Andersonstown SC  IHC Final

Cathaoir an Ri 3-17 Kickham’s Creggan 1-18

Patrick McIlwaine reports from Dunsilly

There were scenes of unbridled celebration and tears of joy as Carey Faughs put a 19 year wait behind them to lift the Andersonstown SC Intermediate Hurling Cup when they overcame the challenge of Kickham’s Creggan in an excellent final today at Dunsilly.

The Ballyvoy side last lifted the trophy back in 2002 when they defeated Loughgiel seconds in the decider but recent finals haven’t been kind to the Carey men, losing deciders in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 with the 2015 defeat coming at the hands of today’s opponents.

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Kickham’s Creggan beat the Carey side in Armoy in that 2015 final and were fancied in some quarters for today’s game after their win over Ahoghill in the semi-final but it was Cathaoir an Ri who grabbed the initiative right from the start and never really looked like being headed.

In a tough, uncompromising encounter the Ballyvoy side got off to a great start when Daniel McBride rattled the Creggan net in the second minute after being set up by John McBride.

Caolan McCaughan added a point before Sam Maguire replied with a point from distance for the Kickham’s and a pointed free from Oran McCann left just two between the sides with 8 minutes gone.

The North Antrim side were showing greater hunger and desire however as they hit the next three points on the bounce with Conor McBride (f), Shea Hunter and James ‘Rocket’ Black on target to move them five in front with 13 minutes on the clock.

The South West men were living on scraps but Oran McCann fired over their third point from a ‘45’ and the same player followed with another from play to cut the deficit to three by the 17^th minute as referee Colum Cunning signalled for the first water break.

When play resumed it was Carey who continued to call the shots with the impressive Conor McBride pointing his second free of the afternoon and Paddy Gillan adding another from play to restore their five point advantage.

With the challenges going in hard and fast the free count increased as Oran McCann converted his third of the contest and Tiernan McLarnon added a fine score from play to leave just a goal between the sides after 22 minutes.

Conor McBride and Oran McCann exchanged further frees and when McCann followed with another from play the deficit was down to two with eight minutes of the opening half remaining.

Creggan replaced Tiernan McLarnon with Sean Duffin as their efforts seemed to be gaining some momentum but Carey finished the half superbly as the excellent Conor McBride pointed from play before firing low to the Creggan net to leave his side 2-8 to 0-8 ahead at the break and fully deserving of that lead.

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Liam McCann replaced Danaan O’Hara in the Creggan defence for the second half but Shea Hunter increased the Cathoir an Ri lead to seven with a point on the restart with Conor McCann replying for Creggan.

 The momentum was with the Ballyvoy side however and Caolan McCaughan split the posts from out on the right to move them seven ahead and the Kickham’s were in need of inspiration and for a brief spell it appeared to have arrived.

They looked to be gaining the initiative as they dominated a five minute period that yielded four unanswered points with Oran McCann getting them on their way with a point from play and he followed with another from a free and when Conor McCann and Morgan Nelson added two more the Faughs lead had been reduced to three again with only eight minutes of the new half gone.

It was to prove a false dawn however as Caolan McCaughan squeezed the ball home from close range despite being surrounded by three defenders and when James McCouaig followed with a massive point from 70 yards in the 10^th minute the Ballyvoy men were six in front and looking good.

The Kickham’s were still giving it everything and a fine piece of individual play from Conor McCann saw him sell a couple of dummies before blasting the sliotar past Cathal ‘Bart’ McAuley to leaver five in it at the second water break.

The South West side produced a strong finish to beat Cloney Gaels in their semi-final and would have been hoping for a similar finish here and McCann followed with a point before being clattered by a couple of defenders as he attempted to break through on goal.

There was still plenty of time remaining but Oran McCann decided to go for goal and his effort was repelled by a Carey defence who were putting their bodies on the line and cleared to safety. A couple of points from the excellent Conor McBride in reply to one from Oran McCann kept the Ballyvoy men in pole position and there would be no way back for the Kickham’s.

