McKeever Hotels Intermediate Hurling Championship
Group One
Rasharkin 0-11 Carey Faughs 0-27
Saturday 1 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Rasharkin
Carey maintained their pursuit of top spot in Group One of the Intermediate Championship on Saturday after they despatched and depleted Rasharkin side at Dreen.
After an even opening quarter, the Ballyvoy side went through the gears and despite their gallant efforts, Rasharkin simply had no answer. A run of 13 points unanswered either side of half time was the definitive period of the match. The Faughs were relentless with Shea Hunter impressing, James Black at his creative best, Conlith McKinley and Conall McGlynn all dominant.
To be fair to the home side, they finished the game on top and played with an intensity and aggression throughout that meant that it wasn’t completely plain sailing at times for the Faughs. Brian Og O’Neill, Connaire Donaghy and Conor McKillop all catching the eye while James Higgins didn’t deserve to be on the losing side.
The final score was a just reflection on the difference between the sides however and but for a series of excellent saves from Brendan Kelly between the sticks for Rasharkin, it could have been greater.
The signs were ominous for Rasharkin in the opening 10 minutes when Carey took a four point lead. Hunter firing over his sides opening three scores while John McBride, McGlynn and Callum Kane also dissected the uprights. The home side had a brace of points from Conor McKillop in the same period of time.
Rasharkin began to reach the levels needed to compete with the Ballyvoy men and had that Carey lead reduced to three going into the final 10 minutes. A brilliant point from a side line cut from Tiernan O’Boyle was followed by scores from Conor McKillop and Terry McGregor while the Faughs had a brace of points from Patrick Gillan frees in response.
The home side would only record one more point in the time that remained in the half as the Faughs clicked into gear. Peader McVeigh, a brace from McGlynn and another from Hunter came before McKillop’s third free and fourth point of the half briefly halted the Carey charge.
Another Hunter point and McGlynn ’65 came either side of a James ‘Rocket’ Black goal chance. His effort was well saved by Kelly in the Rasharkin goals and the shot stopper was called into action moments later, this time denying Patrick Gillan after Caolan McCaughan had sent him through on goal.
Points from McGlynn (’65) and Hunter with the last puck of the half gave the visitors a half time lead of 0-17 to 0-6.
Any thoughts on a comeback from the home side were extinguished shortly after the interval. The Faughs were relentless as they went for the jugular, keeping the home side scoreless for 21 minutes of the half while extending their lead to 20 points. Conlith McKinley, McCaughan, Patrick Butler, Gillan (2f), two from McGlynn and Callum Kane’s second of the match all with the scores.
To their credit, Rasharkin continued to battle hard and a brace of scores from midfielder Higgins were good enough to grace any pitch in the county. His first especially from wide on the left and on the run, a tidy score that lifted the voices of the home side.
Rasharkin would make it five points unanswered with Tiernan O’Boyle (free), Brian Og O’Neill and a brilliant point with some exquisite stick work from Terry McGregor bringing about his second point of the contest.
Carey midfielder Patrick Butler rounded off the scoring with his second of the hour as the Faughs cruised the final quarter.
The Faughs are next back in action on Sunday 16 August when St Galls will make the journey to Ballyvoy while Rasharkin will be hoping for better when they travel to Creggan on the Friday evening before.
TEAMS
Rasharkin Starting XV: Brendan Kelly; Jason McGregor, Aidan McKeever, Conor Doherty; Connaire Donaghy, Tiernan O’Boyle, Jack Quinn; Caolan Marian, James Higgins; Brian Og O’Neill, Thomas McMullan, Oisin Doherty; Liam Tunney, Conor McKillop, Terry McGregor
- Subs: Fergus Quigg for O Doherty (38); John Kelly for L Tunney (48)
- Scorers: C McKillop 0-4 (3fs); T McGregor 0-2, J Higgins 0-2, T O’Boyle 0-2 (1f); B Og O’Neill 0-1
Carey Faughs Starting XV: Steven McGinn; Daniel McKinley, Sean McBride, Ryan McQuaid; Michael McVeigh, Peadar McVeigh, Shea Hunter; Conall McGlynn, Patrick Butler; Conlith McKinley, Caolan McCaughan, John McBride; Patrick Gillan, James Black, Callum Kane
- Subs: Eoin Hill for D McKinley (HT), Fiachra McVeigh for M McVeigh (HT); Zach McCaughan for P McVeigh (41); Eoin McKinley for S Hunter 51)
- Scorers: S Hunter 0-7, C McGlynn 0-7 (1f, 2’65s); P Gillan 0-5 (4fs); P Butler 0-2, C Kane 0-2; P McVeigh 0-1, C McKinley 0-1, J McBride 0-1
Referee: Colly Thompson (St Johns)
TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PHOTOS FROM THE GAME, FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW….
https://myalbum.com/album/aQ6563Fd4VUZcX/?invite=571b21f4-493a-4200-a4fa-a3c779d9f2e8
