09/10/04 Minors hurlers in County
Final with victory over Ballycastle
Minor Hurling Championship Semi Final - Casement Park
ST.JOHNS 3:13 (22)
BALLYCASTLE 4:07 (19)
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St. Johns Minor Hurlers reached their 2nd consecutive
Minor Hurling final with a three point victory over
Ballycastle at Casement Park on Saturday.
The game, which the Johnnies controlled for 70%
of the play, so very nearly was stolen from their
grasp with a marvellous Ballycastle revival during
the last fifteen minutes.
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St. John's Minor hurlers
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Liam Boyle opened the Johnnies account on three minutes
with a point which was closely followed with one from
the improving Tony Fearon. Jimmy Peoples then followed
suit with the Johnnies 3rd point on seven minutes from
a free after Fionntain McKillop was fouled. Ballycastles
first real attack resulted in Stephen McGarry shooting
just wide on eight minutes before the sharp Peoples again
latched on to a loose ball and pointed sharply from 25m
on the left. Daniel McLauglin was blood subbed shortly
afterwards with a nasty headwound for the ‘Castle.
Liam Boyle then picked up a ball on eleven minutes and
soloed towards the Ballycastle goal and released a handpass
to Jimmy Peoples who pointed without any fuss. Ballycastle
replied shortly afterwards when Gerard Hyndman was fouled
and Stephen McGarry pointed the resulting free for the
Glensmens first score on twenty minutes. John Meade who
was dominating his half forward line at this stage then
bulldozed his way through the heart of the Ballycastle
defence and kicked the sliotar to the net to give the
Johnnies a 1:05 to 0:01 lead. Martin Hunter then found
himself unmarked and out on the left wing and he sharply
took a point in reply for the ‘Castle.
St.Johns continued to press over the next ten minutes
and hammered a dozen balls into their full forward line
with the only return a solitary point from the hardworking
half forward Tony Fearon. Ryan Donnelly then replied for
Ballycastle after this onslaught with a good point after
a 30m run. Fionntain McKillop was then fouled on the edge
of the square and Jimmy Peoples popped over the free.(St
Johns 1:07 Ballycastle 0:03).
Simon McCrory who was clearly the dominant midfielder
on view then collected yet another ball and pointed from
45m out before McKillop collected a loose ball on the
right by-line and skipped past his marker to shoot with
a bouncing shot past the defenceless Fergal McIlroy to
give the Johnnies an unassailable half-time lead of 2:08
(14)to 0:03 …or so everyone thought.
Upon resumption Jimmy Peoples was fouled in the first
minute and promptly pointed his free from 25m on the left.
Ballycastle quickly replied with a superb 80m point from
Cathal McAuley. Conal Maskey who had been shining in flashes
brought down Stephen McGarry and McAuley promptly dispatched
the resulting free.
McKillop replied two minutes later with a sharp point
from 20m on the left.(St.Johns 2:10 (16) Ballycastle 0:05.)
Then Stephen McCarry combined excellently with Cormac
Donnelly for Donnelly to shoot to the Johhnies net from
15 yards.
Although at this stage there was no real sign that there
was a significant threat from Ballycastle particularly
with Meade, Peoples and McCrory on song this was all about
to change.
St.Johns further increased their lead with Tony Fearon
popping over another point after receiving a handpass
from a John Meade solo run. Meade again performing wonders
fed Jimmy Peoples who pulled a ground stroke from 15 yards
which went in off Daniel McLaughlin’s stick. With
15 minutes remaining St.Johns seemed to put their feet
up. With Meade switching into full-forward Ballycastle
began to mount an increasing number of attacks. Shane
Staunton collected a high dropping ball to shoot a good
goal from 15 yards. This was followed by a 25 yard diagonal
free from the left by Cathal McAuley(who had switched
to centre half forward)to the Johnnies net.
(3:11 (20) to 3:05(14)). With their tails well and truly
up the ‘Castle certainly sensed blood and when amazingly
with five minutes to go Cathal McAuley soloed through
the Johnnies defence and crashed a marvellous shot to
the top left corner of the Johnnies net the tension soared.(3:11
(20) ..4:05 (17))
Ballycastles no.20 substitute Martin Jameson the had
his chance for immortality when he doubled on a ball from
20 yards which to the relief of everyone in the blue and
white camp bounced back of the post with Johnnies goal
minder Gribbin left stranded.
McAuley piled further pressure on St.Johns with another
point to leave only 2 points in it before Tony Fearon
held his nerve in this furnace and popped over another
point off the bar before the final whistle.
Certainly the Johnnies got out off jail at the end of
this one but over the 70 minutes they clearly controlled
the play for 70% of the time.
St Johns had outstanding performances from John Meade
and the ever sharp Jimmy Peoples. Simon McCrory had an
excellent first half and Tony Fearon can be pleased with
his play over the game. The Johnnies defence as a whole
of Maskey, McFall, McGuinness, Knocker, McCann and particularly
Noel Rooney for the first 55 minutes out played their
Ballycastle counterparts and deserve full credit for this.
For Ballycastle we saw a top drawer performance from
the excellent Cathal McAuley however, he had good company
from Neil McAuley, Shane Staunton, Christy Boyle , Martin
Hunter, Stephen McGarry, Cormac Donnelly,Sean McLaughlin
and Eoin McHenry.
St.Johns: 1.Paul
Gribbin 2.Conal Maskey 3.Noel Rooney 4.Barry McFall 5.Kevin
McGuinness 6.Liam Knocker(Captain) 7.Gerard McCann 8.Colm
McFall 9.Simon McCrory 10.Tony Fearon 11.John Meade 12
Jimmy Peoples 13.Liam Boyle 14.Adrian Oliver 15.Fionntain
McKillop
Substitutes: 16.Peter McGarrity
17.Conor McStein 18.Eoghan Caldwell 19.Brian Holmes 20.Kevin
Kennedy 21.Ciaran McCurdy 22.Dermot Hartigan(chicken pox)
St. Johns Scorers: Jimmy
Peoples 1:05(3f) John Meade 1:01, Tony Fearon 0:04 Fionntain
McKillop 1:01, Liam Boyle 0:01 , Simon McCrory 0:01.
St. Johns Wides: 8.
Manager: Joe McCallin
Assistant Manager: Colm
McFall
Mentors: Robbie McConnell,
Morgan, Andrew McCallin, Michael Johnston.
Ballycastle :
1. Fergal McIlroy 2.Sean McLaughlin 3.Neil McAuley 4.Eoin
McHenry 5.Daniel McLaughlin 6.Cathal McAuley 7.David Donnelly
8.Christy Boyle (Captain) 9.Ryan Donnelly 10.Shane Staunton
11.Cormac Donnelly 12.Martin Hunter 13.Karl Fenton 14.Stephen
McGarry 15.Kevin Barry McShane
Substitutes: 16.Eamon McAfee
17.Mark Butler 18.Martin Scally 19.Gerard Elliott 20 Martin
Jameson 21.Gerard Hyndman 22.Daniel Maybin
Ballycastle Scorers: Cathal
McAuley 2:03(1:01f), Cormac Donnelly 1:00, Shane Staunton
1:00, Stephen McGarry 0:01(1f), Ryan Donnelly 0:01, Martin
Hunter 0:02
Ballycastle Wides: 7
Manager: Kevin Boyle
Mentors: Dessie Donnelly,
Brian Donnelly Terence Donnelly
