points at the half time interval.
Despite Rossa dominating the closing stages of the half, they were indebted to Donal Armstrong once again when he denied Donal Carson from close range with a brave save.
St John’s started the second half on top but a series of wides looked to derail their charge and breathe life into Rossa. Scores from the Murphy brothers restored parity to the sides with St John’s struggling for any fluency. Rossa looked to have the momentum and kick on but a brace of frees from Shannon restored the Johnnies half time advantage by the 41st minute.
Rossa’s response looked to be match winning however. Outscoring St John’s six points to one in a ten minute spell that saw the Jeremiah’s go into a three point lead for the first time in the game. Scores coming from Morgan, Deaglan Murphy (3) and Eoin Trainor while Shannon had the sole response for St John’s.
Shannon landed his fourth point of the half to leave two between the sides but another Deaglan Murphy free looked to have done enough for Rossa as the clock ticked into the 60th minute.
Michael Bradley and Dominic McEnhill swapped scores in the 62nd minute before the second major came. As a ruck formed close to half way, Conor Johnston collected the sliotar and took aim for the Rossa goals. The sliotar dropped and as Rossa full back lost his footing. Bradley missed the catch and with Armstrong rushing to close the angle, the St John’s forward had the presence of mind to just flick the sliotar over the line eight yards from goal.
There was still time for a winner and Conal Bohill thought he had it but his effort tailed to the left of the posts and wide. All thoughts were turning to extra time when Wilson and MacManus combined to find McNulty in space. 55 yards out, just to the right of the posts, McNulty made no mistake.
An incredible ending to a game that Rossa looked to have done enough. St John’s looked like a beaten docket in the second half, relying on Shannon’s frees but they dug deep and inflicted the type of defeat on Rossa that has come their way so often over the years. They roll on to another meeting with Cushendall in two weeks time while Rossa will have the winter to contemplate what might have been.
TEAMS
ST JOHN’S: Domhnall Nugent; Ryan McNulty, Ciaran Johnston, Jack Bohill; Conal Morgan, Peter McCallin, Enda McGurk; Sean Wilson, Michail Dudley; Oisin Donnelly, Conor Johnston, Conall Bohill; Donal Carson, Shea Shannon, Aaron Bradley
Subs: Oisin MacManus for M Dudley (39); Michael Bradley for D Carson (54); Ronan Donnelly for P McCallin (60+3)
Scorers: S Shannon 0-8 (5f, 2’65); Conor Johnston 1-3; M Bradley 1-1; A Bradley 0-1; R McNulty 0-1
ROSSA: Donal Armstrong; Ciaran Orchin, Joe Mulholland, Niall Crossan; Gerard Walsh, Aodhan O’Brien, Stephen Beatty; Christopher McGuinness, Diarmuid Rogan; Dominic McEnhill, Declan McCartney, Deaglan Murphy; Thomas Morgan, Eoin Trainor, Tiarnan
Subs: Liam McEnhill for T Murphy (45); Pearce Shortt for E Trainor (60); James Close for S Beatty (60+2)
Scorers: D Murphy 0-10 (7f); T Murphy 0-3; T Morgan 0-2; D McEnhill 0-2; E Trainor 0-1; D McCartney 0-1; A O’Brien 0-1 (1f)
Referee: Barry Winters (Dungannon)
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