Under 16 B Hurling Championship
Naomh Padraig 3-17 Kickhams GAC Creggan 4-9
Naomh Padraig secured the U16 B Championship title on a memorable evening overcoming a spirited Kickhams, Creggan in what proved to be an entertaining final under the lights in Portglenone. The match, which perfectly showcased the talent brewing in the county, ended on a scoreline of Naomh Padraig 3-17, Creggan 4-09. A staggering 7 goals and 26 points between the sides left the spectators breathless as momentum swung wildly from end to end.
From the first whistle, both teams threw off final-day nerves. Creggan brought their trademark physical intensity, however Naomh Padraig hot off the heels of their unbeaten run in the North Antrim Championship and Division 2 League title earlier this summer showed the same fierce determination that has defined their exceptional season.
Naomh Padraig were the stronger side in the opening half, laying down an immediate marker and producing scores from the very first minute. Naomh Padraig’s intent was clear from the throw-in when Jake Feetham rifled over a brilliant point from play to open the scoring. What followed was a masterclass in clinical finishing from John-Og Darragh, who single-handedly drove the North Antrim side forward by bagging a phenomenal 1 goal and 8 points in a blistering individual first half display. However, this scoring spree took a turn as Creggan suddenly found their rhythm and struck back with three unanswered scores to alter the game’s dynamic. Harry McKay kickstarted the Kickhams revival with a well-taken point from a free. Just a minute later, McKay breached the defence again to fire home a crucial goal, and the Creggan momentum surged further when Conan Devlin registered another major, raising a second green flag in quick succession.
The relentless pressure from Naomh Padraig kept mounting, and in the 16th minute, captain Cormac Bailey stepped up to fire home a crucial goal. Shortly after, Killian Cassidy split the posts with a fine point and the first-half dominance was firmly consolidated when Conrad Bailey hit the back of the net for Naomh Padraig’s third goal.
If the first half belonged to Naomh Padraig, the restart belonged entirely to the Kickhams. From the very second-half whistle, Creggan tore into the challenge, refusing to let the championship slip away without an almighty fight. In a ferocious, blitz-like second half, Creggan turned the game on its head by racking up 2 goals and 8 points. Leading the charge once more was Harry McKay, who was in inspired form, scoring another two crucial goals alongside a neatly taken point. The South West lads kept the scoreboard ticking over at a relentless pace, with Joe Connolly, Padraig Robinson, and Conan Devlin stepping up to split the posts with 7 more fantastic points between them, throwing the game completely into the melting pot. Despite Creggan’s relentless hunting for goals, Naomh Padraig held their composure, using their tactical play to weather the storm and pick off vital points when the pressure was at its highest. Faced with a second-half resurgence, Naomh Padraig players Caleb McCaughan and Oliver Henry dug deep to wrestle back control with John-Og Darragh expertly adding to his incredible tally by clipping over another 4 vital points in the second half, keeping the Creggan comeback at bay. As the tension reached its peak, Killian Cassidy showed nerves of steel to notch up another important point from play. As the clock ticked down, a relentless Creggan threw caution to the wind, throwing absolutely everything forward and desperately going for goals to win the match. Ollie-Joe McAlonan, operating at centre-half-back, put in a monumental shift and covered every single blade of grass to protect the lead. Alongside him, Malachy McSparran and Cillian Bellew formed an heroic half-back line. Behind them, the full-back line Ben Linton, Lorcan Kinney, and Patrick McClean fought to hold back the floodgates against a wave of Creggan attacks. When the defensive lines were finally breached, Naomh Padraig’s goalkeeper Liam McClelland stood tall, pulling off two saves and in the dying minutes of the game Rhys Murray stepped up, striking the last two important points of the match to finally break Creggan’s resistance and secure the victory.
The final whistle sparked joyous celebrations among the Naomh Padraig supporters. For Creggan, it is a bitter end to a fantastic campaign, but they played their part in an absolute classic that did the championship proud. Ultimately, however it was Naomh Padraig’s evening. With three goals and seventeen points on the board, they had done enough to take the U16 B Championship title and give their young players a night to remember. Sean O’Reilly presented the U16B trophy to the delighted Naomh Padraig captain, Cormac Bailey, capping off a historic treble for Naomh Padraig (North Antrim Championship, U16 B League and U16 B Championship). The future burns incredibly bright for Naomh Padraig a immensely talented young squad.
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