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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IHC Group 2
St Gall’s 0-11 Tír na nÓG 1-17

Tir na nOg took a step closer to a place in the semi-finals when they proved too good for an understrength St. Gall’s in miserable conditions at Milltown on Sunday.

Their hosts, St. Gall’s were in a similar position and this defeat puts them out of the running for second place in Group 2 and with a number of regulars unavailable, they never really looked like winning this one.

Before the game began both teams and spectators observed a minutes silence in honour of former St Gall’s Senior player Kieran McGrath who passed away last week.

Both sides entered the game on the back of strong performances with St Gall’s getting their first win against Cloughmills last time out and Tír na nÓg being edged by the smallest of margins against championship favourites Glenariffe.

It was visitors Tir na nOg who took early control in this one with the Duffin brothers, Caoimhin and Sean pivotal in their dominance and they led by eight points at the break and the gap remained much the same throughout the second half.

It was St. Gall’s who opened the scoring when Dubhaltach Wilson pointed a free from distance after he was fouled in the opening throw-in before Ciaran Logan and Sean Duffin replied from play to move Tir na nOg ahead for the first time.

Emmet Murray struck an excellent point as he burst past the St Gall’s backline and struck his effort over the bar to edge his side further ahead and Dylan McLarnon found himself in unfamiliar territory and his shot dipped over.

Piarais McCaffrey came to his side’s rescue as the visitors continued to press and he was called into action on two occasions to make goal-line stops and looked assured under the dropping ball.

Sean Duffin led the way for the Randalstown side and top scored with six points for his side and his dead ball prowess kept a healthy margin between the sides as the game progressed.

Dubhaltach Wilson tried all in his power to get the Milltown side going with two points in as many minutes but Tir na nOg struck a decisive blow when Colm Duffin was first to react to the breaking ball to finish from close range.

That score gave Tír na nÓg a commanding lead at the break as the scoreboard read 1-10 to 0-5 and it was going to take a big improvement from St. Gall’s if they were to get back into it in the second half.

The visitors were in no mood to relinquish what they had achieved and Sean Duffin quickly increased their lead on the restart before Ciaran Logan added another from a great strike from mid-way inside the St Gall’s half.

Wilson struck in reply for St Gall’s before Mark Napier got his first of the evening and added another to reduce the deficit to within five after the corner forward’s frees sailed between the posts.

Caoimhin Duffin, who had been outstanding at centre-half escaped his defensive duties to send a long range effort between the posts to once again re-establish control for his side.

Ciaran O’Neill and Daniel Martin got in on the action after the pair struck a point apiece either side of Ronan Crossan’s second score of the game for the home side.

St, Gall’s were battling hard to get their own game going but the visitors defence were giving nothing away with their closing down and blocking frustrating the Milltown side’s efforts with Mark Napier being man-marked and having to settle for just a single point from open play after a brilliant defensive display from Brandon McLarnon.

Niall Fallon had the chance to give some momentum to his side’s cause but he was closed down by a resolute visitors defence and the sliothar was cleared to safety.

Joe McCormick and Sean Duffin rounded off the scoring in what was a keenly contested encounter but one brilliantly managed by the Randalstown side who move into second place in the group after a huge victory on the Falls Road.

A win or even a draw for Tir na nOg against Shane O’Neill’s on the final day of the Group stages would guarantee them a place in the semi-finals and on this form they look quite capable of achieving it.

Should they lose then Cushendun and Glenarm could still gate crash the play-offs so the Whitehill side’s fate is now very much in their own hands.

St Gall’s: P McCaffrey; E Loughran, M Marlow, O McIlhatton; E Walsh, G Adams, C McCaffrey; J Hopkins, D Churchill; A Mackle, J O’Reilly 0-1, D Wilson 0-5 (0-2f); R Crossan 0-2, S McAreavey, M Napier 0-3 (0-2f)

Subs: N Fallon, T McAleenan, A Mullan, A Healy, S Adams, E Farrelly, A McDonagh, K Wilson

Tír na nÓg: K Sheerin; B McLarnon, D McLarnon, M Smith; C Duffin 0-1, C O’Neill 0-1, R O’Neill; S Duffin 0-6 (0-4f), D Martin 0-1; D Fagan, E Murray 0-1, C Logan 0-3; J McCormick 0-2, S McKinley, C Duffin 1-1.

Subs: D McLornan, T Bonnes, B Fitzgerald, C McCamphill, D Martin

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