Sarsfields pull away in final stages to land Junior hurling crown

Casement Social Club Antrim JHC Final

Lámh Dhearg 2-12-4-14 Sarsfields

Kevin Herron reports from Davitt Park

SARSFIELDS had too much for Lámh Dhearg and clinched the Casement Social Club Antrim Junior Hurling Championship with a 4-14-2-12 win at Davitt Park on Sunday afternoon.

Kevin Barry McArdle’s strike on the stroke of half time gave the Paddies a 1-10-2-4 lead at the break, and in the final quarter they landed another three majors.

Cormac Mulligan’s 47th minute goal opened up a five-point gap and despite the Lámhs going down to 14-men when Michael Herron was dismissed and pulling the gap back to three, late goals from Fionn Jemfrey and another McArdle goal saw the Stewartstown men lift the trophy and progress to the Ulster series.

Donal McKernan hit the game’s opening score with a converted free, but Lámh Dhearh had the first goal in the 3rd minute.

Gerard Smyth did well to hold the ball up and lay it back to Adam Murray to rifle a powerful shot past David Ward and make it 1-0-0-1.

In response Daniel Smyth dropped a shot over from range and Enda McCartan then drew the sides level after cutting out a sideline ball and swinging a shot over.

Lámh Dhearg regained the lead after Daniel Murray picked out Gerard Smyth to pop over and a converted Adam Murray free restored the Hannahstown side’s two-point cushion.

The sides were level again as Kevin Barry McArdle swung over a point and Kevin McKernan landed his first placed ball of the afternoon, a third score on the spin gave the Paddies a slender advantage with Fionn Jemfrey scoring his first.

Just before the quarter hour mark the Lámhs had their second goal of the half. Jack Trainor seized the silother after it had gone loose and he laid the ball off to Adam Murray to thunder a shot in off the crossbar and make it 2-2-0-6.

Jemfrey pointed almost instantly, though Adam Murray landed a point from play after a successful one-two with Aidan McGuigan.

After a six-minute scoreless period Kevin McKernan shot over his second free, and cousin Donal sent a sideline cut over to level at 2-3-0-9.

The Lámhs edged back ahead briefly through a fine Conor McConville score, though Donal McKernan dropped over a fine long range point.

It looked as though the sides would head in level at the interval but in the 30th minute Sarsfields found the decisive score of the half.

Kevin McKernan’s angled shot clipped the large post and Kevin Barry McArdle reacted quickest and swept the loose ball home to give his side a 1-10-2-4 lead at the break.

Lámh Dhearg started the second period brightly and were back on terms with three points on the spin.

Adam Murray converted his second free of the game, Aidan McGuigan dropped over a point from range after Paddy Mervyn’s lay-off and Micko Herron laid off to half time substitute Mark Finnegan to land the leveller.

Sarsfields were ahead again through a Cormac Mulligan point, but Adam Murray converted a free to level again with a quarter of an hour remaining.

A third Fionn Jemfrey point had the Paddies in front through the narrowest of margins and their advantage was doubled through Kevin McKernan’s third placed ball.

The Stewartstown side surged clear in the 47th minute when Fionn Jemfrey found Cormac Mulligan and he batted the ball to the bottom corner to make it 2-13-2-8.

Lámh Dhearg would see out the game a man light when referee Shane McDonnell showed Michael Herron a red card and Sarsfields made use of their numerical advantage when Donal McKernan landed a free from the range.

The 14-men did claw the game back to three-points with Adam Murray adding another three to his personal tally, two came from play and the last of which a free had the game back in the balance at 2-14-2-11.

10-minutes after Cormac Mulligan’s goal gave the Paddies breathing space, they found the net for the third time, Daniel Smyth fed Fionn Jemfrey in space and he lashed home to make it 3-14-2-11.

Three minutes later and it was game, set and match when Kevin Barry McArdle found his second goal of the contest, Enda McCartan’s shot dropped underneath the bar and McArdle had the simplest of tasks in popping home from close range.

Adam Murray would land the games final score deep into injury time, but it was scant consolation as Sarsfields ran out 4-14-2-12 winners at the final whistle and will represent Antrim in the Ulster Junior Club championship in three weeks time and a clash with Cootehill Celtic of Cavan.

LÁMH DHEARG: PJ Herron, SP Gibson, A McGuigan (0-1), C Fegan Lappin, F Mervyn, P Mervyn, D Murray, C Boyd, N McGarry, C McConville jnr (0-1), A Murray (2-8, 0-5f), J Trainor, G Smyth (0-1), M Herron, D Martin. SUBS: M Finnegan (0-1) for J Trainor, R Diamond for C McConville jnr (41), D Mulholland for G Smyth (54), O Waldron for D Martin (54), C Camlin for M Finnegan (60+5).

SARSFIELDS: D Ward, N McGivern, D Johnston, M McCavanagh, J Ward, C McKernan, Donal McKernan (0-4, 0-2f, 0-1s), E McCartan (0-1), N O Mullane, D Smyth (0-1), K McKernan (0-3f), C Mulligan (1-1), F Jemfrey (1-3), N McAlea, KB McArdle (2-1). SUBS: J Maguire for M McCavanagh (HT), G Lennon for N O Mullane (35), O Coleman for KB McArdle (60+2).

REFEREE: Shane McDonnell (OISINS, GLENARIFF)