Casement SC JHC Group 2

Shane O’Neill’s 5-21 Con Magee’s 2-13

Report and Photographs: Pete Hyndman

A seven goal  thriller at Pairc Uí Fhearsithe today captured everything that championship hurling is all about. Two strong physical sides gave their all with score’s a plenty and some fantastic goals, some great tackling and superb point taking.

Con Magee’s showed early promise when just after forty seconds Declan Traynor goaled for an early lead.

This gave the home side an early kick up the backside as Ciaran Magill struck a point and he followed up with a cracker of a goal, a superb unstoppable effort. Daniel Black also pointed a free before the versatile Darren Hamill sent over a “65”, giving the home team a three point lead.

James Duffin replied from a free for the visitors before Magill for Glenarm struck his second point.

Glenravel’s Rian Lennon hit a point from 40 yards but again back came the Blue’s with Kevin O Boyle rifling the sliotar beyond Ronan O Donnell for a good goal.

After a short water break the hosts hit 1-04 without reply. First effort came from a clearance from defence where Sean O Boyle claimed the ball and took a delightful point. Hamill hit his second point from another”65″ followed by more great attacking play from Glenarm with Kevin O Boyle striking a nice score from the wing.

Dan Black was next to show his intent in this game when he picked the sliotar up and went on one of his trademark runs, evading tackle after tackle before sending a rasper to the net for Glenarm’s third major.

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Decky Traynor sent over a point to interrupt the Glenarm dominance and Niall Donnelly followed with another for the visitors with a converted free.

Black replied from a free, but this was cancelled out with Donnelly hitting his second point in as many minutes.

Shane O Neill’s Sean O Boyle hit his second point on twenty eight minute’s and

with the short whistle beckoning Glenravel raised their game somewhat with three points. Traynor got in for his third score followed by two more frees for Donnelly to give the visitors some hope for the second half.

Shane O Neill’s  3-10      Con Magees  1-08

The second half resumed with early pressure from the visitors and Traynor sent a delightful point from a sideline cut and another Donnelly followed from another free.

Daniel Black slotted over a free for the home side with wing forward Dylan McLaughlin adding to the Glenarm scorecard as Glenarm found a response and Sean O Boyle punished a slack clearance with another Glenarm score.

Donnelly for the green and white’s showed his accuracy from two more  frees, with James Duffin also pointing as the Con Magee’s battled hard to keep in touch. 

The home side needed a lift and this arrived with Ciaran “Murph” O Boyle soloing through and stunned Glenravel with an excellent goal. In the next few moments Aidan Scullion sent the ball forward from a lovely sideline cut and Sean O Boyle jumped highest and won the ball before turning his marker and ramming it home for Glenarm’s fifth major.

Just before the last water break Glenravel Donnelly handed the visitors a lifeline when he fired to the Glenarm’s net but they needed a strong finish if they were to overturn a substantial Glenarm lead.

The break came at a good stage for the hosts however as the remaining quarter belonged to the home side. 

Dan Black accurately converted a free with McLaughlin slotting over his second score of the game before the score of the game came from a massive effort from 80 yards from young Aidan Scullion which brought loud applause from the home support.

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In a two minute spell, some great work from Glenarm led to Darren Hamill   converting two  “65’s” and another free  by Black was added to with ‘Murph’ O’Boyle taking a point out on the wing. The final effort was from Black with another clinical finish from a free and shortly afterwards the referee called for the ball.

This game had it all, some great point taking, in particular the free-taking from Donnelly for the visitors, and from Hamill and Black for the hosts. Both defences worked well especially Glenarm’s with the Hamill brothers, Decky McDermott, Ben O Boyle and Aidan Scullion all showing promise. 

Best for the visitors where James Duffin, Brian “Twig” O Neill with Declan Traynor and Niall Donnelly taking their score’s well.

For Glenarm the goals came at crucial stages and totally deflated the opposition. The O’Boyle brothers and Murph O Boyle (no relation) took their goals well, with Magill and Black being a constant thorn in Glenravel’s  side. 

Glenarm.  Niall Hamill, Kieran O Boyle,Barry Hamill, Paul Magill, Chrissy Matthews, Darren Hamill 0-06, 5 “65” 1 f,  Declan McDermott, Aidan Scullion 0-01, Ben O Boyle, Dylan Mc Laughlin 0-02, Daniel Black 1-06 6f, Ciaran Magill 1-02, Kevin O Boyle 1-01, Sean O Boyle 1-04, Ciaran O Boyle 1-01.

subs. Liam Mc Loughlin for Chrissy Matthews, Aidan O Neill, Rory Mulvenna, Liam Mulvenna, Darryl Mc Mullan, Ciaran Finnegan, Joe Cunning, Sean O Hare.

