Just getting around to editing pics from last weekend’s two Senior Huring Championship quarter finals featuring St John’s v Rossa at St Enda’s on Saturday plus Loughgiel v Ballycastle on Sunday. Unfortunately I missed the main action in the Johnnies game and when Ryan McNulty was firing over the Johnnies winning point I was on my way up the Westlink to get the second half of the Sarsfields v St Paul’s IHC game at the Bear Pit.
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Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship – Quarter Final
St John’s 2-15 Rossa 0-20
Saturday 20 September
Brendan McTaggart reports from Naomh Éanna
A contest between the big two of the West that promised plenty and delivered on Saturday evening. Super scores, brilliant saves, late goals and an unlikely hero. In the end, St John’s lived to fight another day as they snatched a win from the jaws of defeat against Rossa with just the minimum separating the sides.
By the time referee Barry Winters called for time, there wasn’t many in attendance on the Hightown Road who could believe what they just saw in the closing stages. With three minutes of injury time to be played, by the time the clock ticked into the third of them, Rossa led by three points. In fairness to the Jeremiah’s, they controlled the second half and looked to be coasting to victory.
Michael Bradley cares not for anyone coasting nor Rossa victories. A late substitution, Bradley had scored a point with his first touch, his second may possibly have been St John’s second goal.
Yet, while his goal was Roy of The Rovers material, the scene was set for a winner. Step forward one Ryan McNulty. The clock had ticked into the fifth minute of additional time when St John’s rolled the dice one more time. They worked the sliotar superbly to find a man in shooting range and as McNulty took aim, the Johnnies held their breath. He doesn’t score many, but McNulty knew he’d scored as soon as he hit the sliotar. He celebrated, Rossa hearts sank and while there was time for one more play, St John’s had done enough. Just.
Rossa overturned a two point half time deficit with a second half that they held St John’s to just three Shea Shannon frees for 25 minutes. At the other end of the pitch, Deaglan Murphy was at his impish best from placed ball and open play while Eoin Trainor, Thomas Morgan and Tiarnan Murphy were all contributing to the Rossa cause. St John’s weren’t getting much change from a brilliant Rossa half back line who were turning the majority of ball that came their way. Gerard Walsh, Aodhan O’Brien and Stephen Beatty were immense and made the Johnnies dig deep to get this result.
Rossa had the better of the opening exchanges and held a three points to one lead by the fifth minute. The Murphy brothers firing over with Declan McCartnety also splitting the uprights, Conor Johnston with the solitary score for the Johnnies.
The first goal of the contest came with just six minutes on the clock. A brilliant move had Oisin Donnelly in space just to the left of the posts, he shot for goal only for Donal Armstrong to pull off an outstanding save. The sliotar fell for Sean Wilson and while he couldn’t connect cleanly, Conor Johnston made no mistake from close range.
The major gave St John’s momentum and while Tiarnan Murphy split the posts for his second of the match for the next score, Aaron Bradley, Conor Johnston and Shannon (’65) put three between the sides.
Deaglan Murphy and McCartney reduced the St John’s lead to the minimum midway through the half but the Johnnies turned the screw at the other end to score five points unanswered in a little over seven minutes. Shannon with three of those – two from frees and the other from a ’65 while Conal Bohill and Conor Johnston added to the Johnnies tally. It could have been even better for the Corrigan Park side but Conor Johnston was denied a certain goal having been put through by Donal Carson.
Shannon’s ’65 in the 22nd minute was St John’s last score of the half however with Rossa sending over four unanswered scores of their own. A brace of frees from Deaglan Murphy along with scores from Tiarnan Murphy and Dominic McEnhill bringing the St John’s lead to two points at the half time interval.
Despite Rossa dominating the closing stages of the half, they were indebted to Donal Armstrong once again when he denied Donal Carson from close range with a brave save.
St John’s started the second half on top but a series of wides looked to derail their charge and breathe life into Rossa. Scores from the Murphy brothers restored parity to the sides with St John’s struggling for any fluency. Rossa looked to have the momentum and kick on but a brace of frees from Shannon restored the Johnnies half time advantage by the 41st minute.
Rossa’s response looked to be match winning however. Outscoring St John’s six points to one in a ten minute spell that saw the Jeremiah’s go into a three point lead for the first time in the game. Scores coming from Morgan, Deaglan Murphy (3) and Eoin Trainor while Shannon had the sole response for St John’s.
