Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship – Group 2
Con Magees 0-14 Cloney Gaels 2-19
Cloney Gaels joined neighbours Tir na nOg at the top of the Intermediate Hurling Championship Group 2 table when they travelled to Fr Maginn Park on Saturday and beat the Con Magees to maintain their 100% record in the group, Tir na nÓg’s superior goal difference giving them the edge.
The Glenravel men did not make it easy for their visitors during the opening half and trailed by just three nearing half time, but the Ahoghill men finished the first half with a goal to lead by six at the break. The goal, brilliantly taken by right half forward Patrick Graham jnr., gave them the boost they needed and started to really press home their advantage in the second half to pull away and win in the end with a bit to spare.
Cloney Gaels started strongly and early points from Colla McDonnell and Eamon Brady were followed by a goal from centre forward Ronan Graham to put them five clear. Declan Traynor opened the Con Magees account with a point, and though James O’Connell came back with one for the visitors soon afterwards, Traynor and Declan McKeown kept the home team in touch with two well taken scores. Gael’s Fionnbar O’Neill sent one over direct from a sideline cut on twelve minutes and Patrick Dougan added one from play to push Cloney 1-5 to 0-3 ahead, but three in a row from placed balls by Sean McKay brought the Glenravel men back to within three points with just two minutes of the opening half remaining, but Patrick Graham’s brilliant goal, which he kicked to the net following a spectacular high catch, put the visitors six clear at half time.
Cloney Gaels treasurer Gerald McGarry presents a sponsorship cheque for £900 to Dylan McIlwaine of Saffron Gael at Sunday’s Con Magees v Cloney Gaels game in Glenravel.
Cormac McKeown hit the opening score of the second half and Sean McKay added another from a free, but the visitors responded well and two points by James O’Connell and one from full forward Eoin Graham stretched his team’s lead even further. Declan Traynor pulled one back for the home side, but three more without reply by the Gaels pushed their advantage out to eight by the end of the third quarter.
The final quarter was less intense and the scoring dropped off from both sides with Cloney adding just three more to their total while Sean McKay hit one for the home side from a free.
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Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran in Páirc Phádraig Mhic Laibheartaigh
Sitting on the lee side of Collinward Hill, St. Enda’s was enjoying a spell of summer weather for Sunday’s opening game in Group 1 of the Antrim GAA Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship. Early arrivals would be treated to an U12 match between St. Enda’s and Loughgiel. The nimble footed participants would betray to the sandy loam the pounding Páirc Phádraig Mhic Laibheartaigh would receive over the next sixty minutes or thereabouts.
Regardless of what might have been said in recent days regarding the operation of the draw, both sides had come fully committed to setting out their championship stall. St. Enda’s supporters would enjoy the nip and tuck of the first half and Loughgiel supporters were entertained with an almost equal number of points and two goals to nourish the talk on the journey home.
Match referee, Colum Cunning from Dunloy, would oblige the gathering ‘snappers’ and roll the sliotar towards a peaking Slemish Mountain in the distance, in case the throw-in would offer up an early Pulitzer shot of eager action. St. Enda’s won today’s toss and opted to play away from the clubhouse, towards the cooling breeze.
No sooner had Cunning started his timer, when St. Enda’s Eddie O’Conner drifted the first attempt to score, wide of the mark. Loughgiel’s puck out would work its way to James McNaughton and pushing up beyond his half back position, Damon McMullan collected the pass and pointed to have the Shamrocks up and running.
Loughgiel’s Declan McCloskey had an opportunity to make it two rapid points for the Shamrocks but the sliotar found the upright and St. Enda’s recycled the ball so that Niall O’Connor could bring the scores to one apiece.
St. Enda’s would have to sit out the next three points from Loughgiel as Paul Boyle hit a soaring sixty-five metre ball to split the uprights, a foul on Dan McCloskey had James McNaughton opening up his tally and Paul Boyle from a piece of nifty clearing from Tiernan Coyle, much to the approval of the Shamrock supporters lined up on the Baile Bocht hillside.