McBride from a free and another from play and a superb effort from James ‘Rocket’ Black saw Cathaoir an Ri move seven clear with two minutes of normal time remaining before Creggan’s Thomas McCann saw Red.

To their credit Kickham’s kept battling against the odds and were rewarded with late points from Aidan Maguire and Kealan McCann but these were merely consolation scores at this stage of the game with the men from Ballyvoy running out deserving winners by five points.

Cathaoir an Ri played with a hunger and intensity that their opponents quite simply couldn’t match. They won the majority of dirty ball over the hour with their defence giving nothing away. Cathal ‘Bart’ McAuley in goals, Sean McBride, Peadar McVeigh and James McCouaig were best in a rock solid attack who afforded their opponents little time or space.

Daniel McBride and Patrick Butler were on top at mid-field with McBride picking up an early yellow card and being called ashore as a precautionary measure late in the game while their full-forward line of Conor McBride, James ‘Rocket’ Black and Patrick Gillan gave the opposition defence a torrid time.

Cathaoir an Ri: Cathal McAuley, Daniel Hill, Sean McBride, Zach McCaughan, Michael McVeigh, Peadar McVeigh, James McCouaig, Daniel McBride, Patrick Butler, Shea Hunter, John McBride, Caolan McCaughan, Patrick Gillan, James Black, Conor McBride. Sean McLaughlin for Daniel McBride, Conleith McKinley for Patrick Butler

Kickham’s Creggan: Emmet Long, Aidan Maguire, Declan McCann, Danaan O’Hara, Sam Maguire, Thomas Mccann, Aiden McKeown, Tiarnan McLarnon, Ruairi McCann, Conor McCann, Morgan Nelson, Oran McCann, Jake McAteer, Kealan McCann, Kevin Rice. Subs: Sean Duffin for Tiernan McLarnon, Liam McCann for Danaan O’Hara,

Referee: Colum Cunning (Dunloy)

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Andersonstown SC IHC Final

Kickham’s Creggan v Cathaoir an Ri

Dunsilly 3.00pm Saturday

This Saturday’s Andersonstown SC Intermediate Hurling championship final between Kickham’s Creggan and Cathaoir an Ri at Dunsilly throws together an intriguing pairing but one that few punters would have predicted in the week leading up to the semi-finals.

Predicting winners in this competition is never easy. Neither of Saturday’s finalists topped their group and the Carey side in particular qualified the hard way for the decider but never the less are there on merit and will feel they can complete the job at Dunsilly.

The Ballyvoy men finished second to Cloney Gaels in Group 1, losing to the Ahoghill men in Ballyvoy and then drawing with Glenariffe Oisin at the same venue which left them needing to win by a big margin in their rearranged final game against Gort na Mona.

Carey Faughs proved too strong for a makeshift Gort na Móna when the sides met at the Dub to claim that final berth. Going into the game the North Antrim side had to win by a margin of at least 25 points, if not, it would mean that Glenariffe would qualify for a semi-final meeting with Cushendun.

In the end the North Antrim side had achieved that target by the half way stage as they led 4-17 to 0-2, and a further 3-12 in the second half ensured that the Faughs had reached their semi-final meeting with the Emmet’s with something to spare.

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Conor McBride top scored for Cathaoir an Ri with 3-10 with Caolan McCaughan 2-4, James ‘Rocket’ Black 2-1 and Patrick Gillan 0-6 leading the scoring fest. They had little time to celebrate however with their meeting with neighbours Cushendun scheduled for the same weekend.

Despite that big win at the Dub, Carey went into that semi-final with Cushendun as underdogs. The Emmet’s had raced through Group 2 of the qualifiers unbeaten, including a win over Kickham’s Creggan and were expected to progress to the final.

The Ballyvoy side failed to read the scrip however and booked their place in the final when they outplayed and outscored pre match favourites Cushendun in impressive fashion. Fresh from their 43 point hammering of Gort na Móna, the Ballyvoy men gave another faultless display to secure their place in the final.