Shannon landed his fourth point of the half to leave two between the sides but another Deaglan Murphy free looked to have done enough for Rossa as the clock ticked into the 60th minute.
Michael Bradley and Dominic McEnhill swapped scores in the 62nd minute before the second major came. As a ruck formed close to half way, Conor Johnston collected the sliotar and took aim for the Rossa goals. The sliotar dropped and as Rossa full back lost his footing. Bradley missed the catch and with Armstrong rushing to close the angle, the St John’s forward had the presence of mind to just flick the sliotar over the line eight yards from goal.
There was still time for a winner and Conal Bohill thought he had it but his effort tailed to the left of the posts and wide. All thoughts were turning to extra time when Wilson and MacManus combined to find McNulty in space. 55 yards out, just to the right of the posts, McNulty made no mistake.
An incredible ending to a game that Rossa looked to have done enough. St John’s looked like a beaten docket in the second half, relying on Shannon’s frees but they dug deep and inflicted the type of defeat on Rossa that has come their way so often over the years. They roll on to another meeting with Cushendall in two weeks time while Rossa will have the winter to contemplate what might have been.
TEAMS
ST JOHN’S: Domhnall Nugent; Ryan McNulty, Ciaran Johnston, Jack Bohill; Conal Morgan, Peter McCallin, Enda McGurk; Sean Wilson, Michail Dudley; Oisin Donnelly, Conor Johnston, Conall Bohill; Donal Carson, Shea Shannon, Aaron Bradley
Subs: Oisin MacManus for M Dudley (39); Michael Bradley for D Carson (54); Ronan Donnelly for P McCallin (60+3)
Scorers: S Shannon 0-8 (5f, 2’65); Conor Johnston 1-3; M Bradley 1-1; A Bradley 0-1; R McNulty 0-1
ROSSA: Donal Armstrong; Ciaran Orchin, Joe Mulholland, Niall Crossan; Gerard Walsh, Aodhan O’Brien, Stephen Beatty; Christopher McGuinness, Diarmuid Rogan; Dominic McEnhill, Declan McCartney, Deaglan Murphy; Thomas Morgan, Eoin Trainor, Tiarnan
Subs: Liam McEnhill for T Murphy (45); Pearce Shortt for E Trainor (60); James Close for S Beatty (60+2)
Scorers: D Murphy 0-10 (7f); T Murphy 0-3; T Morgan 0-2; D McEnhill 0-2; E Trainor 0-1; D McCartney 0-1; A O’Brien 0-1 (1f)
Referee: Barry Winters (Dungannon)
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Rossa set up a quarter final meeting with Belfast rivals St John’s when they travelled to Ballyvoy on Sunday and beat Carey Faughs in Round 3 of the Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship. Both teams went into this game searching for their first win of the campaign, but Rossa were strongly fancied to beat last year’s Antrim and Ulster Intermediate champions having put in strong displays against Cushendall and Loughgiel in games one and two.
James Rocket Black gave Carey the lead inside the first minute with a sweetly struck point from a narrow angle on the left, to raise hopes among the home fans, but those hopes were quickly dashed when Rossa’s Thomas Morgan had the ball in the Carey net a few seconds later. Points followed in quick succession from Pearce Short, Declan McCartney, Gerard Walsh, Declan McEnhill, plus two more by McCartney to go 1-07 to 0-02 ahead.
Carey came back with a point from Conor McBride and when a long delivery from Conlith McKinley went all the way to the Rossa net thing began to look a bit better for the home side. Aodhan O’Brien came back with a point for Rossa but three in a row from Patrick Gillan cut the gap back to just four after 13 minutes. That was as good as it got for the home side though as Rossa began to stack up the scores and with Deaglan Murphy, Declan McCartney, Gerard Walsh and Tommy Morgan adding scores they pushed on to lead by 1-120 to 1-10 at half time.
Conditions worsened early in the second half and scores became harder to get but the Belfast men kept pressing. Gerard Walsh got their second goal when he flicked the ball over the line after a good save by goalkeeper Daniel McBride.
Substitue Eoin Trainor got in on the scoring act as Deaglan Murphy, Dominic McEnhill and Pearse Short added to their total and while Carey were outhurled in many departments James Black, Conor McBride, Shea Hunter and Patrick Gillan showed they hurl in any company.
