JP Corry Antrim U-21 B Hurling Championship, Quarter-final
St Pauls 1-18-5-12 St Johns
Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Naomh Pol
Leading by four goals at the interval, St Johns saw off a spirited second half showing from St Paul’s to make it into the semi finals of the U-21 B Hurling Championship after a 5-12-1-18 victory on the Shaw’s Road on Wednesday evening.
The Corrigan Park outfit were ruthless from the outset and struck their opening goal of the evening within the first two minutes when Daire King fizzed the ball into the corner where Lewis Rafferty gathered, headed for goal and swept a shot into the corner of the net.
Oisin McLaren got St Paul’s off the mark with a converted free and both sides traded a glut of scores in the aftermath.
Tomas Adams converted two frees and Ronan Donnelly added a point from play, in between the McLaren brothers Sean Og and Oisin replied from play.
The visitors pulled further clear with Rafferty firing over his first point of the evening and then turning provider for Caolan Wilson to open his account.
A second converted Oisin McLaren free brought his tally to three, but his side fell further behind in the 12th minute as Caolan Wilson’s shot dropped to the net to make it 2-5-0-4.
Wilson made it three scores in succession with a further point from play and midway through the half St Johns hit their third goal.
A driving run from Enda McGurk saw space open for a shot, his initial effort was blocked by Ciaran O’Carroll in the St Paul’s goal, though McGurk was on hand to finish to the net at the second time of asking.
A further Tomas Adams free made it 2-2 without reply until Cillian O’Neill floated over to briefly halt the visitors momentum.
Ronan Donnelly added his second point of the half and Oisin McLaren converted an angled free in response.
With 22 minutes gone the Johnnies had their fourth goal. Daire King flashed in a shot towards goal that O’Carroll partially batted down and Tomas Adams seized the loose ball and swept home to give his side a 4-8-0-6 lead.
Before the half was out Adams would increase his personal tally, cutting a sideline over the bar, but St Paul’s ended the half with three unanswered points.
The McLaren brothers were on song from the placed ball with Sean Og landing the first and younger sibling Oisin adding another to his tally, though despite their brief revival their side were on the wrong side of the 4-9-0-9 scoreline at the midway point.
Upon the second half resumption the sides traded the first two scores through Lewis Rafferty and Sean Og McLaren (free).
St Pauls looked to be making some inroads with another three unanswered points. Again the McLaren brothers accuracy from frees was keeping them in touch with Sean Og adding another two and Oisin adding another from closer range.
The visitors’ own placed ball shooter Tomas Adams increased his personal tally in the 39th minute to push the lead into double figures again (4-11-0-13).
A fantastic Jay Gault driving burst from his own half ended with him swinging over a fine point and a long range Sean Og McLaren free kept St Paul’s faint hopes intact with under a quarter of an hour remaining.
The tie was put beyond any reasonable doubt with 10-minutes remaining. Caolan Wilson clipped over a point to bring his personal tally to 1-3 and in the 50th minute Lewis Rafferty conjured up his second goal of the night, Rafferty cut inside and powered a shot beyond O’Carroll to make it 5-12-0-15.
That would prove the Johnnies last score of the contest and St Pauls would rally in the closing stages and half the deficit.
Oisin McLaren brought his tally from the placed ball to 0-7 and older brother Sean Og landed a further to bring his to 0-6.
In the 54th minute referee Paul McDonnell awarded St Paul’s a close range free and Sean Og McLaren drilled in a consolation goal that was too late to prove meaningful to the games closing stages.
The elder McLaren sibling would add another placed ball before the games conclusion but at the final whistle St Johns were more than comfortable set up a semi-final meeting with Lámh Dhearg, who advanced after Tir na Nog conceded their quarter-final clash.
ST PAULS: C O’Carroll, DR Duffy, O Philips, C O’Neill (0-1), G Cowan, G Maguire, B Burns, J Gault (0-1), O Donnelly. S Burns, B McMorrow, O Cusack, O McLaren (0-8, 0-7f), S Og McLaren (1-8, 1-7f), D Thornbury. SUBS: R Leonard for O Cusack (42), E Brown for G Cowan (53), M Armstrong for D Thornbury (56), B McEvoy for J Gault (60).
ST JOHNS:E Millar, D Mervyn, M Darragh, C McCallin, R Donnelly (0-2), E McGurk (1-0), L McCallin, F McKinney, J Wilson, D King, C Wilson (1-3), A Robb, L Rafferty (2-2), C McKinney, T Adams (1-6, 0-4f, 0-1s). SUBS: D McKenna for C McKinney (47), C Darragh for A Robb (51), F McElroy for D King (60).
REFEREE: Paul McDonnell (ROSSA)
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