The Faughs won the toss and elected to play with the aid of the diagonal breeze and their decision was soon justified as they flew from the traps. Conlaoth ‘Loaf’ McNeill got the first score of the game for Cushendun with a fantastic point from inside his own half, but the next ten minutes was all Carey as they hit 1-5 without reply, the goal brilliantly taken by Patrick Gillan while the points all came from different players, James McCouaig, Caolan McCaughan, James Rocket Black, Conor McBride and Gillan to move 1-5 to 0-1 ahead.

Cathaoir an Ri went on to lead 2-12 to 0-6 at half time and despite playing against the wind in the second half they ran out convincing winners by an 11 point margin to set up a final meeting with the Kickham’s.

Carey had scorers all over the field against the Cushendun men with McBride, Gillan, Black and Shea Hunter leading the way and they will be hoping for a similar spread of scores on Saturday in a repeat of the 2015 final.

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Like Saturday’s opponents, Kickham’s journey to the final was not straight forward but less dramatic than that of Saturday’s opponents. They recorded a number of excellent results in Group 2 of the qualifiers, scoring freely as they defeating Sarsfield’s 3-19 to 1-15 and St. Brighid’s Cloughmills 1-23 to 1-8 before losing by four points to Emmet’s in Cushendun.

Going into the final round of games we had three teams in contention for the two qualifying places but Cushendun’s win at the Bear Pit left the score difference calculations unnecessary. The Kickham’s were in action against St. Paul’s at the same time as the Sarsfield’s v Emmet’s game and were ensuring that whatever way that result was going they would be masters of their own destiny.

Creggan recorded a facile 5-22 to 0-13 win against a St. Paul’s side who had nothing to play for to qualify for a semi-final place against a Cloney Gaels side, who like Emmet’s had impressed during the Group stages and were slight favourites going into that semi-final at Whitehill.

The Cloney Gaels, Kickham’s semi-final was a much tighter affair and saw fortunes swing to and fro during a compelling game of hurling that went to extra time and had the large crowd on their toes until the final whistle.

Kevin Rice got in for a Creggan goal after 30 seconds and Rice, Morgan Nelson and Oran McCann added points as Creggan trailed 1-6 to 0-10 at half time.

Morgan Nelson and county captain, Conor McCann added second half goals and a fine exhibition of free taking from Oran McCann kept Creggan in touch throughout the second half as fortunes favoured one and then the other side.

The sides couldn’t be separated during an enthralling 60 plus minutes of hurling but when Cloney Gaels hit the first three scores in extra time the Ahoghill side looked to be taking control.

Kickham’s Creggan came from a point down at half time however to hit 8 unanswered second half points with a devastating scoring performance and claim a place in the final and like their opponents, will be looking forward to Saturday’s final at Dunsilly.

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Creggan edged out Carey in that 2015 final and the Faughs carry an unwanted record into Saturday’s decider having lost in the 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 finals and just how heavily that will weigh on their minds going into Saturday’s decider remains to be seen.

That was Creggan’s last and only Intermediate success and they went on to win Ulster that year though they reached the 2018 decider where they lost to St. Gall’s.

Both sides will be hoping to put that barren spell behind them and both have shown incredible resilience this year to reach Saturday’s final. Both are strong physical sides and we could well be in a far a war of attrition with no quarter asked or given.

Cathaoir an Ri will look to James ‘Rocket’ Black, Conor McBride, Caolan McCaughan and Patrick Gillan for scores while Cathal McAuley, Sean McBride, Peadar McBride and James McCouaig will hope to shut up shop at the other end and contain the Creggan attacking threat.

Aidan Maguire, Thomas McCann, Danaan O’Hara and Teddy McKeown are the men who can make life difficult for the Faughs attack while Ruairi McCann at midfield and Oran McCann, Kevin Rice, Morgan Nelson and Conor McCann carry a serious scoring threat.

I’m going to sit on the fence on this one as my predictions to date haven’t been too good but I expect this to be a full blooded championship clash between two strong and talented sides and the one who wants it most will take the title.