The win for Rossa sets up a mouth-watering quarter final meeting with St John’s in two weeks’ time, with the winners of that due to face county champions Cushendall in the semi-final.
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Brendan McTaggart reports from Corrigan Park, Belfast
A strong first half performance from Dunloy ensured they sealed their place in the last four on Saturday evening. With the winner of the contest taking top spot, the Cuchullains started superbly, scoring 2-6 in a little over 10 minutes to just one point from St John’s to put them in control of the contest.
Dunloy scored an eye watering 5-18 from open play, a stark contrast to their last outing against Naomh Éanna where they spurned numerous goal chances. They looked close to their clinical best with ball in hand on Saturday evening.
Seaan Elliott and Eoin O’Neill scored a brace of majors while Luke McFerran added another. Despite only playing for 30 minutes, Elliott would top score with 2-6 as he formed part of an attacking unit that cut loose on the day. ‘Sammy’ O’Neill excelled on the edge of the square while the piercing runs of Nigel Elliott and Tom McFerran proved to be difficult to counter for the Johnnies.
The sides were tied on three points each after the opening exchanges before Dunloy scored the opening goal in the seventh minute. Kevin Molloy collecting a long puck out from Ryan Elliott before finding Seaan Elliott in space. Elliott unselfishly passed to O’Neill and ‘Sammy’ made no mistake from close range.
Five unanswered points followed before Seaan Elliott scored the second Dunloy goal. Nigel Elliott breaking from a ruck in the middle third. Surveying his options, Elliott found his brother Seaan in space and he found the bottom corner in the 18th minute.
Oisin Donnelly did manage to split the uprights and the home side had a massive goal chance of their own when Donal Carson pounced on a rare error in the Cuchullains full back line but his pulled effort went wide.
A pointed effort from Oisin MacManus reduced the deficit to 10 points with just under 10 minutes of the first half remaining as the home side looked to quell the Dunloy attack. Their own forward unit looked to be misfiring, eight wides in the opening 30 minutes hurt their challenge while the Cuchullains were at their clinical best in the first half.
Conor Johnston and Shea Shannon shared 10 points evenly between them, Johnston’s scores all coming in the second half. The Johnnies goals came from Enda McGurk and substitutes Daragh McGuinness and Peter McCallin as they played closer to their capabilities in the final quarter but Dunloy had most of the hard work of this game done in the first half.
Seaan Elliott’s second goal came in the 26th minute, Tom McFerran with the assist but St John’s finished the half well. A brace of points from MacManus and one from Shannon left 10 between the sides at half time.
It could have been a larger deficit but for some last gasp defending from Ryan McNulty to deny Paul Shiels when ‘Shorty’ looked well placed to score his sides fourth major.
That 10 point gap was stretched to 12 with a free from Aodhan McGarry and substitute Chrissy McMahon. St John’s looked to find some momentum however with Donal Carson and Conor Johnston leading the way. Johnston managed to fire over three points unanswered in the space of two minutes to give St John’s hope of overturning the Dunloy lead. Those hopes were dashed however as the Cuchullains rattled over 1-4 unanswered in the space of five minutes. Keelan Molloy (two), O’Neill and Nigel Elliott raising white flags while Luke McFerran added the fourth Dunloy major in the 42nd minute.
McFerran took his tally to 1-1 for the evening moments later to stretch the Dunloy lead to 17 points going into the final quarter. The home side rallied however with two goals in a little over three minutes. Enda McGurk finding the back of Ryan Elliott’s goal after some intricate play between Carson and Johnston while Carson was involved again for McCallin’s goal in the 50th minute. While he looked to be out of options and in the corner, Carson picked out the run of McCallin through the middle with a delightful pass and he made no mistake, finding the bottom corner.
The fifth Dunloy goal came with five minutes of the hour remaining. Eoin O’Neill taking his tally to 2-2 after firing in the rebound to his initial effort that was superbly stopped by Jack Bohill.
The Johnnies continued to play some enterprising hurling at the other end of the pitch and after a goal mouth scramble, substitute Daragh McGuinness pounced to pull the sliotar to the back of Ryan Elliott’s net.
Deaglan Smith and Conor Johnston split the posts in injury time as Dunloy ran out comfortable winners.
This was a super game of hurling between two sides who played with attacking intent. St John’s will rue the 15 minute periods in either half that saw Dunloy put daylight between the sides. They did finish the game well and will take plenty of encouragement from that when they prepare for the quarter finals while the Cuchullains will welcome the break given their dual commitments.