When St. Enda’s Philip Curran carved his sideline ball with loft, Luke O’Connor made good of the chance to get the Enda’s back in the game with a safe point.
Two points separated the sides but seven minutes in, Damon McMullan offloaded to a wide Tiernan Coyle. Coyle planted the sliotar onto Rian McMullan for Loughgiel’s fifth point to St. Enda’s two.
As the game ebbed and flowed, Loughgiel would sit out the next two points from St. Enda’s, as Cunning awarded two consecutive frees, fouls on Cormac Jennings and Eoin Conlon. And it could have been three at eleven minutes as Cormac Jennings drew another foul. Jennings’ ball would soar high and faded in the wind to become a dangerous dropping ball, but Loughgiel’s defence swept it away to the relief of supporters.
Loughgiel’s Christy McGarry was on the move and entered the danger zone on the thirteen metre line when Cunning spotted a foul that stopped McGarry on his tracks. McNaughton stepped up and dropped that over the bar to put only two points between the sides.
St. Enda’s were building a move into Loughgiel’s half, when Declan McCloskey won a loose ball. McCloskey used the support of Coyle, finding McMullan once again for a fine point.
St. Enda’s were sharp and able to punish a pass that wasn’t perfect and that was ably demonstrated by Luke O’Connor to close the gap to two before McNaughton had his first point from play, twenty minutes into the first half. The large LCD scoreboard, tucked into the corner of the pitch announced St. Enda’s 0-05 Loughgiel 0-08.
The next passage of play would witness one point out of six attempts as both Loughgiel’s Damon McMullan and Shan McGrath shot wide of the mark, both initiated from great catches from Boyle and McGrath himself. St. Enda’s marksman, Cormac Jennings, pulled a free wide and Niall O’Connor wasn’t able to make the advantage work after Cunning’s hand went up for a foul on Jennings. It would be twenty-two minutes in, before the scoreboard purred into action as a St. Enda’s attack deep in Shamrock territory was ground down and collected by Tiernan Coyle, offloaded to Boyle and a calling Dan McCloskey brought Loughgiel to 0-09.
St. Enda’s would close the gap once again, as Joe Maskey dragged a running sliotar away from an outstretched Paul Boyle and was rewarded with a fine point for determination. St. Enda’s Dan Lowry kept the scoreboard going once more with his point two minutes short of the break and before Loughgiel’s James McNaughton dropped the sliotar over the bar from a free that resulted in two yellow cards for St. Enda’s Brendan Cormican on Paul Boyle and Ruairí Donaghy for off the ball reaction.
Cunning was happy to blow at almost thirty on the watch with only three points the difference, St. Enda’s 0-07 Loughgiel 0-10.
You could have been forgiven to imagine that the wind would give you a four-point advantage, so on commencement of the second half, there was everything for St. Enda’s to play for but it would be Loughgiel’s Paul Boyle who would stamp his mid field presence off the throw-in and gaining possession, offered the sliotar to Dan McCloskey who in turn spotted Eoin McGarry in space. McGarry wasn’t getting his point easily and St. Enda’s Ronan Eager closed in on McGarry forcing him to improvise room to swing for his point.
Christy McGarry inched the Shamrocks up the scoreboard with another point before St. Enda’s Niall O’Connor dropped in a dangerous diving sliotar to Loughgiel’s keeper, Cormac McFadden. The sliotar found a safe hand in McFadden despite an infringement that had Cunning blow for McFadden’s foul.
A Shamrock’s ‘throw ball’ had St. Enda’s back in the game, whenever Cormac Jennings ploughed the sliotar into the breeze and over Loughgiel’s bar. St. Enda’s were busy trying to build momentum to make moves into their scoring range but with just six minutes into the second half, a busy James McNaughton rewarded the Shamrock supporters with the first goal of the game. Christy McGarry quickly followed that up with his point from the right side of the pitch.