Andersonstown  Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship

Carey Faughs 2-21 Cushendun Emmet’s 1-13

By John McIlwaine

Carey Faughs booked their place in the final of the Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship when they outplayed and outscored pre match favourites Cushendun in Sunday’s semi-final at Armoy. Fresh from their 43 point hammering of Gort na Móna on Tuesday evening the Faughs gave another faultless display to secure their place in the final in two weeks’ time.

Their facile win over the Gorts in midweek clearly did not task them too much, and it was clear the game did them a world of good as their first touch, their striking and their score taking was on a different level to the Emmet’s, who had one of those days when simply nothing would go for them. The Cushendun men have been excellent all season, but they could not raise a gallop this time out and were way off the pace.

The Faughs won the toss and elected to play with the aid of the diagonal breeze and their decision was soon justified as they flew from the traps. Conlaoth ‘Loaf’ McNeill got the first score of the game for Cushendun with a fantastic point from inside his own half, but the next ten minutes was all Carey as they hit 1-5 without reply, the goal brilliantly taken by Patrick Gillan while the points all came from different players, James McCouaig, Caolan McCaughan, James Rocket Black, Conor McBride and Gillan to move 1-5 to 0-1 clear.

It was clear even at this early stage that Cushendun were in a spot of bother, but when Loaf came back with four points on the trot to close the gap to just four by the first-half water break it looked like they had weathered the worst of the storm. That was far from the case as it turned out for after the short break Carey found their touch again and in the 13 minutes that remained in the opening half they hit a further 1-6, to just one point in reply from Loaf McNeill to open up a a 2-12 to 0-6 half time lead. Their goal five minutes before half time came from Caolan McCaughan who ghosted in behind the Cushenun defence and when John McBride broke from a ‘ruck’ and found him with a pass McCaughan blasted home from close range.

It wasn’t quite clear just how much advantage the diagonal breeze was to the Faughs in the first half but when Cushendun opened the second half with a McNeill point and a goal from substitute Dominic McQuillan it appeared that it might be more beneficial than we thought. However that was a good as it got for the Emmet’s as McNeill continued to plough a lone furrow as far as scoring was concerned. He ended with 0-12 to his name, all from frees.

Carey on the other hand had a range of score takers with McBride, Gillan, Black and Shea Hunter keeping the scoreboard operators busy as they hit scores from all distances and angles to book their place in the final against Creggan in two weeks’ time, a repeat of the of the 2015 decider.

CAREY FAUGHS

Cathal McAuley, Daniel Hill, Sean McBride, Zach McCaughan, Michael McVeigh, Peadar McVeigh, James McCouaig, Daniel McBride, Patrick Butler, Shea Hunter, John McBride, Caolan McCaughan, Patrick Gillan, James Black, Conor McBride.

CUSHENDUN EMMET’S

Careth Magee, Eoin McQuillan, Aidan Corbett, Jack McKay, Matthew McCartin, Donal O’Hara, Tom Scally, Conor McHugh, Callum Kilgore, Conrad McDonnell, Harry Kilgore, Conlaoth McNeill, Conor Bannon, Conleth Ryan, David Kilgore.

Subs – Dominic McQuillan, Pierce Bannon

Referee – Mark O’Neill (Armoy)

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Andersonstown SC IHC Semi-Final

Kickham’s Creggan 4-24 Cloney Gaels 3-20 A.E.T.

Kickham’s Creggan came from a point down at half time in extra time to hit 8 unanswered points and claim a place in the final of the Andersonstown SC Intermediate Hurling final after beating Cloney Gaels in an enthralling contest at Whitehill on Sunday.

In a contest that had everything that is good in championship hurling both sides went at it tooth and nail from the first whistle with the lead changing hands several times over an hour and twenty minutes spell binding entertainment.

The Kickham’s led 1-4 to 0-5 at the first water break after Kevin Rice got in for the game’s opening goal after 30 seconds when he got on the end of a tantalising cross from Morgan Nelson. Owen Neeson replied immediately with a point for the Gaels before Oran McCann edged Creggan three in front once more from his first converted free of the afternoon.

