AIB Ulster junior hurling quarter-final:

Con Magee’s (Antrim) 0-19 Truagh Gaels (Monaghan) 0-16 AET

Con Magees corner forward Conleth O’Loan dragged his team over the line in Sunday’s AIB Ulster junior hurling quarter-final at Pairc Mhuire in Cushendall, finally seeing off the challenge of Monaghan champions Truagh Gaels with three points to spare. Truagh’s David Carville deserves equal credit for herculean efforts, but O’Loan’s just edged it in the man of the match stakes, his three points from play just giving him the edge.

Truagh made the long journey down into the Glens something of an unknown quantity but is soon became apparent that they were not just there to make up the numbers as playing with the wind at their backs they hit the first three points of the game, two of them from Conor McKenna, and they could have been further ahead had they not failed to take an open goal chance. Conleth O’Loan kept his team in touch with points from frees and Callum Higgins chipped in with a fine score from play but Carville kept the Monaghan men that bit ahead until nearing half time when the Con Magees brought it back to a single point at the break,

Most observers would have felt that turning to play with the wind the Antrim champions would soon take control, and when they went 0-09 to 0-08 in front early in the second half you felt the men in green had weathered the storm. However Truagh would not wilt and their doggedness and physical strength, won them frees on a regular basis and Carville punished any indiscretions by send the ball over the bar.

A point from play by corner forward Niall Coyle also proved a great boost and as the half advanced you could see the confidence draining out of the Con Magee, especially up front where O’Loan was ploughing a lone furrow. The last eight points of the half were evenly divided between the two main scorers with Carville adding from all four from placed ball while O’Loan’s stand-out score from play came from a brilliant strike from a narrow angle on the right. Both teams had chances to win the game in injury time but the pressure was really on at this stage and I think both of them were relieved to hear the full time whistle which heralded extra time.

Glenravel looked to have found a new lease of life when they stared the first period of extra time with points from Sean McKay and Conlith O’Loan but the Monaghan men reeled them in again with points from Ethan and David Carville. However the Antirm side finished the half stronger and turned around with a two point advantage. When they stretched that lead to four it seemed they had done enough to book a semi-final place, but they had to hold on to hold out after Carville cut Truagh’s deficit back to three in injury time. They pushed hard for the goal that would have taken the game to penalties and there were many anxious moments for the Con Magees fans before Aidan McAleer’s full time whistle sounded.

Con Magee’s: C O’Loan 0-13 (10fs), S McKay 0-3, C Higgins, D Traynor and F Donaghy 0-1 each.

Truagh: D Carville 0-12 (fs), C McKenna 0-2, E Carville and N Coyle 0-1 each

Con Magee’s : C Quinn, E Mccusker capt., J Duffin, B O’Neill, J Martin, C Lennon, R Lennon, D McAuley, F Donaghy, L Loughlin, S McKay, C Higgins, C O’Loan, D Traynor, C McKeown 

Subs: M McDonnell for J Martin (ht), C Laverty for L Loughlin (57), D Donaghy for C Higgins (70), J McKay for D Traynor (74)

Truagh: N Slevin, N McCollum, C Boyle, D McCloskey, J McAnespie, O Hagan, E Carville, M Flood capt., D McMeel, D Ó Domhnaill, C McKenna, K McGuirk, D Carville, G Mohan, N Coyles.

Subs: N Flood for E Carville (30), G Mohan for D Ó Domhnaill (38), C McKernan for D McCluskey (49), A Coyle for G Mohan (55), D Ó Domhnaill for K McMeel (70), N Flood for G Mohan (70), J Treanor for E Carville (70)

Referee: Aidan McAleer (Donegal)

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