Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship

Shaw’s Road is the place for hurling fans to be tomorrow afternoon with the two Intermediate semi-finals down for decision. The first sees Naomh Eanna take on Oisin’s Glenariffe at St Paul’s at 12.30 while in the other one at 2pm at Rossa Park Sarsfields play Carey Faughs.

Naomh Eanna had to work hard last time out to get the challenge of Creggan. The sides met at Tir na nÓg on a wet and windy Friday evening in a game that turned out to be a real dogged affair with the accuracy of John McGoldrick getting the Glengormley men over the line. Naomh Eanna led by a point at the end of a first half in which both teams struggled to adapt to the conditions but Creggan got on top during the second half and edged in front. However the men from the Lough Shore shot eleven wides in the second half and though Naomh Eanna were not at their best they showed great resilience to win in a tight finish, McGoldrick’s accuracy from placed balls proving the difference in the end.

It took extra time for the Oisins to get through in a high scoring game against Cloughmills in their quarter final in Cushendall. Cloughmills, who hadn’t won a league game all season started the game like an express train and were 0-7 to 0-2 ahead after fourteen minutes. An upset appeared to be on the cards but the Oisins found two heroes to drag them back into the game, one of them goalkeeper Seanan McToal and the other corner forward Alex O’Boyle. McToal made a couple of unbelievable saves to keep his team in the hunt while at the other end O’Boyle gave a brilliant display of score taking, ending the game with 1-17 to his name. The Oisins appeared to be cruising entering the final quarter but the Biddies rallied with three Liam Kearns points and a last gasp goal from John B McGuckian to take it to extra time. The extra time turned out to be a one sided affair as Glenariffe ruled the roost and with O’Boyle slotting them over with ease they ended up winning by seven on a scoreline of 3-26 to 3-19.

Their superior league form, and the fact that they will play their hurling in Division 1 next season, makes Naomh Eanna favourites going into this one but Glenariffe have the hurlers to trouble anyone on their day. Much will depend on the two free takers, McGoldrick and O’Boyle and it is important that both defences keep their discipline or they could be made to pay dearly.

Sarsfields and Carey both had comfortable wins in their respective quarter finals, the Paddies accounting for Tir na nÓg by 0-19 to 0-10 while the Faughs beat their neighbours Glen Rovers by 3-20 to 2-13.

These two last met in the championship two seasons ago when Sarsfields beat the north Antrim men in the 2017 Intermediate final in Armoy. In their two meetings in the league Sarsfields have held the upper hand, winning by 2-12 to 0-9 in Ballyvoy back in March while in their most recent meeting in the Bear Pit in August the Paddies had twelve to spare – 2-23 to 1-14. All that would point to a Sarfields victory tomorrow, but of course this is championship and as we know anything can happen in these big games. The Faughs will be looking for big performances from the likes of Sean McBride, James McCouaig, James Black and Conor McBride if they are to cause and upset, while Sarsfields will look to Niall McAlea, Jack Daniels, Kevo McKernan and their great leader Niall McKenna to see them through.

These were the teams who started for the four club’s in their quarter finals:

SARSFIELD’S: D Ward; K Ward, J Cunningham, J Daniels; N McAlea, C Caldwell 0-1, J McKernan; K McKernan, D McGuinness; T Doherty, N McKenna, R Carson; C McKernan, M Rea, G Lennon

OISINS: Seanan McToal, Michael Haughey, Randal McDonnell, Kieran McKendry, Shane O’Connor, Mickey Gettins, Daniel Haughey, Caolan O’Connor, Aaron Cosgrove, Dan McKillop, Conor McAlister, Thomas Quinn, Alex McDonnell, Paul McDonnell, Alex O’Boyle.

NAOMH EANNA: Martin Curran; Niall O’Connor, Rian Gillen, Ruairi Diamond; Cormac Ross, Mark Donaghy, Joe Maskey; Ryan Bogue, Ruairi Donaghy; Philip Curran, Manus Mullan, Edward O’Connor; Dermot Maguire, John McGoldrick, Killian Jennings.