With a strong cross-field breeze conditions weren’t ideal for good hurling and Cloney Gaels shot three wides in as many minutes before James O’Connell found his range as he pointed from play and then added another from a free with Ruairi McCann striking one from long distance for the Creggan men.

Things were starting to liven up as Donal Graham closed the gap to the minimum with a point in the 12^th minute but Creggan replied immediately as Kevin Rice and Morgan Nelson fired over and PJ O’Connell and Ronan Graham responding for the Ahoghill side by the 16^th minute.

Oran McCann then wasted the opportunity to extend the Kickham’s lead as he sent a couple of long range frees wide of the target as play resumed after the first water break before making amends with a good point from play to move his side two ahead but it was Cloney Gaels who found the extra gear in the run in to half time as PJ O’Connell, Owen Neeson and James O’Connell 0-2 moved them one in front by half time with the Creggan response coming from Kevin Rice.

Half Time: Kickham’s 1-6 Cloney Gaels 0-10

Cloney Gaels had the benefit of the elements for the second half and they made a bright start with points from Ronan Graham and Thomas McGlone with Oran McCann replying for the Staffordstown Road side as Sean Duffin replaced Tiarnan McLarnon in the Creggan side.

Oran McCann closed the gap to the minimum from a free in the 8^th minute but Cloney Gaels were beginning to get on top and James O’Connell got on the end of an astute through ball to fire to the net in the 9^th minute.

Before the celebrations had died down the Kickham’s found a response and acres of space at the other end and Morgan Nelson’s close range shot deflected of Martin Graham’s body and into the net to tie the contest before James O’Connell edged the Ahoghill side ahead again with a point in the 13^th minute.

Cloney Gaels were playing some good hurling at this stage but they were opened up once more as Conor McCann got in for Creggan’s third goal and as this titanic struggle continued Owen Neeson and Ronan Graham replied with points and it was level once more at the second water break.

 It was clear that this one was going to go right down to the wire and indeed beyond it as Oran McCann pointed an 18^th minute free as the Creggan number 12 continued to punish some undisciplined tackling by the opposition and his free taking would have a telling influence as we reached the business end of proceedings.

Aidan ‘Teddy’ McKeown moved the Staffordstown Road side two in front and the momentum seemed to be swinging the way of the Creggan men but once again Ahoghill found a response through PJ O’Connell and James O’Connell and when substitute Cola McDonnell fired to the Creggan net in the 24^th minute the Gaels were one ahead once more.

Points from another Oran McCann free and one from play by Conor McCann left it all square as the clock counted down with the final two chances of normal time falling to the O’Connell brothers, James and PJ but both efforts from distance were just off target as referee Darren McKeown signalled extra time.

The significance of those misses  would come back to haunt Hugh Dobbin’s side but when substitute, Patrick Graham set up James O’Connell for a goal in the 4^th minute of extra time to add to points from PJ O’Connell from a superb side-line cut and a Ronan Graham point from play they were soon forgotten.

As the Cloney side tired however they continued to concede silly frees and Oran McCann continued to punish them and two from the Creggan sharp shooter and a goal from Conor McCann in reply to a Patrick Graham point left just one in it as the sides turned for the final time.

Incredibly the Ahoghill men would not score again as Creggan finished with a flurry of points, eight unanswered in all with Oran McCann pointing three frees and adding another from play to bring his personal total for the day to 0-12 and Conor McCann, Sean Duffin and Morgan Nelson all on target as Creggan advance to meet Cathaoir an Ri in the final.

An absolutely splendid game of hurling and at several stages it looked like Cloney Gaels would advance to their second final in succession but Creggan’s persistence and ability to get goals at vital times in the game coupled by Oran McCann’s contribution from frees proved the difference in the end.

