Club News

02/08/02 Intermediate hurlers out of the championship

It was a wet Casement Park which greeted the Intermediate hurlers on Friday night, but hopes of a win were not dampened by the conditions as the team which lined out against Loughuile was one of the strongest in recent years.

Of the 15 players who started 9 had played in senior matches this season and all 3 substitutes who were brought on had also lined out for the senior team this year. Unfortunate then that this team didn't click in the way that the management no doubt had hoped they would.

Loughuile have a strong tradition in this championship and they certainly had some class players about the park. They took their scores confidently and with ease and after a fairly balanced opening 10 minutes were 0-3 to 0-1 up - both sides registering wides (though St. John's registering a few more than their North Antrim counterparts).

Perhaps still shaking off the extraordinary high of last weekend's All-Ireland clash with Tipperary and also due in no small part to injury Brian McFall was quiet, missing a number of frees throughout the first half, however he did open the scoring for St. John's with a free. Just as Loughuile looked to be pulling away in the scoring stakes however wouldn't you know it! Brendan Mackin, the perennial poacher, produced a wonderful individual effort to send the ball over the line and into the back of the Loughuile net to take St. John's ahead 1-1 to 0-3.

Again Loughuile went up the pitch and racked up another couple of scores when Gerardo Hamilton turned his man and struck the ball goalward - what seemed like a comfortable catch turned into a nightmare for the Loughuile keeper as the ball slipped through his grasp and into the back of the net. Further points from Gareth Clarke and Gerardo Hamilton brought St. John's halftime tally to 2-3 however, Loughuile had all the while been plugging away and had 0-9 on the scoresheet. Loughuile would have led by 3 points only for the fine goalkeeping of Barry 'The Salmon' Mulgrew who charged out of his box to block the impending strike of the Loughuile full-forward who had managed to evade his marker. In one-on-one situations like this the forward normally has a huge advantage but, hadn't counted on the bravery of the St. John's goalkeeper who spread himself and deflected the shot out for a 65.

Throughout the first half the full-back line had been involved in 3 individual battles with their Loughuile men. However, they each more than held their own and one would suspect that the Loughuile men soon realised they had bitten off more than they could chew as Neil Reynolds, Neil Kelly and 'Lefty' (one of the youngest men on the pitch, but who produced a superb performance) fought hard to hassle their men and win the ball. It was a tightly contested match all over the park however the Loughuile forwards seemed to make it more difficult for the Johnnies defenders to clear the ball than the other way around.

Plenty to shout about then at half time, however for the St. John's supporters in the second half there was little to get excited about. Loughuile continued where they left off scoring point after point and the Johnnies forwards could not respond. Both attacking substitutes Eamon Blaney and Anto Press caused the Loughuile defence problems, but overall Loughuile began to show their class and St. John's could not keep up with them, though they had their chances, albeit half chances. A ball struck across the Loughuile goal sprang up invitingly for Brendan Mackin, however he failed to make a connnection and Brian McFall's fiercely struck free could not find its way into the Loughuile net.

Disappointment then for St. John's as the match finished up 2-4 to 0-15, and they will now be hoping for a better performance from the seniors who play their championship match in two weeks time and who coincidently face Loughuile this Sunday at home.
A chance for revenge? One would hope so.

 

 

 

		St. John's
		B. Mulgrew
D. Wright		N. Reynolds	N. Kelly
C. Kelly		B. McFall	J. Herald
		B. Moss J. Hand
J. Connolly		D. O'Hara	G. Clarke
G. Hamilton		B. Mackin	C. McCaffery
(Subs: F. Collins for J. Herald, E. Blaney for J. Hand, A. Press for J. Connolly)