St. Enda’s Luke O’Connor attempted a point from just beyond the forty-five metre line but it started wide and stayed wide with the breeze. Niall O’Connor kept the Enda’s from going dormant with a simple turn over in mid field from a Loughgiel puck out and Cormac Jennings made use of a free from all of seventy metres into the breeze, much to the cheers from St. Enda’s supporters.
Loughgiel mid fielder, Cahal Hargan, found possession of the sliotar at around eleven minutes in the second half and spotted Shan McGrath moving into space. McGrath successfully took control of the sliotar and pointed to move the Shamrocks on by a goal and four points the difference.
But Cormac Jennings would be back in action quickly for the Enda’s. Jennings caught the sliotar and went for a solo run to close the distance. Draped in red jerseys, Jennings had to offload but quickly found the sliotar coming back into his hand and over Loughgiel’s bar it sailed to make that a goal and three points the difference.
Despite St. Enda’s breaking down incoming wide balls for a large portion of the game, Shan McGrath found a way around and a running McNaughton was his target for the offload. McNaughton delivered a rasping sliotar to the back of Martin Curran’s net for his second goal of the match.
Midway through the second half, calls for a sideline ball to St. Enda’s and equal shouts of ‘the player was out not the ball’, Rian McMullan was happy to make his point out of the cauldron of noise. With St. Enda’s 0-11 to Loughgiel’s 2-15, this felt like a stage in the game where St. Enda’s might drift away, but substitute Cian O’Connor floated the ball over the bar from a well won engagement.
St. Enda’s continued to battle relentlessly and tracked Loughgiel almost point for point with an acute angle score from Eoin Conlon from the right side towards the clubhouse. Conlon would reappear in Cunning’s note book, but not for a score. A heavy hit that lifted James McNaughton off his feet found a yellow card being flashed high in the air. McNaughton would shake the sandy soil off his stick and reaped some satisfaction from dropping it over St. Enda’s bar.
The Glengormley side would close out the scoring action with a fine point from Conlon after an intense ruck won by the Enda’s near the Loughgiel dugout before the Shamrocks worked up a tasty move, Rian McMullan to Christy McGarry, back to McMullan and forward into Conor O’Mullan. An Outstretched O’Mullan could only pull on the sliotar but it was travelling hard enough to warrant Curran going to ground to smother the attempt on goal.
With thirty-three minutes on Cunning’s watch, Paul Boyle’s sideline brought the long whistle to close this afternoon’s game St. Enda’s 0-17 Loughgiel 2-21.
St. Enda’s Starting Panel:
Martin Curran, Dara McGuire, Malachi McGibbon, Ronan Eager, Eoin Conlon, Ruairi Diamond, Joe Maskey, Brendan Cormican, Niall O’Connor, Luke O’Connor, Cormac Jennings, Philip Curran, Ruairí Donaghy, Eddie O’Connor, Dan Lowry
Scorers:
Eoin Conlon 0-02, Joe Maskey 0-01, Niall O’Connor 0-03, Luke O’Connor 0-02, Cormac Jennings 0-08 (6f), Dan Lowry 0-01
Loughgiel Starting Panel:
Cormac McFadden, Tiernan Coyle, Rory McCloskey, Caolan Blair, Damon McMullan, Declan McCloskey, Ruairi McCormick, Paul Boyle, Cahal Hargan, Daniel McCloskey, Darragh Patterson, Christy McGarry, Rian McMullan, Shan McGrath, James McNaughton
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pairc Rossa, Belfast
Reigning champions Cushendall got their campaign off to a winning start on Sunday afternoon but they were made to fight all the way by a determined Rossa side. Three points the difference at the end of an hour that had a wee bit of everything thrown in and not many wanted to see an end to such was the nature of this contest.
It was the Ruairi’s ability to create and take their goal chances that proved to be the difference, scoring two in the opening 10 minutes and passing up the chance of more on another couple of occasions in the first half.