CAREY: Christopher Butler, Colm McBride, Sean McBride, Patrick Gillan, Michael McVeigh, James McCouaig, Peadar McVeigh, Sean McLaughlin, Caolan McCaughan, James Black, Cathal McAuley, Daniel Martin, Fiachra McVeigh, John McBride, Conor McBride

Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Championship

Carey Faughs 3-20 Armoy Glen Rovers 2-13

Carey Faughs qualified for the semi-final of the Intermediate Hurling Championship when they beat their neighbours Armoy Glen Rovers in Saturday’s quarter final at the Rigs in Cushedun. The game had originally been scheduled for Loughgiel on Friday evening but torrential rain over the weekend had ruled that out so everyone had to re plan their weekend activities and thankfully the Emmet’s club stepped into the breach and hosted the tie

On what was generally a miserable weekend weather-wise for hurling the rain thankfully stayed away for the duration of the match but a strong wind blew down the pitch into the sea throughout. Both teams contributed to what was a fine championship match and it was the slight pre-match favourites Carey who progressed in the end with a convincing ten point win to set up a meeting with Sarsfields in the semi-final.

The Faughs got off to the perfect start with a Fiachra McVeigh goal after just twenty seconds, followed by a pointed James McCouaig free, two scores which set the trend for the opening quarter. Johnny McErlain opened the Armoy account from a free in the third minute with Conor McBride replying with a similar score for the Faughs to keep the gap at four. McErlain and  Thomas Burns added on points for Armoy to cut the gap to two but Caolan McCaughan came back with one from play and Conor McBride added one from a free to maintain that four point cushion for Carey after 15 minutes.

James Black extended Carey’s lead from play but Armoy hit back again with two points from Johnny McErlain to leave just one score between the sides. It remained that way for most of the second quarter until the 25th minute when the Faughs got a lucky break as a harmless looking ball was flicked to the Armoy net by Conor McBride, extending the gap between the teams. Armoy were now making better use of the breeze and had a purple patch in the minutes before half time they clawed their way back with some fine scores, including two from County star John ‘Rocky’ Dillon and the gap was down to just two, but James ‘Rocket’ Black had the last score of the half to send Carey to the dressing room at half time with a 2-6 to 0-9 lead.

With the wind at their backs in the second half Carey again made a fast start as young Conor McBride fired to the Armoy net after great work by his namesake John and suddenly the gap was out to six. The Rovers needed a quick response and it came when Emmet O’Hara opened their second half account with a fine point and when Thomas Burns grabbed a goal soon afterwards it was game on again.

 Carey’s star man Conor McBride and Armoy’s PJ McBride swapped scores from frees leaving the score at the mid-way point of the second half 3.10 to 1.12 to the men from Ballyvoy but two great points in quick succession from wing-half back Michael ‘Eggy’ McVeigh stretched the gap to six again. Carey’s were now in control and they pulled further ahead with some fine scores, including one from centre-half back James McCouaig from all of 80 metres.  Armoy battled bravely but the Faughs were on top and the men in green finished on a high when wing-half back Peadar McVeigh sent over the last point of the match with a great strike from play to seal that semi-final spot.

Overall this was a good championship clash between two great rivals – hard fought and competitive throughout. Both defences were solid throughout and all scores were hard fought for. At midfield neither team dominated and both team’s pairings had their periods on top. In the forward lines best for Armoy were John Dillon and Johnny McErlain, while young Conor McBride was the star of the Carey attack with his two goals from play and faultless free taking, saw him end with a personal total of 2.07 overall.

Teams

CAREY: Christopher Butler, Colm McBride, Sean McBride, Patrick Gillan, Michael McVeigh, James McCouaig, Peadar McVeigh, Sean McLaughlin, Caolan McCaughan, James Black, Cathal McAuley, Daniel Martin, Fiachra McVeigh, John McBride, Conor McBride

Subs used – Connaire Butler, Martin Hunter, Patrick Butler, Gerard McBride

ARMOY: Conor Devlin, Shane Devlin, Cha McCormick, Joseph McFetridge, Liam Dillon, Arthur Devlin, Joe McBride, Ciaran McErlain, PJ McBride, Johnny McErlain, John Dillon, Emmet O’Hara, Thomas Burns, Daniel McPeake, Conor Christie

PICS BY ANN GILLAN AND MICKY MORGAN

Andersonstown Social Club

Intermediate Hurling Championship

Glenariffe Oisins 3-26 St Brigid’s Clougmills 3-19 (AET)

Glenariffe booked their place in the semi-final of the Intermediate Hurling Championship when they beat Cloughmills in a thrilling encounter on Sunday evening at Pairc Mhuire, Cushendall.

