Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship

Report by Terence Mulvenna

Pics by Micky Morgan

On a sun kissed Pairc Uì fhearsithe in Feystown the stage was set. The hosts, having narrowly lost their opening two games in the group were playing for a slim chance of qualifying, while their guests knew a win would secure a semi-final berth. In front of a large crowd the home team laid down a marker for what was to come. Played at a blistering pace Ben O’Boyle, Niall McGarel,and Ciàran Magill had Glenarm three up inside three minutes.

A point and a Conrad McDonnell goal on six minutes gave Emmets the lead before four unanswered points for Glenarm, McDermott, McGarel (2), O’Boyle, put a goal in it. A point and a goal from Loaf McNeill gave the lead back to the Dun, but a 90 yard free for Darren Hamill levelled the game and really lifted the home team and the large home support. The second quarter was all about the men in Blue, twelve points to Emmets five, then a McGarel major on half time gave the score 1-19, 2-07.

The second half was all about the Cushendun fightback, and they didn’t disappoint, two goals, McKeegan & Kilgore, and exchanged points with the host brought the teams level and on 60 minutes the travelling team took a one point lead, frantic play ensued, and in the 63rd minute a high delivery to the Cushendun goalmouth was collected by Sean O’Hare who then wrangled his way free to fire low to the net, securing an historic two point victory for Shanè Uì Nèill, 2-25, 4-17. Their first at this level for many a long day and something to be proud of, despite the journey coming to an end for this season.

No wonder the final whistle was greeted with great delight by the home side and supporters. Glenarm cannot now qualify while Cushendun have a “winner takes all” battle with neighbours Carey to join Randlalstown in the semis. That should be some contest at the Riggs.

Andersonstown Intermediate Hurling Championship – Group 2

Con Magees 1-13 Sarsfields 3-25

Sarsfields bounced back from their surprise defeat to neighbours St Paul’s on Wednesday evening when they travelled to Glenravel and beat the Fr Maginn Park men by 3-25 to 1-13 to set up a last day meeting with Oisins at the Bear Pit in two weeks’ time.

The Belfast side made a strong start and were three clear after four minutes as Daniel Smyth sent over two from play and Niall McKenna added one from a free, but the Con Magees hit back to level by the sixth minute as Cormac McKeown’s opening point was added to with two from Conleth O’Loan.

Niall McKenna and Kevin McKernan came back with points for Sarsfields in the seventh and eighth minutes and though Cormac McKeown cut the Glenravel deficit to just one, the Paddies were starting to gain the upper hand and three in a row from Daniel Smyth, Ruairi McAreavy and Dan McKernan put the visitors four clear by the end of the opening quarter.

Conor Deery pulled a point back for Glenravel on 16 minutes but the rest of the half saw Sarsfields take control of the game. The run started with a goal from Donal McKernan and Niall McKenna and James Cunningham added points, and while Conleth O’Loan pulled one back for Glenravel two late points from Daniel Smyth and Niall McKenna gave the visitors a 1-11 to 0-5 lead at the break.

Conleth O’Loan gave the Con Magees some hope when he grabbed his team’s goal early in the new half but McKenna came back with two pointed frees in the 35 and 37^th minutes to stretch the Paddies lead. Cormac McKeown and Conleth O’Loan (2) kept the Glenravel scoreboard ticking over as the game entered the final ten minutes, but two quick goals from Daniel McKernan and Garry Lennon ended any lingering hopes the home side may have had as they pushed on to a compressive win.  

They now have home advantage against Oisins in what basically is a quarter final meeting in two weeks’ time in what promises to be a great contest. A draw would do the Paddies on the day, as they have a five point advantage in score difference, but it could either way as the Intermediate Championship once again throws up a great contest.

Andersonstown SC Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship, Group Two

St Paul’s 0-15 Kickham’s, Creggan 0-17

Creggan got their Intermediate Hurling Championship plans back on track on Saturday when they travelled to Shaw’s Road and beat St Paul by two points in a hard fought game. With three games played in the group stages the Kickhams men join Sarsfields and Oisins on 4 points. It will all come down to the final day of the group stages in two weeks’ time when they host Glenravel and Sarsfields host Oisins.