Yet, Rossa’s determination and desire to keep fighting to the end in the second half had the ‘Dall on the ropes. A run of three points reduced Cushendall’s lead to four before a penalty was awarded with the impressive Joseph McLaughlin duly obliging.
Rossa will look at the start of the second half when reviewing this one and rue their profligacy in front of target. Trailing by six, they had the wind at their back but in the opening exchanges of the second half, a run of five wides from six shots did little to help any momentum they were looking for.
When the game entered the final stages, the home side rallied and scored 1-6 in the last 10 minutes but Cushendall weren’t to be denied. The Ruairi’s had leaders when they needed them most with Eoghan Campbell’s third of three second half points a glittering example of how to drag your team from trouble. Collecting the sliotar from a ruck deep in his own 21, Campbell soloed clear from safety and after a 1-2 with Fred McCurry, he split the uprights. As good as anything you’ll see on any pitch in Ireland.
McCurry was another who was outstanding for the champions. Five points from play overall and a dogged tenacity in the middle third, Fred is fast becoming a vital cog in the Ruairi Og machine.
With the sun beating down on the perfect Shaws Road surface, the home side were ahead two points to one before the first goal chance of the game. McLaughlin found Ciaran Neeson in space and while the angle was acute, it took the width of the post to deny him with his near side shot hitting the inside and somehow spinning across the goals and out for a Rossa side line.
He was presented with a similar opportunity moments later and made no mistake with a riffled effort in the 6th minute and while Aodhan O’Brien responded for the hosts, Cushendall were celebrating another major with their next score. Andrew Delargy applied the finish but it owed much to the work rate of Dominic Delargy and vision of Joseph McLaughlin to find him in space.
With Dominic Delargy playing on the edge of the square and the wind at their back, Cushendall were happy to send long ball on top of him and work from the breaks. Their ability to win that second ball was paying dividends and putting the Rossa defence under immense pressure.
A rejig in defence to counteract the Cushendall threat helped the home side to settle down as the first half progressed and with O’Brien, McEnhill and Walsh (free) all finding their range, they had the Cushendall lead back to three with 10 minutes of the half remaining. Cushendall responded with a trio of unanswered scores of their own, McLaughlin (two) and McCurry splitting the posts.
That six point difference would remain with Seaghan Shannon (free) and McEnhill splitting the posts either side of a brace of scores from Fergus McCambridge and McLaughlin to leave the half time score 2-9 to 0-9 in favour of Cushendall.
Six points was probably the bare minimum that Cushendall deserved to lead from in the first half. They reached double figures in wides and passed goal chances and while it was far from an insurmountable lead, it was going to take everything to go right for the home side to get back into this.
It just didn’t happen for Christopher McDonnell’s side. Two points in 15 minutes while trailing, six wides in that same period and the Ruairi’s had stretched their lead to seven. A brace of scores from Campbell came in typical fashion, running from deep and giving an option in support. It’s a score you see Eoghan hit on numerous occasions and underpins his hurling intelligence.
The lead remained at seven with 10 minutes remaining when Rossa found another gear. A run of four unanswered scores for the first time in the match from centre half Declan McCartney and frees from messers Walsh and O’Brien had thoughts of Rossa comeback with time running out.
Those thoughts were pushed to one side with five minutes of the hour remaining however. With Paddy McGill on the charge and with a glimpse of Donal Armstrong’s goal, referee Barry Winter’s awarded a penalty for an infringement on the Cushendall man. The Rossa protests fell on deaf ears and McLaughlin dispatched the resulting penalty with aplomb.
The home side continued to push with Walsh and Stephen Shannon reducing the deficit and as the home side laid siege on the Cushendall goals in search for goals, Eoghan Campbell proved to be the coolest man in west Belfast. The sliotar had bounced loose and he collected among a crowd before going clear and scoring one of the points of the day after a neat interchange with McCurry.
As the clock ticked into the third minute of injury time, the home side were awarded a 21 yard free. Walsh’s ferocious drive found the back of the Cushendall net despite being guarded by a maroon and white wall but time was not the friend of the home side.