On a weekend when much of the fare on view was insipid and uninspiring we were served the best wine last. Given their record in championship matches in Cushendall over recent years when they lost to St Enda’s twice and Armoy once, the Oisins could not have been jumping with joy when they heard the game was switched from its original venue in Loughgiel to Pairc Mhuire. After recovering from a bad start and leading by five at the break even the most pessimistic Oisins fans must have thought they were going to put their fear of playing in their neighbours back garden behind them when they stretched their lead to eight soon after the break. However as the game progressed they got the collywobbles once again as the Biddies battled back, but all seemed well when a goal from a penalty by man of the match Alex O’Boyle put them six clear again with just four minutes of normal time remaining.

That was that, or so it seemed, but the Pairc Mhuire curse was not dead yet and in the four minutes which remained the Biddies grabbed two goals, one from a Mickey Devlin penalty (his second of the half) and one from substitute John B McGuckian to tie the scores with just seconds left. If the Dubs fans in Croke Park two hours earlier felt they were under pressure when Kerry hit the front going down the home straight, it was nothing compared to this. All seemed well when the Oisins were awarded a free three minutes into injury time and Alex O’Boyle stepped up to seal the win. However as O’Boyle punched the air in celebration the corner-forward’s shot tailed wide of the target by the narrowest of margins, a la Tipperary’s Bubbles O’Dwyer in the 2014 All Ireland final against Kilkenny, and match referee Colum Cunning sounded the long blast on Cloughmills puc-out to indicate extra time.

If the Oisins fans nerves were shot by this stage they were soon calmed again as their team hit the first six points of extra time, five of them coming from O’Boyle. There were a few nerves when the Biddies closed the gap back to four early in the second period of extra time, but that was as close as they would get and two more from O’Boyle and one apiece from Conor McAlister and substitute Oliver Kearney sealed the win with seven to spare.

This was a great game of hurling and both teams deserve praise for their efforts. Liam Kearns, Aaron Smiley and Mickey Devlin all starred for Cloughmills but two men are worthy of special mention, and both of them are on the Oisins team. Corner forward Alex O’Boyle gave a display of score taking that will rank with the best seen for quite some time and over the hour and twenty minutes he had 1-17 to his name. The other is goalkeeper Seanan McToal who made a series of excellent saves, but one in particular in the first half was extra special when he somehow got his stick to a shot from point blank range from full forward Chris McKiernan to prevent what seemed a certain goal. It was to prove crucial as the Oisins goaled in their next attack and what would have been a nine point lead was suddenly back to three and it changed the face of the game.

The Oisins went into this game as firm favourites given St Brigid’s league record this season, but the Biddies were not weighed down by the underdogs tag and they flew from the traps to go four ahead in five minutes Liam Kearns leading the charge with two class strikes while Conor Laverty and Mickey Devlin hit one apiece. Paul McDonnell opened Glenariffe’s account on seven minute but Kearns hit three of the next four points to pull his team 0-7 to 0-2 clear after fourteen minutes. Alex O’Boyle pulled one back for the Oisins to cut the gap to six, but seconds later it looked certain to go out to nine when McKiernan won possession on the edge of the Glenariffe square, only to be denied by McToal’s miraculous save.

It was to prove a turning point in the game for the Oisins went straight up the field and when the ball broke across the large square Alex McDonnell struck a ground shot the Biddies net and though Stephen Smyth hit a quick reply the next four points all went the Waterfoot men, one from Mickey Gettins and the other three from O’Boyle, one of them direct from a sideline cut. Cloughmills were wasteful in front of goal as they battled back but they steadied the ship with two fine points from Mickey Devlin and Jimmy Doherty to leave just one between the sides, but the Oisins came back with an O’Boyle point and Conor McAlister goal on the stroke of half time to go five clear at the break. (1-12 to 0-10)

The gap was out to eight as O’Boyle added two more and Paul McDonnell one in the opening five minutes of the new half but Doherty grabbed a point and Mickey Devlin fired in a penalty to keep the Biddies in touch. That gap stayed roughly the same during the next fifteen minutes with a real purple patch from Kearns yielding three points, which were cancelled out by an O’Boyle goal from a penalty which he struck low to the corner. The Oisins appeared to have done enough but the Cloughmills men showed great resolve in the final minutes and Devlin’s penalty brought them within a score before John B McGuckian became an unlikely hero as he drilled the match saving goal to the Oisins net.

As is often the case in these type of games extra time turned out to be a bit of procession for Glenariffe and with O’Boyle pulling all the strings they closed out the game to set up a semi-final with newly crowned Division 2 champions Naomh Eanna in a fortnight’s time.

