Intermediate Hurling Championship – Semi-Final at Quinn Park, Ballymena

Oisin 4-19 Cloney Gaels 1-13

A dominant period in the opening 10 minutes from Oisins Glenariffe put them in a commanding position as they overcame the challenge of a slow starting Cloney Gaels in this second Intermediate hurling championship semi-final in Ballymena on Monday night.

After falling behind to a Ronan Graham point in the opening minute Glenariffe made a strong response as they hit 2-6 without reply to lead by 11 with ten minutes gone and even at this stage it was hard to envisage a Cloney comeback.

With the wind at their backs on an excellent Quinn Park surface the sea-siders were first to nearly every ball as their pace and intensity clearly knocked the Ahoghill men out of their stride.

Their first goal came from Michael O’Boyle after Diarmuid Graham had been blocked down as he attempted to clear and his brother, Alex added the second with 8 minutes gone as Cloney struggled to put meaningful attacks together.

Alex O’Boyle was in imperious form from the placed ball and he converted three frees during this period of dominance to add to one from Michael O’Boyle, Seanie McIntosh and two from Orrin O’Connor.

Cloney danger man, James O’Connell finally got his name on the score sheet from a free in the 11^th minute but the Gaels sharp shooter was given little time or space throughout the hour to stamp his influence on the game.

Fionnbar O’Neill raised the South West sides third white flag but his side couldn’t match the hunger or aggression of the opposition and Seanie McIntosh, Conor Patterson and Alex O’Boyle (0-2 f’s) moved the Waterfoot outfit 2-10 to 0-3 ahead by the 17^th minute.

Their opponents did create a few half chance with Colla McDonnell denied by timely tackles as he briefly threaten and the pressure finally looked to have paid dividends when Patrick McIlwaine dragged down Patrick Graham as he bore down on goal.

McIlwaine was shown Yellow for his misdemeanour and Fionnbar O’Neill stepped up to take the penalty but his fierce shot was superbly saved by Oisin keeper, Paul McMullan who would go on to make a number of excellent stops over the hour.

Ronan Graham and Seanie McIntosh exchanged points and Fionnbar O’Neill added a long range point for the Cloney men but Glenariffe finished the half as they had started and the excellent Michael O’Boyle pointed before scoring his side’s third goal to leave them 3-12 to 0-5 ahead at the break.

It looked a long way back for Cloney Gaels as they resumed with the breeze at their backs and it was the sweet striking Alex O’Boyle who moved his side further ahead from a free in the third minute.

James O’Connell replied with his second point of the evening and then escaped the shackles of his marker to rifle past Paul McMullan in the 7^th minute after being set up by Patrick Graham.

Again the Glenariffe response came from Alex O’Boyle from two more converted frees but Cloney were starting to enjoy a wee bit of success and Colla McDonnell had his fierce shot pushed over by Paul McMullan.

Things threatened to boil over as players from both sides got involved in an unseemly brawl and when the dust settled referee Fionntan McCotter got matters under way again without taking further action.

Dan O’Neill added a point from long range and James O’Connell converted a free as the Gaels effort gathered a wee bit of momentum but their efforts were soon undone when Conor Patterson got in for Glenariffe’s fourth goal following a mix-up in the visitors defence.

The Ahoghill men went looking for goals at this stage but the Oisin defence stood firm and points from Ronan Graham, Fionnbar O’Neill and another from James O’Connell that skimmed over was all they could manage.

Brogan O’Connor got his name on the Glenariffe score sheet and fittingly, the final point of the evening would come from an Alex O’Boyle free as Oisin’s advance to a meeting with Tir na nOg Randalstown in their second successive final in two weeks-time.

Glenariffe: 1 Paul McMullan, 2 Patrikck McIlwaine, 4 Cailin Devlin, 5 David Kearney, 6 Niall Magee, 7 Calum McIlwaine, 8 Odhran Gillan, 9 Oliver Kearney, 10 Orrin O’Connor, 11 Conor Patterson, 12 Michael O’Boyle, 13 Alex O’Boyle, 14 Seanie McIntosh, 17 Michael Haughey, 18 Daniel Kearney.

