Club News

05/10/03 Minors undone by Dunloy in Hurling Championship Final

St. John's suffered their second successive minor championship final defeat in as many weeks as they succumbed to their North Antrim counterparts from Dunloy on a treacherously wet windy Sunday at Casement Park.

Despite being scheduled for a 12.45 throw-in, the minor final started some 5 minutes early, catching many supporters unaware (in addition to a few of our defenders it seems). Those supporters who missed the opening few minutes missed Dunloy take advantage of a defensive error in the full back line and send the ball into the back of the St. John's net. St. John's got a point back through Liam Knocker, only for Dunloy to go up the field and score a point of their own.

The scores stayed at 1-01 to 0-01 for the next ten minutes before St. John's began to claw their way back through pointed frees courtesy of Liam Boyle and Niall McCallin. Disaster struck however a second time for the St. John's full-back line as full back Noel Rooney contested a ball just in front of goal, only to miss the ball entirely and a Dunloy corner forward ran in behind and struck the ball into the back of the net.

St. John's head did not drop and they continued to try and bring themselves back into the game, Simon McCrory taking off on a great run up the left wing right through to the heart of the Dunloy defence and sending the ball over the bar. In the first half the St. John's backline were a shadow of their former selves from the previous rounds. Sloppy defending, second to the ball, giving their markers too much space on the ball saw Dunloy press home their advantage, overlap their men and generally run amok in the St. John's half. Midfield-wise Dunloy were also dominating, with the St. John's forwards finding the going tough also.

A third goal for Dunloy in the first half presented the minors with a mountain to climb in the second half. They went into the changing rooms at half-time 3-06 to 0-06 the worse off.

In the second half changes were made, Liam Knocker was moved to right-half back, Niall McCallin to centre-half, John Mead to midfield and Gerardo Hamilton to midfield.

Dermot Hartigan was brought on for Peter Begley soon after the start of the second half.

The defence performed a lot better in the second half, which is testimony to their spirit and resilience - in fact they contained Dunloy to just a single point. It was at midfield and the forward line that St. John's could not find the break through. Goals were needed desperately and it was only at the very end of the game that one came for St. John's, another mazey run from Simon McCrory into the Dunloy full-back line ended in a breaking ball finding the boot of Jimmy Peoples and a goal back for St. John's.

It was too little too late however. The referee played plenty of time over but the goals just couldn't be found, St. John's scoring 1-02 in the second period - the match ending 3-07 1-08, the goals conceded in the first half proving too much.

Undoubtedly the conditions hampered St. John's hurlers but Dunloy seemed to adapt to them far better and ultimately ran out worthy champions, their centre-half forward in particular turning in a hugely impressive man of the match performance.

Whilst St. John's hearts will no doubt be broken at missing out on a Minor Championship, and a Minor Championship double ahd the footballers won, everyone at the Club are extremely proud of their young hurlers, of their contribution which has helped to lift us somewhat out of the current hurling doldrums which the seniors find themselves in, and of the way in which they have conducted themselves in this year's championship.

Many thanks to the minor management team of Liam Donnelly, Andrew McCallin and Brendan McQuillan for their effort and time which they have invested in the team this year and to all those who helped them throughout the year.

 

		St. John's
		F. McKillop
C. McCurdy		N. Rooney	C. McFall
G. Hamilton		L. Knocker	C. Maskey
		P. Begley N. McCallin (capt)
L. Boyle		J. Mead	S. McCrory
J. Peoples		A. Oliver	B. McFall
(Subs: D. Hartigan for P. Begley)