McKeever Hotels IHC Group 2
Cloney Gaels 7-22 Tir na nOg 1-13
Cloney Gaels produced a performance of passion, pace and skill to brush aside Tir na nOg in this McKeever Hotels Group 2, Round 2 encounter in Cloney on Friday night.
Tir na nOg went into this one following a Round 1 win over Glenravel while the Ahoghill side lost to Emmet’s Cushendun in their opening encounter but when Colla McDonnell fired to the net for the home side in the 7th minute there only looked like being one winner.
Their Randalstown visitors had led briefly through a Kevin Sheerin goal to go 1-1 to 0-3 ahead but Colla replied with the hosts first major, almost immediately and from there on it was mostly one way traffic.
PJ O’Connell added a second in the 10th minute as the Ahoghill side began to find their rhythm to add to points from Diarmaid Graham, Dan O’Neill and Ronan Graham to move them 2-4 to 1-2 ahead.
Sean Duffin, almost single handed kept the Tir na nOg score board ticking from frees but the Whitehill number 20 was given little time or space from a tight marking Cloney side who had matters wrapped up by the halfway stage when they led by 4-10 to 1-5.
Colla McDonnell, who was excellent for the hosts, got their third goal and their fourth came from Ronan Graham with some of their combination play in the build-up right out of the top drawer.
It didn’t get any better for the men in Blue on the restart as Colla McDonnell set up James O’Connell for a fifth goal after Sean Duffin had added to his personal tally for the visitors from another free.
Colla, PJ O’Connell 0-2, Dan O’Neill and James O’Connell weighed in with points to move Cloney 5-19 to 1-9 ahead by the 9th minute with Duffin’s accuracy from the placed ball responsible for most of the visitor’s scores.
It was just a matter of how many it would finish as PJ O’Connell doubled on a dropping ball to beat Matthew Dipnel in the Tir na nOg goals and the same player got on the end of a long ball from ‘Soda’ Graham to bring his personal tally to three and move his side 7-18 to 1-10 ahead and out of site.
Both side gave game time to their respective benches as Duffin continued to excel from the placed ball for the visitors with James O’Connell and Dan O’Neill adding points for the home side.
The biggest cheer of the evening came for a point from Harry O’Donnell, the Ahoghill corner back had given another strong defensive display but in a rare forage forward he got his name on the Ahoghill score sheet.
Aiden Graham, James Magee, Bernard Graham, Eoin Graham, Dan O’Neill, Ronan Graham, PJ O’Connell and Colla McDonnell were excellent for a Cloney Gael’s side who were strong in every department while Oliver McAtamney, Caoimhin Duffin, Ciaran O’Neill, Eamon Og McAllister and Sean Duffin were best for a Tir na nOg side who never really got going.
Cloney Gaels: 1 Aiden Graham, 2 Patrick Dougan, 3 James Magee, 4 Harry O’Donnell, 5 Diarmaid Graham, 6 Bernard Graham, 7 Eoin Graham, 8Eamonn Brady, 9 Dan O’Neill, 10 Patrick Graham, 11 Ronan Graham, 12 James O’Connell, 13 Colla McDonnell, 14 PJ O’Connell, 15 Owen Neeson
Subs: Conor Crossey,Ryan McPeake, Noah Friel,
Tir na nOg: Matthew Dipnell Declan Mallon Oliver McAtamney Daniel McLornan Daniel Martin Caoimhin Duffin Ciaran O’Neill Connor McCamphill Emmett Murray Tiernan Bonnes Eamon Og McAllister Sean Duffin, Kevin Sheerin Sean McKinley Caleb Smith
Subs Darragh Fegan Conor O’Neill Ciaran McCamphill Colm Duffin
Referee: Colm McDonnell (St. Gall’s)
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