Creggan will be fancied to take the points against the Con Magee, and that would put them through to the semi-final for one of the other two has to drop points in a winner take all game at the Bear Pit

On Saturday Creggan saw Conor McCann return to top form, the county star who has been out for over a year through injury, and once again he was among the scorers, accounting for eleven of his team’s fifteen points, though most of them were from frees.

As for their hosts St Paul’s they were not able to repeat their great feat of beating their neighbours Sarsfields in midweek, a result that brought them back into contention in the league table, but their visitors just had the edge on the day, though they ran them close.

A quick start by the Creggan men put them on the front foot with Morgan Nelson, Conor McCann, Diarmuid Mulholland and Nelson again hitting the target, a scoring burst that was to prove significant in the end.

St Paul’s were struggling to get going, but slowly they began to find a rhythm in their play and good scores from Caolan Crossan and Liam Walsh brought them right back into the game. Two more points from Crossan frees continued the revival and when their leader Stephen Rooney added a point from distance they hit the front for the first time. However the Loughshore men gained the upper hand again and with McCann showing good accuracy they pushed ahead again to lead by 0-9 to 0-7 by the half time break.

St Paul’s showed good resolve to tie things up again early in the second half as Mark Munce picked off a beauty from play and Crossan converted another free, but McCann’s influence was to pay dividends again as the left half forward slotted over three in a row to give his team a bit of breathing space. There was to be little breathing space for the visitors however as Crossan and Munce came back with scores to reduce the deficit to the minimum.

It looked anyone’s game at this stage as St Paul’s twice came back to within a point following points from Conor and Liam McCann.

Just a single point separated the sides at the end of normal time when a third McCann got his name on the scoreboard, this time Conor’s older brother Tommy playing his part with a vital point. St Paul’s had a late chance to save their season but they needed a goal to do that, and Crossan’s late delivery ‘in around the house’ was cleared by the Creggan defence who are now back in the title race.

ST PAUL’S: C Murray, T Auld, F Sewell, C Gallagher; T Duff, S Rooney (0-2 frees), L Walsh (0-1); M Munce (0-1), C Finnegan; D Stevenson, C Crossan (0-10, 9 frees), D Chapman; S Munce (0-1), L Phillips, B Burns.

Subs: C Duffy for S Munce (46), A Carey for C Finnegan (49), D McGreevy for D Chapman (54), S Lawell for T Auld (55)

CREGGAN: K Rice, A Maguire, A McKeown, S O’Brien; T McLarnon, L McCann (0-1), J McAteer; S Duffin, R McCann; M Nelson (0-3), N McAuley, C McCann (0-11, 10 frees); D Mulholland (0-1), T McCann (0-1), C Rice.

REFEREE: Darren Mullan 

Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship  Group 1

Tir na nOg 1-22 St Gall’s 3-13

Ten points down early in the second half, Tir na nÓg battled their way back to beat St Gall’s by three in the end to book their place in the semi-final of the Intermediate Hurling Championship at Whitehill on Saturday afternoon.

For most of that opening half and a good portion of the second it looked like it would be the men from Milltown Row who would advance, and when Sean McAreavey put them ten clear with a quick goal and a point six minutes after the restart it looked like they were on the road to victory. However with free taker Sean Duffin keeping the scoreboard ticking over they began to edge their way back and when Duffin found the net on 38 minutes they edged closer and closer as the game went on. They were still behind with normal time almost up, but it was clear the tide had turned and they ended strongly to finish three points clear, 1-15 of their 1-22 total coming from Duffin.

It was Duffin who opened the Tir na nÓg account in the opening minute but they didn’t raise another flag for almost fifteen minutes at St Gall’s took control of the game. Mark Napier brought them level on two minutes and Jackson McGreevy put them ahead soon afterwards, before right half forward Cormac Sheehan got the first goal of the game. Sheehan added a point, Jackson McGreevy got another and when Dubaltach Mac Liam sent over a beauty from the wing they were 1-5 to 0-1 in front

It was fifteen minutes before Tir na nOg got their next score through Oggie McAllister and when Sean Duffin grabbed another from a 65 they appeared to be growing into the game. However when Jackson McGreevy got his team’s second goal St Gall’s were back in charge and they pushed on to lead by lead by double scores at half time.