A scintillating end to a pulsating game of hurling and while Rossa tasted defeat, they will have taken plenty of positives from this performance. Cushendall probably had to win this one on three different occasions, such was the tenacity of Rossa throughout and their thoughts now turn to a meeting with St John’s in two weeks time.
TEAMS
Rossa: Donal Armstrong; Chris McGuinness, Ciaran Orchin, Conor Boyle; Stephen Shannon, Declan McCartney, Gerard Walsh; Seaghan Shannon, Diarmuid Rogan; Stephen Beatty, Pearce Short, Aodhan O’Brien; Dominic McEnhill, Eoin Trainor, Thomas Morgan
Subs: Eoghan McMenamin for D Rogan (HT); Conall Shannon for Seaghan Shannon (43); James Connolly for P Short (54); Ruairi Murray for S Beatty (58)
Scorers: G Walsh 1-4 (1-3fs); A O’Brien 0-5 (1f); D McEnhill 0-4; T Morgan 0-2; Stephen Shannon 0-1; Seaghan Shannon 0-1 (1f); D McCartney 0-1; E McMenamin 0-1
Cushendall: Conor McAllister; Liam Gillan, Paddy Burke, Martin Burke; Scott Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Ruairi McCollam; Francis McCurry, Alex Delargy; Andrew Delargy, Ryan McCambridge, Fergus McCambridge; Ciaran Neeson, Dominic Delargy, Joseph McLaughlin
Subs: Stephen Walsh for S Walsh (HT); Andrew McNaughton for Alex Delargy (31); Sean McAfee for Andrew Delargy (46); Paddy McGill for R McCambridge (56)
Scorers: J McLaughlin 1-6 (1-00 pen, 3fs); F McCurry 0-5; E Campbell 0-3; Andrew Delargy 1-00; C Neeson 1-00; R McCambridge 0-1; F McCambridge 0-1Referee: Barry Winters (Dungannon)
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A 63rd minute goal from St Paul’s replacement Paul Donnelly was the decisive score in what proved to be yet another closely, and keenly contested derby against Sarsfields.
Donnelly’s late strike turned out to be the games defining score but the real star of the show was Caolan Ó Duibhfinn. The St Paul’s wing forward claimed all thirteen points for the Shaws Road men. With his teammates having an off day in front of the posts, Ó Duibhfinn showed composure and class to keep his side in the contest when for long periods it looked like the visitors were taking the points back to the Bear Pit.
The game was going to plan for Sarsfields for much of the contest, but an ugly brawl late in the game saw a straight red card to a St Paul’s official and a Sarsfields defender Niall McAlea.
McAlea was having an excellent game up until that point and was doing a superb job in front of his full back line. St Paul’s never got a sniff of goal while he was on the park. But once McAlea’s game was cut short, St Paul’s pounced for 1-3 and throw Group 2 of the Intermediate Championship wide open.
With the tie delicately poised at 0-5 a piece after 20 minutes, it was Sarsfields that took the initiative and race into a four-point lead.
Two Donal McKernan frees and efforts from play from Anthony McGarrigle and Ó Maoláin saw Sarsfields go in that break leading 0-9 to 0-5.
Backed by a stiff breeze in the second half, St Paul’s emerged for the second half with a more gusto to their play.
Two points from Ó Duibhfinn gave them the start to the half that they needed, but again, Donal McKernan was the man to keep daylight between them.
Back came St Paul’s with another Ó Duibhfinn free. Niall McKenna quickly restored Sarsfields three-point cushion, and this pattern continued until the 49th minute when Ó Duibhfinn made it a two-point game with his eleventh point of the game.
The game was then turned on its head in the 51st minute when a disputed sideline call led to a mass brawl. It was five minutes before calm was restored, and after consulting with all of his umpires, referee Colin Thompson sent Sarsfields McAlea to the line while a St Paul’s team official also saw red
McAlea’s absence left a hole in the Sarsfields defence and St Paul’s took full advantage in the third minute of additional time.