Subs: Colla Ward for Patrick McIlwaine, Brogan O’Connor for Orrin O’Connor, Phelim Ward for Oliver Kearney, Niall Murray for Michael O’Boyle

Cloney Gaels: 1 Aiden Graham, 2 Harry O’Donnell, 3 James Magee, 4 Bernard Graham 5 Finbar O’Neill 6 Diarmaid Graham 7 Dan O’Neill 8 Eamon Brady 9 Connor Crossey 10 Owen Neeson 11 Ronan Graham 12 Patrick Graham 13 Colla McDonnell 14 Donal Graham 15 James O’Connell

Subs: Tom McGlone for Donal Graham Neil O’Connell for Diarmaid Graham Shea Neeson for Bernard Graham, Patrick Dougan for Harry O’Donnell

Referee: Fionntan McCotter (Sarsfields)

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IHC Semi-Final

Tir na nOg 3-13 Kickham’s Creggan 0-14

A dazzling first half display from Tir na nOg, Randalstown saw them overcome the challenge of neighbours Kickham’s Creggan in this Intermediate Hurling championship semi-final in front of a bumper crowd at an overcast Cloney on Sunday afternoon.

The Whitehill side dominated the opening half with Sean Duffin giving an imperious exhibition of point taking, from the placed ball and from play as the big number 8 controlled the tempo of the game from mid-field.

It was as good as over at half time when the Whitehill side led 2-10 to 0-3 and while Creggan were much better after the break the goal that might have brought them back into contention never looked like materialising.

The men in blue made a fast start in Ahoghill and started at a pace that they never relented throughout the opening 30 minutes as they dominated in nearly every department of the field.

It wasn’t the best of starts for the Staffordstown side when they lost Oran McCann to a recurring shoulder injury after 3 minutes and it would soon get worse as Josh Higgins from play and Sean Duffin from two converted frees edged Tir na nOg 0-3 to 0-0 ahead after 7 minutes play.

Morgan Nelson replied for Creggan with a point in the 10^th minute but it was the greater intensity and pace of their opponents that continued to see them add scores in quick succession.

Ciaran Logan, Sean Duffin (0-2 f’s) and Eamon Og McAllister with an excellent point increased their lead to seven by the 16^th minute before Conor McCann briefly halted the onslaught from a well struck long range free.

Duffin was on fire and added another long range rocket for Tir na nOg and Sean McKinley followed with another before Sean McAuley raised Creggan’s third white flag of the half from out near the touchline.

It was one of just a few first half moments when the Kickham’s escaped the close attentions of their opponents with Duffin replying immediately with a point before Daniel Martin set up McKinley for the game’s opening goal in the 21^st minute.

‘The Hill’ continued to press and a second goal arrived just before half time and a long delivery from mid-field saw substitute Colm Duffin place Darragh Fagan and he fired across Shea Devlin to leave his side 13 ahead at the break.

It looked a long way back for Creggan as they emerged for the second half but to their credit they came out with greater intent and a more fluent game plan and had it back to five at one stage of proceedings.

The introduction of Sam Maguire for the second half certainly tightened up their defence as Conor McCann, with some excellent long range points and Morgan Nelson leading their comeback.

McCann got them on their way from a 70 meter free and after Duffin replied with his 7^th of the afternoon, it was the turn of Creggan’s Morgan Nelson to display his free taking prowess.

Kickham’s danger-man, Nelson had been held scoreless by Tir na nOg’s Ciaran O’Neill but he raised a whimper of hope from his side’s supporters as he pointed three frees in quick succession by the 13^th minute.

The sweet striking Sean Duffin replied with a free from his own half to briefly halt the Creggan revival but the Kickham’s had gathered a bit of momentum and Dan Doran from play and Conor McCann with two more long range frees had it back to seven with 12 minutes remaining.

Another Nelson converted free and a Conor Small point reduced the deficit further and Nelson again split the posts from distance and it was down to six as Duffin proved his fallibility with a couple of wides for the Whitehill side.

Conor McCann had it back to five again as Creggan continued to enjoy the better of the second half exchanges and there was a bit of anxiety within the Randalstown ranks for the first time.

Disaster struck at the other end however as keeper Shea Devlin spilled a searching delivery and substitute Caleb Smith had the simplest of chances to kick the sliothar into an empty net and conclude the scoring.