The gap stayed at seven after Oggie McAllister and McGreevy exchanged points early in the second half, but when corner forward Sean McAreavey got on the end of a Jackson McGreevy cross, won possession before rounding his marker and firing to the net.

The gap was out at ten and the smart money was probably on St Gall’s to push on but Tir na nÓg, who struggled to findl any form up to this stage, began to win a bit more possession and slowly they began to close the gap. Points from Sean Duffin and Eamon Og McAllister cut the gap down to five by the 40^th minute. McGreevy extended the St Gall’s lead to six but by the end of the third quarter the home team had closed to within four as Duffin and Darragh Eagan hit the target.

There then came a pivotal point in the game when second half substitute Leo Morgan was fouled in the large square and referee Fíonntan McCotter awarded a penalty. A goal now and St Gall’s would have been back in control, but McGreevy’s shot was easily stopped by Kevin Sheerin in the Randalstown goal, a save that visibly lifted the home side. As the game entered the last ten minutes Duffin sent over three more points, two from frees and on from play to close the gap to one. Twice McGreevey hit back to put two between the sides again but a strong finish which saw Oliver McAtamney grab a point from a narrow angle out on the left, two more from Duffin frees and one deep inurly time from Ciaran Logan saw the home side through with three to spare.

TIR NA NÓG

Kevin Sheerin, Brandon McLarnon, Christy Sheerin, Dara Martin, Ciaran O’Neill, Caoimhin Duffin, Ciaran O’Neill, Aaron McNeilly, Ciaran McKeown, Sean Duffin, Ciaran Logan, Eamon Og McAllister, Joe McCormick, Darragh Fagan, Kevin McCann.

Subs – Oliver McAtamney for Ciaran O’Neill

ST GALL’S

Curtis McGreevy, Daniel Churchill, Connla McCarthy, Ewan Rush, Gairech Mac Adhmaimh, Ryan Irivine, Cormac Sheehan, Dubaltach MacLiam, Cormac Sheehan, Niall O’Neill, Jeff FramptonPatrick Friel, Sean McAreavey, Jackson McGreevy, Mark Napier.    

Referee –  Fionntan McCotter

                               

Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship

Oisins 3-20 Con Magees 0-15

When Glenariffe Oisins lost their opening game of the championship campaign to Creggan there was doom and gloom around the club, but two games later they sit on top of the table on 4 points after wins against St Paul’s and Glenravel, with all the other clubs on 2. However this still does not guarantee the Oisins a place in the knock-out stages, for they have played a game more than the three teams below them, and they have to travel to the Bear Pit in the last game of the campaign to take on Sarsfields.

The Con Magees win came on Wednesday evening and Glenariffe had a wee bit too much for their neighbours from ‘over the mountain’, many of whom had played a lot of their juvenile careers for the Oisins.

Oisins corner forward Shae McDonnell and Con Magees Declan Traynor exchanged points in the opening minutes as did McDonnell and Eoin McCusker to leave the score tied on 0-2 apiece after five minutes. However the Oisins were gaining the upper hand and Niall Murray and Caolan O’Connor put them two clear by the seventh minute. Conleth O’Loan pointed a free for the visitors on ten minutes to keep them well in touch and Cormac McKeown pulled one back for the Con Magees on fourteen minutes.

However as the half progressed the Glenariffe men took charge of the game and boosted by a late goal from Caolan O’Connor they went at the break leading by 1-11 to 0-5.

Caolan O’Connor and Cormac McKeown exchanged points early in the second half, but Glenariffe came back with a goal from full forward Conor Patterson to push their advantage out to twelve.

Con Magees kept battling away but when Patterson found the net again midway through the second half there was no way back for them and the Oisins pushed on the win convincingly to set up that final meeting with Sarsfields in two weeks’ time.