Club News

07/07/02 Hurlers second win in the league away to stormy Shaws Road

St. Paul's went into this game with a win over Rossa the week before and were hoping to maintain their good form. Conditions were, as with the Ballygalget match the previous week, poor although the pitch itself was in good order under the circumstances.

Despite missing influential players Mickey O'Neill, Kevin Rafferty and Eamon Blaney through injury St. John's got off to the better start in the game with early points from Gareth Clarke and Paul Montgomery however, within a few minutes the Shaws Road men had put a soft goal into the back of the net to get back on level terms. Conor Gannon's stick broke in two as he blocked a shot from the St. Paul's corner forward in the square and neither he nor the keeper could stop the next shot. Thankfully this turned out to be a freak goal as for the rest of the game Ciaran Cunningham was untroubled by any of the St. Paul's forwards.

Neil Kelly, having been forced out of his corner back position because his man was playing as a third midfielder, put over a fine point midway through the first half to put his name on the scoresheet for the first time this season and was followed by Stephen Thompson's solo effort shortly afterwards. Gareth Clarke (despite a quiet spell for a few matches playing particularly well) brought his tally up to three points and Paul Montgomery added a few more before the end of the half which finished with the scores level at 0-7 to 1-4.

In the second half St. John's upped their game and applied more pressure to St. Paul's by pulling off a series of good scores, though they could not pull away by more than 4 points at any time, St. Paul's always managing to get back up the field and score back.

Paul Montgomery sent in a fine goal in the early stages of the second half cancelling out the first half St. Paul's goal. Stephen Thompson made a run into the full forward line and his shot was deflected out to a waiting Paul Montgomery who instinctively struck the ball into the top corner of the net. Soon after Brian McFall, playing a real captain's role in this match, cut a superb sideline ball over the bar. Ronan Heenan added his name to the scoresheet with 2 points in the second half also.

St. Paul's were never able to get back on level terms after this spell and never looked like beating St. John's losing as they did 1-13 to 1-11.

Defensively the team was solid, Neil Reynolds and Conor Gannon (both effectively playing in the full-back position because of St. Paul's use of the third midfielder) held their line well, not giving their men any space and stopping any St. Paul's forward moves. Chris Clarke got back to something like his best after his D.C. business trip, and Brian McFall produced a much needed battling performance at centre-half back, the captain leading by example.

Donal O'Hara and Hugh Kennedy both played well in the middle of the park.

In the full-forward line the two cousins, Ronan Heenan and Liam Donnelly, relived past memories and renewed the old partnership of the early 1990's. They battled hard throughout the game (the older of the two looking slightly fitter having already played a senior reserve game just before the senior match) and brought plenty of experience to the team in what was a physical, hard fought match and a good victory away from home.

 

		St. John's
		C.Cunningham
C. Gannon		N. Reynolds	N. Kelly
C. Kelly		B. McFall	C. Clarke
		D. O'Hara H. Kennedy
S.Thompson		G. Clarke	C. Thompson
R. Heenan		L. Donnelly	P. Montgomery
(Subs: G. Hamilton for C. Thompson)