TEAMS
ST JOHN’S: Domhnall Nugent; Ryan McNulty, Conal Morgan, Jack Bohill; Ronan Donnelly, Conall Bohill, Enda McGurk (1-00); Sean Wilson, Shea Shannon (0-5, 4fs); Oisin Donnelly (0-1), Conor Johnston (0-5), Aaron Bradley (0-3); Donal Carson, Oisin MacManus (0-3, 1f), Michael Bradley
Subs: Peter McCallin (1-00) for M Bradley (37); Michail Dudley (0-2) for O MacManus (40); Caoimhin Hanna for O Donnelly (53); Daragh McGuinness (1-00) for D Carson (52)
Scorers: S Shannon 0-5 (4fs); C Johnston 0-5; A Bradley 0-3; O MacManus 0-3 (1f); E McGurk 1-00; D McGuinness 1-00; P McCallin 1-00; M Dudley 0-2; O Donnelly 0-1
DUNLOY: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, Eoin McFerran, Oran Quinn; Paul Shiels, Ryan McGarry, Kevin Molloy; Nicky McKeague, Nigel Elliott; Aodhan McGarry, Seaan Elliott, Keelan Molloy; Luke McFerran, Eoin O’Neill, Tom McFerran
Subs: Eamon Smyth for N McKeague (HT); Chrissy McMahon for S Elliott (HT); Deaglan Smith for P Shiels (41); Reece Cunning for P Duffin (48); Aaron Crawford for Keelan Molloy (52)
Scorers: S Elliott 2-6 (3fs, 1’65); E O’Neill 2-2; L McFerran 1-1; Kevin Molloy 0-2; Keelan Molloy 0-2; N Elliott 0-2; A McGarry 0-2 (1f); T McFerran 0-2; C McMahon 0-2; D Smith 0-1; N McKeague 0-1
Referee: Colm McDonald (NaomhGall)
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Two goals in the opening minutes of the second half proved to be the platform the Shamrocks needed for winning this game as they swept aside the challenge of Rossa. It was an impressive second half from Loughgiel who managed to hit 3-16 in the second 30 minutes with all but three of their final tally of 4-25 coming from open play.
James McNaughton top scored with 2-6 for his hours work but he had plenty of support around him with Paul Boyle and Roan McGarry chipping in with majors while Ronan ‘Rosey’ Fitzgerald raised the white flag on five occasions.
Defensively, Deaglan and Rory McCloskey were excellent while the puck outs of Cormac McFadden were a huge attacking threat, played with pace and precision.
Rossa will rue those opening exchanges to the second half and having led by three points midway through the first half, they looked to have curtailed the Shamrocks attacking threat. Deaglan Murphy put in another top performance with nine of his 11 points coming from placed ball with the Rossa goals coming from Gerard Walsh and substitute Thomas Morgan. Walsh’s majors coming from a 21 yard free and a penalty and while Morgan’s goal reduced the deficit to six points with the same amount of the hour to be played, the Shamrock’s finished this contest strongly to maintain their winning start to the championship.
Louhghgiel made a bright start to the game and but for a last gasp hook by Stephen Beatty on Paul Boyle, they could have had the games first goal in the opening attack. The opening five minutes saw the sides share six points between them with a brace from Deaglan Murphy (one free) and a Liam McEnhill effort coming in response to scores from Darragh Patterson, Boyle and Declan McCloskey.
Ruairi McCormick edged the Shamrocks ahead but it would be their last score for 10 minutes as Rossa took a semblance of control. Their cause was helped with Loughgiel hitting a number of uncharacteristic wides and dropping four shots short but the Shaws Road men built a three point lead through scores from Eoin Trainor and three from Deaglan Murphy (all frees). It could have been better for the Jeremiah’s with Dominic McEnhill going close to a major but his effort was half blocked before McFadden cleared the danger.
The opening goal came in the 19th minute through a piece of individual brilliance from James McNaughton. Leaping like a salmon among a crowd, McNaughton caught the sliotar and headed for goal. There’s no doubting he had a major on his mind and he made no mistake with an unstoppable drive.
Dan McCloskey split the uprights either side of another Deaglan Murphy free before Niall Crossan made a brilliant block to deny Paul Boyle Loughgiel’s second goal of the evening.