OISINS: Seanan McToal, Michael Haughey, Randal McDonnell, Kieran McKendry, Shane O’Connor, Mickey Gettins, Daniel Haughey, Caolan O’Connor, Aaron Cosgrove, Dan McKillop, Conor McAlister, Thomas Quinn, Alex McDonnell, Paul McDonnell, Alex O’Boyle.

Subs – Patrick Burns, Oliver Kearney, Conor Patterson

ST BRIGID’S: Gary McCollum, Sean McKendry, Michael Morrison, Stephen Martin, Geoffrey Og Laverty, Aaron Smiley, Jospeh Smyth, Stephen Smyth, Conor Laverty, James Doherty, Ruairi Laverty, Michael Devlin, liam Kearns, Chris McKiernan, Eoin Dobbin.

Subs – Johnny Duffin, John McGuckian

Andersonstown Social Club

Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter-final

Sarsfield’s 0-19 Tír na nÓg 0-10

Sarsfields advanced to the semi-final of the Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship following this nine point win over Tir na Nog, Randalstown at Creggan today. In a tough and sometimes tempestuous contest it was the boys from the Bear Pit who had nine points to spare at the final whistle.

Sarsfields enjoyed the better of the exchanges from early in the game with Kevin McKernan and Niall McKenna keeping the scoreboard ticking over.

Indeed, it was a long-range free from McKenna inside the first 50 seconds which got the West Belfast men on their way, but their shooting was somewhat wayward after that and Tir na nOg took full advantage.

 Some of the challenges were not for the faint hearted as 18 of the 29 scores over the hour came from placed efforts with Kevin Sheerin’s free taking accounting for 0-8 of his side’s 0-10 losing tally.

Ciaran O’Neill landed a fine point from play before Sheerin hit back-to-back frees to move his side into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after 10 minutes and at this stage it was looking good for the Whitehill side.

At the other end the Stewartstown Road side were wayward in their shooting but they soon found their range with seven unanswered points to take control of proceedings.

McKenna got them on their way from a brace of frees before Caillin Caldwell fired over an inspirational score from play.

Three further frees from McKenna followed before midfielder McKernan split the posts with a stunning effort from inside his own half.

Kevin Sheerin ended an 18-minute spell for Tír na nÓg as he sent over but McKenna replied immediately as Sarsfields began to get on top.

The ‘Paddies’ finished the half on the ascendancy as Ryan Carson (two), Caolan McKernan and McGuinness added points from play with Tir na nOg’s only reply coming from Sheerin who sent over an injury time free.

Trailing 0-13 to 0-5 at the break, the Whitehill side had a mountain to climb in the second half but with the wind behind them they were still hopeful but three wides in the opening minutes certainly didn’t help their cause.

The introduction of Eamon Óg McAllister gave a bit of impetus to the Randalstown attack and he fired over a point moments after coming on. The South West side then enjoyed a spell on the ascendancy as a couple of Kevin Sheerin frees cut the deficit to six points.

Sarsfields had the armoury to respond however as Kevin McKernan pointed a long range free from all of seventy yards, an inspirational score that gave his side a lift as they began to turn the screw again. Kevin Sherrin responded to a McKernan point from play with another couple of pointed frees

but Tír na nÓg couldn’t get closer than six points and another from play from McKernan looked to have killed the game off inside the closing 10 minutes.

Things got heated as the clock ticked down with players from both sides getting involved. The game was over at this stage with Sarsfields adding a couple of late points from McKenna and McKernan and Sheerin bringing his tally to 0-8 for the losers in injury-time.

SARSFIELD’S: D Ward; K Ward, J Cunningham, J Daniels; N McAlea, C Caldwell 0-1, J McKernan; K McKernan 0-5 (0-2fs), D McGuinness 0-1; T Doherty, N McKenna 0-8 (0-8fs), R Carson 0-2; C McKernan 0-2, M Rea, G Lennon.

Subs: D McKernan for Doherty (33mins), A Stewart for K Ward (45mins).

TÍR NA NÓG: K Kerr; T Martin, R O’Neill, N Shannon; C Fitzgerald, C Duffin, M Higgins; C Duffin, C O’Neill 0-1; P Sheerin, K Sheerin 0-8 (0-8fs), M Duffin; E Martin, C Sheerin, C Logan.

Subs: E Óg McAllister 0-1 for E Martin (36mins), S McKinley for C Sheerin (50mins).

REFEREE: C McAllister (St Gall’s).

PICS BY CATHAL McOSCAR PHOTOGRAPHY