Club News

31/05/02 Hurlers on the up as they head to Down

St. Johns senior hurlers recorded their second win of the year in the Antrim Cup competition on Friday evening with a three point win, away to Ballycran.

Paul Montgomery opened the scoring in the first minute of the game with a close range point, quickly followed by another from the stick of Gerard Mc Fall. Ballycran replied with two points in succession to level the scores. With some excellent hurling displayed by both teams during the first quarter, a Locky Mc Curdy point gave St. Johns the lead for the second time in the game. Mc Curdy's point was the first of four in a row from the Johnnies, with two further points from Gerard Mc Fall and one from on-form Paul Montgomery.

Outstanding work by the St. John's defence and in particular Micky O'Neill ensured difficulty for the advancing Ballycran forwards. Midway through the first half St. John's sharpshooter Gerard Mc Fall sent an unstoppable shot to the back of the net, leaving six points between the sides. Ballycran cut the deficit to four during their best period in the first half. Two more scores at either end, left the scores 1-6 to 0-5 with just under ten minutes remaining before the break. A great spell by St. John's in the closing stages, saw the Johnnies add five more points to their tally, one acute angled point from Paul Montgomery, two from Gerard Mc Fall and two delightful 80 metre points from Donal O' Hara. St. Johns went into the halftime break leading 1-11 to 0-5.

St. John's were without doubt at their most impressive and dangerous during the first half of the game with excellent teamwork displayed throughout and the forward line linking up intuitively to punish the men from Down. Donal O'Hara was in inspired form at midfield out-catching his Ballycran counterpart and emerging from the crowded half forward line with the ball on almost every occasion - nothing short of a midfield masterclass.

The start of the second half started at a fast and furious pace. Throughout the third quarter St. John's and Ballycran exchanged points several times. For a brief spell midway through the second half, the Down side dominated cutting the St. John's lead with a Stephen Mc Aree goal and two points. However, just like the first half, sterling defensive work, a steady supply of ball up front by the St. John's midfield pairing, and two points by Paul Montgomery in the closing stages, left the Johnnies with a three point advantage on the final whistle, winning 1-17 to 1-14.

 

		St. John's
		C.Cunningham
C. Gannon		M. O'Neill	C. Clarke
C. Kelly		K. Rafferty	G. Clarke
		D. O'Hara H. Kennedy
L. McCurdy		R. Heenan	C. Thompson
G. McFall		P. Montgomery	G. Cunningham
(Subs: G. Hamilton for G. Cunningham E. Blaney for L. McCurdy)