Sean Munce picked out Paul Donnelly and his cool finish past Daniel McKernan fired St Paul’s into a one-point lead.
Ó Duibhfinn then extended their lead to two with a fine effort from the right wing.
There was still time for one more Sarsfields attack.
Donal McKernan’s sideline ball dropped into the St Paul’s square, but some last ditch defending prevented the visitors from grabbing a last second goal which would have gained them victory.
Instead, St Paul’s cleared their lines and hung on to record a much-needed victory.
St Paul’s: Chris Murray, Ciaran O’Carroll, Frankie Sewell, Tiarnan Auld, Dáire Stevenson, Stephen Rooney, Thomas Duff, Mark Munce, Declan Quinn, Caolan Ó Duibhfinn (0-13 9F 1 ‘65’), Declan Chapman, Lorcán Phillips, Caolan Crossan, Patrick Doyle, Conall Duffy.
Replacements: Bairre Burns for O’Carroll (29), Sean Munce for Doyle (HT), Paul Donnelly (1-0) for Duffy (48), Conall Finnegan for Chapman (49).
Padraig Sarsfields: Daniel McKernan, Michael Johnston, Jack Daniels, Mark McCavanagh, Garry Lennon, Eoghan Rogers, Caolan McKernan, Anthony McGarrigle (0-1), Nicolas Ó Maoláin (0-3), Oisin Coleman, Daniel Smyth, Niall McKenna (0-1), Fionn Jemfrey, Niall McAlea, Donal McKernan (0-8f).
Replacements: Daniel McKernan (Snr) (0-1) for Smyth (15).
Referee: Colin Thompson (St John’s).
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Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship – Group B – Round 1
Dunloy 0-24 St John’s 0-18
Saturday 10 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Dunloy opened their senior hurling championship campaign with a hard earned victory over St John’s at Pearse Park on Saturday evening. Six points might have separated the sides at the end of the hour but the Johnnies gave the home side their fill of it in a display that looked to frustrate the Cuchullains for long periods.
The home side put in a strong second half performance to pull away from St John’s and a period of just over ten minutes where they threatened to score goals at will. Some ‘cute’ defending from St John’s kept Simon Doherty’s clean sheet intact during that period of play but it saw the Cuchullains score six points unanswered, open a nine point deficit going into the closing stages and effectively take the championship points on offer.
Seaan Elliott top score for Dunloy, taking over the free taking responsibility from the injured Conal Cunning, he would finish with 0-9 beside his name. Playing in a deeper role for the majority of the game, Seaan was in the thick of the action for the Cuchullains and put in a strong performance. Keelan Molloy excelled once again and fired over seven points from play that came from a variety of angles and positions making him a nightmare to defend against.
Shea Shannon was a shining light in midfield for the Johnnies and had 0-8 by the end of the hour while Conor Johnston looked back to his impish best. Peter McCallin’s duel with Phelim Duffin was entertaining both on and off the ball. The St John’s man was a livewire and there wasn’t much room afforded from Duffin one way or another. Conal Bohill’s move into the forward line in the final quarter looked to yield some attacking joy against a solid Dunloy defence but the Johnnies had little or no sights of Ryan Elliott’s goal.
The first half was a very tactical affair, much like the contest between the two sides in the championship last year. Unbelievably, the first score didn’t come until the 8th minute of the game, Aaron Bradley knocking over for his first of three points in the opening half.
By that stage, Dunloy had hit five wides while the visitors didn’t fair much better with two efforts missing the target.
A brace of scores from the Elliott brothers, Nigel and Seaan (free) preceded two white flags by Shannon for St John’s (one free). Tactically, the Johnnies were posing a problem for Dunloy and but for some further wayward shooting, they could have extended their narrow advantage.
The Cuchullains found another gear in the second quarter and played with more fluidity. They fired over four points in five minutes from Seaan Elliott (free), Keelan Molloy (two) and Paul Shiels with a Shea Shannon free the only response for St John’s as they opened a two point lead.