Kickham’s Creggan:  Emmet Long,  Aidan Maguire,  Declan McCann,  Danaan O’Hara,  Sam Maguire, Thomas McCann,  Aiden McKeown,  Tiarnan McLarnon,  Ruairi McCann,  Conor McCann,  Morgan Nelson,  Oran McCann,  Jake McAteer,  Kealan McCann,  Kevin Rice. Subs: Sean Duffin for Tiarnan McLarnon, Liam McCann for Declan McCann, Diarmuid Duffin for Kevin Rice

Cloney Gaels:  Martin Graham,  Stephen O’Connell,  James Magee,  Eamon Brady,  Fionnbar O’Neill,  Bernard Graham,  Dan O’Neill,  Francis Neeson,  Neill O’Connell,  Owen Neeson,  Thomas McGlone,  Ronan Graham,  PJ O’Connell,  Donal Graham,  James O’Connell. Subs:  Cola McDonnell, Patrick Graham

Referee: Darren McKeown (St. Gall’s)

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Andersonstown SC IHC Semi-Final

Emmet’s Cushendun Emmet’s v Carey Faughs

Armoy 2-00pm Sunday

By Paddy McIlwaine

Emmet’s Cushendun will start Sunday’s Andersonstown SC IHC semi-final in Armoy as favourites but that will probably suit a Carey side who will be still buzzing following their facile mid-week win over Gort na Mona at the Dub that secured them passage to Sunday’s semi-final.

The Cushendun men have had an excellent season to date and won all four of their Group 2 championship games following a division 2A league campaign where they won 4 and drew 2 games to finish second to Cloney Gaels.

In the championship the Emmet’s have been impressive to date and wins over St. Brigid’s Cloughmills, St. Paul’s, Kickham’s Creggan and Sarsfield’s has seen them installed as many pundits favourites to go all the way.

Cathaoir an Ri have reached Sunday’s semi-final the hard way and came with a late run down the home straight to pip Glenariffe Oisin for the second qualifying place in Group 1 with that win in Belfast in mid-week.

The Ballyvoy men made a bright start to their qualifying group when they beat St. Gall’s by five points but their progress was halted when their fixture against Gort na Mona was postponed on day two owing to Covid in the Gort’s camp.

An 0-24 to 2-18 draw with Oisin on day 3 left Cathaoir an Ri in a seemingly strong position but when they lost to visitors, Cloney Gaels the following Wednesday night their fate looked precarious. Glenariffe Oisin looked favourites to join Cloney Gaels in the play-offs due to a superior score difference as the Carey men headed to the Dub for their rearranged meeting with Gort na Mona.

Carey needed to win by 25 points to edge out the men from Waterfoot but what transpired is like something out of a fiction story as the Ballyvoy side raced into a 4-17 to 0-2 half time lead that saw many of those Glenariffe supporters who had made the journey, leave Queen’s at half time.

Cathaoir an Ri went on to win by a massive 43 points against a depleted Gort na Mona side to earn their place in Sunday’s semi-final against neighbours Emmets and will be looking forward with relish to a semi-final that looked out of reach nine days earlier.

Cushendun will fancy their chances of bringing their neighbours back down to earth with a bang following that massive 50 point haul at the Dub and Cathaoir an Ri are unlikely to find the passage to their opponents posts as easy to negotiate.

The Emmet’s are a solid outfit with Gareth Magee, Aidan Corbett, Tom Scally and Conor McHugh strong and reliable defenders. Cork native, Conleth Ryan and Calum Kilgore form a strong mid-field partnership while Conlaoth ‘Loaf’ McNeill, Harry Kilgore, Dominic McQuillan and Calum Kilgore pose a serious scoring threat.

Carey have a reliable and experienced keeper in Cathal McAuley while Sean McBride, Peadar McVeigh and Michael McVeigh are strong defenders. Daniel McBride and Patrick Butler are hard-working mid-fielders who are capable of contributing scores while in attack James ‘Rocket’ Black and Connor McBride are potential match winners.

The Ballyvoy side will start this one as outsiders but their draw with Glenariffe Oisin, that win over St. Gall’s and a narrow loss to Cloney Gaels would suggest they might not be too far away but in a tight contest Emmet’s get the nod.