20 September 2010
St Agnes 3-10
Setanta 3-05
Naomh Una and Setanta contested the South Antrim Under 16 Hurling 'B' Championship Final under the lights at Casement Park last Tuesday night with the Aggies combination team (made up of young hurlers from St Agnes', St Brigid's and Eire Og) defeating Setanta ( the combined efforts of St Paul's, Gort Na Mona, and O'Donnells). The game was nip and tuck for 60 minutes as the two teams played out an entertaining contest in front of a sizable crowd. It was in the last 10 minutes that the hard work put in by the boys in black and white, starting back in October 2009 when team manager Kevin Grieve called the panel together. At this point it was clear he had several very handy hurlers but the numbers were just short of the fifteen needed and an open hand was extended to St Brigid's and Eire Og to join in the mix. The influence of Peter Leydon, Gerry Mulholland and Michael McGranaghan culminated in a strong management team to look after the lads.
Setanta made the early running leading by 1-2 to 0-2 after 14 minutes but the black & whites got off the mark with two scores from Hugh Grieve, the second of which was a sublimely dispatched '65. Unfortunately for Grieve he suffered a bad injury moments later and had to be helped from the field.
St Agnes' sub John Erskine replaced Grieve with great effect, bagging two goals before the half-time break and putting the Aggies firmly in the driving seat. Tiernan Monaghan added a third with a deft flick past the 'keeper as the ball was still traveling through the air. Setanta showed they had plenty left in the tank as they hit back with a second goal. The teams traded points before the break and they went in at half-time Naomh Una lead 3-4 to 2-3.
The importance of a good start in the second half was obviously made clear to Andytown/Malone lads at half-time and the first two scores went the way of the black & whites, courtesy of man of the match Conor Pelan leaving them six in front. Setanta again fought back with an unanswered goal and two points to leave just the minimum between the sides. The Aggies spurned a few goal chances during this period but as the game entered the final ten minutes they kept their noses in front at 3-6 to 3-5.
The intensity levels were raised significantly at this point by both teams but it was the boys in black and white who seemed to be able to make the crucial tackles at the right time. Brian Crossan was sprung from the bench to tack on two lovely points taking the game out of Setanta's reach.
The Aggies' management deserved credit for several positional switches during the game that swung the contest in their favour. Ryan 'Brick' Reilly was superb after his move to full back, while Fergal Leydon thrived in the midfield. Conor Pelan tormented the Setanta backs with his pace, taking some excellent scores. At the final whistle there scenes of jubilation on the field and in the stands as Naomh Una collected its first U-16 title in over a decade, winning as they did 3-10 to 3-05; however, this title belongs to three clubs and is a testament to their hard work and co-operation over the last twelve months.
Naomh Una: Gerard Henvey; David Boyd, Garret Mulholland, Daniel McConnell; Conor Compston, Ryan Reilly, Joe Robinson; Conor Pelan, Cathal Conway; Conal Kelly, Ben Toner, Colin Mallon; Fergal Leydon, Tiernan Monaghan, Hugh Grieve. Subs: Donal Rooney, Brian Crossan, Ciaran Mohan, Cormac Flannery, Johnny Dillon, Jack Hamill, John Erskine, Jack O Kane.
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