Shane O’Neills…….3:04 (13)
St.Johns……………2:13 (19)

St. Johns minor Hurlers maintained their 100% league record with another win this time against Shane O’Neills Glenarm.( No one got lost on the way there! And thanks to C.McFall for waiting to show me the way home! ).

The first quarter of the game was played at a pedestrian pace with only 3 attempts for scores from both teams before Leo McAuley burst through the St Johns defence only to have a soft shot parried by St.Johns keeper Paul Gribbin into the path of Kevin Cottrell who pointed from 15m out. Conor McStein replied almost immediately for St.Johns with a sharp point some 12m out on the left wing.

captains and the ref

McStein again one minute later picked off another point from the left wing. This was followed 2 minutes later when the alert Adrian Oliver picked up a loose ball on the right wing to point from 35m. Chris Matthews was showing some fine form at this stage for Glenarm but St Johns again pressed and McStein passed to Tony Ferran to point from 25m out dead in front of the posts. Ferran shot wide shortly afterwards before recently arrived Canadian Fionntain McKillop collected a cross field ball and pointed for the Johnnies.

Blain McDermott replied with a 50m free for the Glensmen after Dermot Hartigan fouled to leave the scores 0:02 t0 0:05 in St.Johns favour. Then young M.Abram collected a breaking ball some 15 yards out and brushed past his marker to kick to the roof of the net from 6 yards out to level the game for Shane O’Neills. Then followed an excellent ground stroke from Shane O’Neills Ciaran Campbell all of 40m through to the foraging Blian McDermott who collected and pointed from 50m to give the North Antrim men the lead. McKillop replied some 2 minutes later with a sharp point from 30m out on the right before Liam Boyle followed suit with a good point from 30m out on the left to give the Johnnies the lead once again.

A long ball from the recently returned from France Conal Maskey (who was hurling probably his best game this year) broke to the left wing where McStein again was first to react to score another point from 15m out on the left.

Cutting the ball

Niall Rooney was then pushed in the back by his marker and Conor McStein duly obliged with the 25m free to leave the South Antrim men 0:09 to 1:03 in front. Simon McCrory then fed another good ball into the left corner for Conor McStein to collect and fire over another point to leave the scores at the interval Shane O’Neills 1:03 St.Johns 0:10.

Upon resumption Tony Ferran shot wide in the first minute before Chris Watterson pointed for Shane O’Neills. Then a minute later a long ball into the Johnnies full forward line for Kevin Kennedy to latch onto and goal to leave the scores 1:10 to 1:04 in the Johnnies favour. John O’Boyle then missed a pointable chance for the Glensmen before St.Johns substitute Eoghan Caldwell was fouled by Martin Ward and Conor McStein pointed the resulting 30m free. A long ball from midfield from Blain McDermott into the Johnnies defence resulting in a foul on Kevin Cottrell but he missed his easy 20 yard free. Benny McDermott then appeared in the thick of the Johnnies defence and goaled to leave the scores St.Johns 1:11 (14) Shane O’Neills 2:04(10) with ten minutes to go. Adrian Oliver then popped up and produced a good goal under pressure for St.Johns. This was followed by a sharp point from Eoghan Caldwell a minute later from 25m on the left. Martin Ward then brought down young Caldwell and Caldwell pointed his free before Pat McAuley goaled for Shane O’Neills for the last score of the game.

Ciaran Campbell, Pat McAuley and the over zealous Martin Ward had good games for Shane O’Neill’s as did the excellent Blain McDermott and Benny McDermott.

For St.Johns a mixed bunch of performances as the management gave a lot of people a chance in different positions. Conor McStein and Conal Maskey were excellent overall. Jimmy Peoples, Simon McCrory and Barry McFall had good games in new positions. John Meade, Tony Ferran , Fionntain McKillop, Eoghan Caldwell and the robust Adrian Oliver also played well.

Shane O’Neills

Shane O’Neills Glenarm: 1.N.Hamill 2.Sean Moran 3.Martin Ward 4.Dean Mitchell 5.Ciaran Campbell 6.Blain McDermott 7.Chris Matthews 8.Benny McDermott 9.Chris Watterson 10.Pat McAuley 11.Leo McAuley 12.John O’Boyle 13.Conal Ward 14.Kevin Cottrell 15.M.Abram

Scorers: M.Abram 1:00, Pat McAuley 1:00,Benny McDermott 1:00, Blain McDermott 0:02(1f), Chris Watterson 0:01, Kevin Cottrell 0:01.

St.Johns 1.Paul Gribbin 2.Colm McFall 3.Liam Knocker 4.Jimmy Peoples 5.Simon McCrory 6.John Meade 7.Conal Maskey 8.Liam Boyle 9.Dermott Hartigan 10.Adrian Oliver 11.Tony Ferran 12.Fionntain McKillop 13.Kevin Kennedy 14.Niall Rooney 15.Conor McStein

Substitutes: 16.Sean Rooney 35mins, 17.Kevin McGuinness 25mins18.Peter McGarrity 25mins,19.Barry McFall 25mins ,20 Brendan McGibbon 35mins 21Brian Holmes 30mins 22 Eoghan Caldwell 35mins.

St.Johns Scorers: Conor McStein 0:06(2f), Adrian Oliver 1:01, Kevin Kennedy 1:00, Fionntain McKillop 0:02, Eoghan Caldwell 0:02(1f), Tony Ferran 0:01, Liam Boyle 0:01.

Referee :Frankie Quinn (With a tan to put George Hamilton in the shade!)