Glenravel. Ronoan O Donnell, Brian O Neill, Damien O Hagan, Michael Mc Quillan Padge O Neill, Shanlee Kerr, Micky Mc Donald, Johnny Fyfe, Rian Lennon 0-01, Declan Traynor 1-03, James Duffin 0-02 1f, Rian Mc Quillan, Conleth O Loan, Niall Donnelly 1-08 8f, Chris Burns.

subs. Sean Burns, Charlie Henry, Dean Kerr, Odhran Mc Aleenan, Sean Mc Cusker, Stevie Atcheson.

REFEREE.  Sean Elliott: Lamh Dhearg.  

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Photographs: Mark Hasson

Casement SC JHC Group 1

All Saints 2-16  Rasharkin 3-24

St. Mary’s Rasharkin made it two wins from two starts in Group 1 of the Casement SC Junior Hurling championship when they defeated All Saints, Ballymena at Slemish Park today. Seven points separated the division 3 side from their division 4 opponents in the end but the Ballymena management will be pleased at some aspects of their side’s performance if not the final result.

Conor McFerran got the visitors off the mark with a point in the 1^st minute but All Saints replied through Ciaran Neeson and Luke O’Rawe to take the lead with five minutes gone. Conor McKeever and Conor McFerran edged St. Mary’s ahead once more but points from Colm and Ciaran Neeson saw All Saints hit the front once more by the 13^th minute.

The Slemish Park side were giving as good as they got at this stage but Rasharkin began to settle, hitting three unanswered points through Conor McKeever 0-2 and Donagh Quigg before the excellent Ciaran Neeson replied from a free in the 17^th minute to keep his side very much in touch.

Conor McFerran was proving a handful for the All Saints defence and he struck with the game’s opening goal in the  in the 19^th minute and followed with a point to put a bit of daylight between the sides.

Neeson was keeping the All Saints score card moving pretty much on his own at this stage as he replied from another free but Conor McFerran’s influence on the game was increasing by the minute and he struck with a second goal and two points in a three minute spell with Conor McFerran adding another to put the visitors in control.

All Saints were battling hard to get back into contention with Ciaran Neeson bringing his first half total to 0-6 and Colm Neeson adding another but a late McKeever point gave St. Mary’s a fairly comfortable looking eight point lead as the half time whistle sounded.

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Half Time Score:

Rasharkin 2-13

All Saints 0-11

If All Saints were to get themselves back into the game then a good start to the second half was important but it was visitors Rasharkin who came racing out of the starting traps and Conor McFerran fired to the net for their third goal with only a minute gone to move them 11 in front and it looked a long way back for the home side.

They increased that lead to 14 by the fourth minute through Tiernan O’Boyle, Donagh Quigg and Conor McKeever before Ciaran Neeson finally opened the home side’s second half account from a free in the 6^th minute.

The visitors rang the changes at this point and for the first time in the half All Saints began to enjoy a wee bit of success with Ciaran Neeson 0-2, and Colm Neeson replying with points and Damian Gillan getting in for a goal in the 26^th minute to give his side a glimmer of hope.

That hope was quickly extinguished however as Rasharkin made a decisive response to finish strongly, hitting the final five points of the game without reply through the superb McKeever 0-4, and Tiernan O’Boyle to run out convincing winners in the end.

This win ensures Rasharkin a place in the play-offs while Lamh Dhearg, who have three points from 2 starts are favourites to join them but Davitt’s are not out of the running and a win in their final game against All Saints would put them in with a shout.

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All Saints: Ciaran Cassley, Brendan McDonnell, Chris McAffee, Kevin Brady, Padraig Magill, Luke O’Rawe, Colm Neeson, Vincent Esler, Gary Miskella, Cormac Magill, Damian Gillan, Ciaran Neeson, Daire Hasson, Eoghan Daly, Jack Magill.

 Rasharkin : 1 – Liam Tunney, 2 – Conor Doherty, 3 – Aidan McKeever, 4 – Daniel Doherty, 5 – James Scally, 6 – Shane Hasson, 7 – Daniel Hasson, 8 – Emmet McFerran, 9 – Declan McKay, 10 – Tiernan O’Boyle, 11 – Fearghal Kennedy, 12 – Ruairi O’Boyle, 13 – Conor McFerran, 14 – Donagh Quigg, 15 – Conor McKeever

SUBS:

09mins 2nd half substitution Rasharkin 🔵🟡–> off: Declan McKay  on: Thomas McMullan

10mins 2nd half substitution Rasharkin 🔵🟡–> off: Conor McFerran  on: Colm Kennedy

11mins 2nd half substitution Rasharkin 🔵🟡–> off: Fearghal Kennedy  on: Owen Kennedy

21mins 2nd half substitution Rasharkin 🔵🟡–> off: Ruairi OBoyle  on: Shane Doherty

Referee: Francis Traynor (Loughgiel)

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