10 September 2011
St John’s won their first Minor Hurling title since 2004 when they beat last year’s champions Cushendall in Friday evening’s final at Casement Park. Dominant in the opening half the Johnnies had to withstand a gallant second-half fightback by Cushendall but they weathered the storm and went on to score a deserved victory.
In perfect conditions St John’s showed their dominance from the start and after an early exchange of points by Locky McCurdy (St John’s) and Ronan McGrady (Cushendall) the Johnnies gained a firm grip thanks mainly to a goal and three points from their excellent full-forward Micheal Bradley as they went on to open up a seven point lead by the fourteenth minute.
A Ronan McGrady point in the nineteenth minute signalled a bit of revival for the Ruairi Og lads and they could well have got themselves back into the game had it not been for a couple of magnificent saves from St John’s goalkeeper Padraig Nugent. As it was all Cushendall could muster was a Stephen McAfee point while St John’s added another from Micheal Bradley and two from Conor Johnston to lead by 1-9 to 0-3 at half-time.
On the evidence of the first-half Cushendall’s title was all but gone but to their credit they came out after half-time with ‘all guns blazing’ and boosted by a fantastic goal from an overhead volley by full-forward Dominic Delargy they cut their arrears to just five by the forty-sixth minute.
St John’s were suddenly ‘all at sea’ but a Conor Johnton point settled the nerves and three more from the talented corner-forward and one from substitute Darean Flynn pulled them ten clear by the fifty-ninth minute. Cushendall never gave up the fight and points from Ronan McGrady and Ryan McCambridge plus a goal by Conor McClafferty left them just five in arrears at the end. However St John’s were worthy winners as they deservedly collected the Minor trophy for the first time in seven years.
NAOMH EOIN – Padraig Nugent, Thomas Manning, Peter McMahon, Jody Watson, Jack Hannigan, Ciaran Johnston, Ronan McCafferty, Christopher McQuillan, Luke Peden, Micheal Dudley, Fearghal Morgan, Donall Quinn, Locky McCurdy, Micheal Bradley, Conor Johnston.
SUBS USED – Daireann Flynn; Donall Carson.
RUAIRI OG – Conor McAlister, Conor Grant, Fearghal McKillop, David Kearney, Patrick Burke, Paddy Blaney Ryan McCambridge, Eamon Kearns, Ronan McGrady, Sean McAfee, Eamon Heggarty, Eoghan Campbell, Cormac McClafferty, Dominic Delargy, Alex Delargy.
REFEREE – Mark O’Neill (Armoy Glen Rovers)
ROSSA WIN MINOR B TITLE
In a high scoring and entertaining Minor B final Rossa beat Belfast neighbours St Paul’s by 2-18 to 5-8 at Casement Park.
Rossa led by a point at half time (1-10 to 2-6) and appeared to be pulling away with ease as they stretched their lead to seven in the second-half. However St Paul’s ability to grab goals kept bringing them back into the game and one direct from a free from distance by Conor McCaffrey and another from a quickly taken close-range free by Kevin McMenamey had the result in the balance once again.
St Paul’s actually hit the front when James Farrell fired in his team’s fifth goal but Rossa, who always appeared the more accomplished side, struck their second-goal through Thomas Morgan and held on for a deserved win.
