Antrim U16 Hurling League – Div2
Naomh Padraig 1-13 St John’s 0-07
Naomh Padraig hosted St John’s in Carey for a crucial Antrim U16 Hurling League Division 2 clash. In a game defined by an explosive start and a dominant second-half performance, Naomh Padraig extended their unbeaten run with a 1-13 to 0-07 victory to move three points clear at the top of the table.
The game began at a blistering pace, with Naomh Padraig’s Caleb McCaughan finding the back of the net in the very first minute. St John’s responded instantly, striking back with a point from their centre-forward Jack Rafferty. The visitors kept the pressure applied, and thirty seconds later, Harry McAllister added a second point for St John’s. Naomh Padraig’s centre-back Ollie Joe McAlonan settled the hosts with a well-taken point in the fourth minute but St John’s almost swung the momentum entirely at the six-minute mark when Damian Fagan found himself with a golden goal-scoring opportunity, but his shot was expertly stopped by the Armoy goalkeeper.
Jack Rafferty proved to be the focal point of the St John’s attack. He pointed a free in the ninth minute and added another in the 15th. In a brilliant display of awareness, Rafferty cleanly won the puck-out immediately following his own score and sent the ball straight back over the bar, cutting the Naomh Padraig lead down to a single point. The hosts steadied the ship in the 21st minute with a pointed free from John Og Darragh, but Rafferty answered in kind with another free for St John’s in the 24th. After a Naomh Padraig point from play by corner forward Ollie Henry, the half concluded with a dramatic moment from St John’s Pádraig Mulvenna whose shot for goal rose inches ovver the Naomh Padraig crossbar, keeping the tie highly competitive as the half-time whistle blew.
The second half was a completely different story, as the North Antrim side took firm control of the contest. John Og Darragh opened the scoring from play in the second minute. Moments later, Caleb McCaughan broke through on goal, but the St John’s goalkeeper Oran Lynch produced a fine save to keep his side in the game. Darragh continued to assert his influence, extending the lead in the ninth minute with a neat 50-metre point. The Naomh Padraig attack then clicked into top gear; Darragh turned provider, sending a beautiful ball in from the wing for McCaughan to fire over. McCaughan added another point from play shortly after, followed by a Darragh free to stretch the lead even further.
Jack Rafferty registered St John’s only score of the second half, converting a 16th-minute free. From there, it was all Naomh Padraig. Darragh landed a superb point from distance to stretch the advantage, and McCaughan then put on a clinic, striking an excellent left-sided point in the 23rd minute before adding another top-quality score from play two minutes later. Despite a couple of late goal chances for St John’s as the clock ticked down, the Naomh Padraig defence held firm and when referee Deaglan Carey blew the full-time whistle the home team were nine to the good, on a scoreline of1-13 to 0-07.
NAOMH PADRAIG
1 Shane McClelland
2 Ben Linton
3 Lorcan Kinney
4 Patrick McClean
5 Malachy McSparren
6 OJ McAlonan
7 Cillian Bellew
8 Killian Cassidy
9 Not used
10 Rhyss Murray
11 John og Darragh
12 Liam McCelland
13 Jake Feetham
14 Caleb McCaughan
15 Oliver Henry
16 Daniel Murray
NAOMH EOIN
- Oran Lynch
- Ronan McIlroy
- Conall Gillen
- Conchubhar McGibbon
- Oran McCann
- Odhran Ó Mearthaile
- Dylan Hand Mccallin
- Anraí Ó Conghaile
- Not used
- Jack Rafferty
- Anthony Brennan
- Harry McAllister
- Damian Fagan
- Frazer McGivern
Referee – Deaglan Carey (Con Magees)
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