Aaron Bradley’s excellent first half performance was underpinned with a further two points in the time that remained, his second a sublime score off the hurl and while Donal Carson also found his range, Dunloy finished with a flourish. Scores in the same period from Chrissy McMahon, Nicky McKeague, Seaan Elliott and Keelan Molloy ensured Dunloy would take a three point lead into the half time interval, 0-10 to 0-7.
The sides traded scores at the start of the second half, Conor Johnston and two from Shannon (one free) for the Johnnies while Eoin O’Neill and a brace from Seaan Elliott (1 ’65) found the target for Dunloy.
Conor Johnston’s second of the half in the 39th minute followed before a piece of opportunism from Stephen Tierney brought the best out of Ryan Elliott in the Dunloy goals. Shannon had sent a free to the edge of the square and while the sliotar looked to be dropping wide, Tierney managed to get his hurl to the delivery and deflect it towards the Dunloy goal. Elliott’s reflexes were a match for his effort to keep the Dunloy lead at two.
A brilliant score from Keelan Molloy in the 41st minute marked the beginning of the Cuchullains purple patch. Wide on the right, under pressure, Molloy’s effort had the Dunloy crowd purring as they watched the sliotar sail between the sticks. He would fire over another moments later, this time from fully 80 yards and while Shannon replied from a free for St John’s, by the time his side would find their range again the Dunloy lead would be extended to nine.
Seaan Elliott fired over four frees as Dunloy’s attacking play found another level. Eoin O’Neill, Seaan Elliott and Eoin O’Neill all dragged to the ground when they had a sight of the St John’s goal. Taking one for the team and understandable, as they looked to try and rein in the Cuchullains attack. Further scores followed from Keelan Molloy and substitute Aodhan McGarry as the St John’s defence looked overworked.
The Johnnies did break the Cuchullains momentum and split the uprights with three unanswered free, two from Shannon and one from substitute Oisin MacManus but the home side kept the scoreboard ticking at the other end and never looked like yielding their advantage. Nigel Elliott and substitute Padraig Martin fired over with MacManus (free) and Conor Johnston replying for Mickey Johnston’s side while Keelan Molloy took his tally to 0-7 for the evening before Enda McGurk completed the scoring deep in injury time.
Six points between the sides and the championship is off and running for both sides. Dunloy meet Rossa in Dunsilly on the 25th August in their next encounter while St John’s will face reigining champions Cushendall in Ballymena on the same day.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, Ryan McGarry, Oran Quinn; Eamon Smyth, Kevin Molloy, Ronan Molloy; Paul Shiels, Seaan Elliott; Nigel Elliott, Keelan Molloy, Eoin McFerran; Nicky McKeague, Eoin O’Neill, Chrissy McMahon
Subs: Aodhan McGarry for P Shiels (43); Deaglan Smith for C McMahon (45); Padraig Martin for N McKeague (50); Anton McGrath for E O’Neill (56)
Scorers: S Elliott 0-9 (6fs 1’65); Keelan Molloy 0-7; N Elliott 0-2; P Shiels 0-1; N McKeague 0-1; E O’Neill 0-1; C McMahon 0-1; A McGarry 0-1; P Martin 0-1
St John’s: Simon Doherty; Odhran Carleton, Ciaran Johnston, Sean Wilson; Enda McGurk, Conal Bohill, Conal Morgan; Andrew McGowan, Shea Shannon; Conor Johnston, Stephen Tierney, Darragh McGuinness; Aaron Bradley, Peter McCallin, Donal Carson
Subs: Conor Hand for C Morgan (15); Michail Dudley for P McCallin (38); Oisin MacManus for S Tierney (41); Conor McAvoy for S Wilson (45); Ruairi Galbraith for D Carson (60)
Scorers: S Shannon 0-8 (6fs); Conor Johnston 0-3; A Bradley 0-3; O MacManus 0-2 (2fs); E McGurk 0-1; D Carson 0-1
Referee: Tarlach Conway (Ballinascreen)
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