Tir na nOg will now meet the winners of Oisin Glenariffe and Cloney Gaels who meet in Ballymena on Monday night and while they will be delighted with their first half performance they will have some concerns about the second and it is something they will surely be taking a look at in the build up to the decider in 2 weeks-time.

Caleb Smith raises his arms in celebration after scoring Tir na nOg’s third goal

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Tonight’s Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final between Oisin Glenariffe and Cloney Gaels Ahoghill in Ballymena has been postponed due to the Yellow Weather warning issued today.

Storm Amy is predicted to be at its worst between 3-00pm and 8pm today and the fixture is to be rescheduled for next week.

Intermediate Hurling Championship

Creggan 2-22 Rasharkin 1-07

PICS BY CLAIRE FAWL

Creggan completed their round-robin section of the Intermediate Hurling Championship with a win over Rasharkin under the lights at their Staffordstown Road grounds to maintain their 100% record.

Early points from Diarmuid Mulholland were followed by one from Morgan Nelson at the home team went four clear and they pushed on to lead by 1-06 to 0-00, the goal coming from Nelson. The home side pushed on against a Rasharkin side who had only five of last year’s Junior Championship winning team, and led by 1-12 to 0-02 at half time.

Rasharkin got the first score of the second half but ten minutes in Sean McAuley soloed through to fire high to the top corner and give Creggan their second goal.

Rasharkin came back with a goal of their own through Bull McKeever and he added a couple of points as well, but Creggan were home and hosed and now look forward to a semi-final meeting with runners up in Group 1 in two weeks’ time.

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Intermediate Hurling Championship – Round 3

Cloughmills 2-16   Cushendun 3-20

Cushendun stayed in the race for a semi-final spot in the Intermediate Hurling Championship when they beat Cloughmills in Friday evening’s Round 3 game at the Biddies Ballyveely Road ground. The Emmet’s still need other results to go their way to make the semi-finals, but keeping themselves in a position to take advantage, if that should happen, was vital.

Tir na nÓg’s win over St Gall’s on Sunday makes the Emmet’s task even more difficult, but not impossible, for if they win their last game against St Gall’s on Saturday 20^th September and Glenarm were to beat Tir na nÓg the following day, then all three will be level on points, with score difference the deciding factor to see who joins Glenariffe Oisins in the semi-finals. In that respect Cushendun may rue conceding 1-02 in injury time against the Biddies with the points already wrapped up.

Eoin Dobbin gave Cloughmills and early lead on Friday evening but Cushendun came back to hit six without reply, three of them from Conlaoth ‘Loaf’ McNeill, two from Sean McKay and one from Aidan Corbett to lead by 0-06 to 0-01 after thirteen minutes. The next ten minutes were evenly contested with scores from James O’Boyle and Eoin Dobbin (2) adding to the home side’s tally and Thomas Scally, Conor McHugh and Matthew McCartin replying in kind for the Emmet’s. Three in a row from Michael Devlin, Ryan Watson and Ruairi Laverty cut the gap back to just two by the 25^th minute, but Loaf McNeill pushed that gap out to five by half time with three in a row, two of them from frees, to send his team in with a five point lead at the break (0-12 to 0-07).

The Biddies cut the gap back to four when Cathal Mullan got the opening point of the second half, but Liam Kearns and Conor Laverty hit back for the Emmts to cut the lead back to four again by the thirty sixth minute but four points inside two minutes, three of them from Sean McKay and one from Conor McHugh pushed the lead out to eight. However they never got an opportunity to rest on their laurels as the home side hit back with four of their own, two from Mickey Devlin and one each from Johnny Duffin and Conor Laverty, and once again there was just four between them.

Cushendun eventually got a breathing space when Loaf McNeill fired home two penalties inside four minutes, but again the home team came back and James O’Boyle hit back with a goal from play. That score was cancelled out when the Emmet’s hit the next three scores, two points from Sean McKay and Conor McHugh, plus a goal from Leo Morgan to increase the lead to twelve points and seal the win. However the Biddies never gave up the fight and points from James and Kevin O’Boyle, plus a last gasp goal from the latter in injury time took five points of the Emmet’s score difference, something they might regret in two weeks’ time.   

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