The sides went score for score in the time that remained with a brace from Deaglan Murphy (one free) and Joe Mulholland coming in response to scores from Patterson, Boyle and Fitzgerald to leave the half time score 1-9 to 0-11 in the Shamrocks favour.
Rossa probably did enough to edge the first half and Loughgiel got a lift from McNaughton’s brilliance to stop the west Belfast side from opening further daylight between the sides.
The second half was barely 15 second old when Loughgiel fired their second major of the contest. Ruairi McCormick looking for a point but his effort dropped short into the hands of Donal Armstrong. The Rossa ‘keeper looked for options but his clearance was blocked by Roan McGarry with the sliotar going into the back of the net. A piece of brilliant opportunism from the young Loughgiel forward but reward for chasing down what many would have seen as a lost cause.
Loughgiel’s third major came with the next attack through Boyle. The county star was causing the Rossa defence plenty of problems and while they looked to have curtailed that threat when Gerard Walsh moved to mark him, Boyle showed his class with this major. Collecting the sliotar in the left hand corner, he rounded his marker and set for goal. He fired low despite a less than favourable angle and found the back of the net.
A point from substitute Diarmuid Rogan briefly halted the Loughgiel charge before Fitzgerald and McNaughton (free) opened a nine point lead after just six second half minutes.
Loughgiel turned the screw in the next 10 minutes, outscoring Rossa six points to two. Scores coming from Fitzgerald (2), Dan McCloskey, McNaughton (2) and Roan McGarry with Deaglan Murphy (free) and Gerard Walsh firing over for Rossa.
Murphy brothers Deaglan and Tiernan got the Jeremiah’s firing again and despite Fitzgerald splitting the posts for the Shamrocks, Rossa looked to have found a way back into the game through Gerard Walsh’s first goal of the game. Standing over a 21 yard free, the county star fired low and beat the red wall on the line to reduce the deficit to eight points.
Scores from McNaughton (free) and substitute Shan McGrath briefly halted the Rossa charge but a goal from substitute Thomas Morgan breathed more life into the city side. Morgan showed his predatory instincts to pull the sliotar over the line after Cormac McFadden did superbly to deny Diarmuid Rogan from close range.
McNaughton and Deaglan Murphy (free) swapped scores before Liam McEnhill hit his second of the game to leave six between the sides and while there was just three minutes remaining, Rossa looked to have the momentum in the closing stages.
Any thoughts on an unlikely result for the Jeremiah’s were quashed by McNaughton. First splitting the posts for his sixth white flag of the game before firing his second major. Declan McCloskey with a brilliant catch before finding McNaughton on the charge. He went on a trademark run and made no mistake.
Points followed from Roan McGarry (two) and Conall McCloskey to open a 13 point lead but Gerard Walsh had the final say. The Rossa man fired his second major of the game through a penalty but it was merely a consolation score.
Loughgiel now head to a meeting with the Ruairi’s in Cushendall in two weeks time in a contest that will determine who finishes top and secure passage to the semi finals. Rossa will travel to Ballyvoy with their 2025 championship on the line against the Faughs.
TEAMS
LOUGHGIEL: Cormac McFadden; Tiernan Coyle, Enda Og McGarry, Liam Glackin; Ben McGarry, Rory McCloskey, Deaglan McCloskey; Rian McKee, Ruairi McCormick; Darragh Patterson, James McNaughton, Roan Fitzgerald; Roan McGarry, Paul Boyle, Dan McCloskey
Subs: Shan McGrath for D Patterson (49); Conall McCloskey for L Glackin (51); Caolan Blair for E Og McGarry (60)
Scorers: J McNaughton 2-6 (3fs); R McGarry 1-3; R Fitzgerald 0-5; P Boyle 1-2; D McCloskey 0-3; D Patterson 0-2; D McCloskey 0-1; R McCormick 0-1; S McGrath 0-1; C McCloskey 0-1
Subs: Diarmuid Rogan for Daire Murphy (30); Corey Walsh for J Mulholland (HT); Conor Savage for S Shannon (46); Tiernan Murphy for E McMenamin (46); Thomas Morgan for E Trainor (57)
Scorers: Deaglan Murphy 0-11 (9fs); G Walsh 2-1 (1-00f, 1-00pen); T Morgan 1-00; L McEnhill 0-2; J Mulholland 0-1; E Trainor 0-1; D Rogan 0-1; T Murphy 0-1
Referee: Colum Cunning (Dunloy)
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