09/01/05 Minors through to Ulster Final after titanic semi-final clash

Ulster Minor Hurling Championship Semi-Final.
Dean McGlinchey Park, Ballynascreen

St. Johns, Antrim 5:09 (24)
Cuchullains, Armagh 3.10 (19)

St. Johns Minor Hurlers battled out another titanic clash lasting 84 minutes with Cuchullains of Armagh on Sunday afternoon in Ballynascreen. In atrocious underfoot conditions both teams should be congratulated on serving up an exciting but at times bruising encounter. Indeed St. Johns Assistant Manager, Colm McFall felt before the game that St.Johns would have a " health and safety issue with the state of the pitch." Mentor Robbie McConnell also expressed his concerns with the underfoot conditions where he expressed concern over the risk of collisions and the sliotar sticking in the mud causing mass confrontations. These views were compounded with the sight of the Ballynascreen groundsmen sponging up excess water before the game and at the half time interval. But referee Martin Mulholland of Slaughtneil decided that the pitch was playable and so the match began.

Jimmy Peoples opened the Johnnies account in the very first minute with a 30m free from the right. This was followed a minute later with a high speculative ball from Liam Boyle which goal minder JJ Clarke lost sight of in the low winter sun and fumbled to the net. Boyle, again shot wide shortly afterwards before he pointed a superb 60m strike to further increase the Johnnies lead 1:02 to 0:00. St.Johns midfielder Colm McFall then received a strong blow across his face guard and needed to be blood subbed by Gerard McCann. Fionntain McKillop then broke on a 20M solo run on the left wing before being cut down. Peoples duely oblidged with the resulting free. Adrian Oliver then collected under pressure and fed the on-form Boyle who popped over his 3rd score from play on 14 minutes. Barry McFall followed this two minutes later to give St. Johns a 1:05 to 0:00 lead.

Cuchullains goal minder JJ.Clarke saved brilliantly from Peoples but was left unprotected by his defence and he unfortunately conceded a 20M free. Peoples duely elected to go for goal and superbly blasted the 20M free to the roof of the overcrowded Cuchullains line. With 21 minutes of play gone Cuchullains still had yet to have a shot against St. Johns and were in serious disarray. Cuchullains Gerard Barton received a heavy "hit" and was winded. After a hold up of 3 minutes, play resumed and Boyle went close for the Antrim men with a rasping shot which goal minder JJ Clarke stopped well. John Meade was then fouled and Peoples pointed the resulting free. (2:06 to 0:00)

The tricky Fionntain McKillop was then scythed down by his marker who should have been red carded. Liam Knocker then broke through the Cuchullain midfield and released a hand pass to John Meade who pointed to leave the scores 2:07 to 0:00 with 32 minutes played. Declan Coulter who, by his standards, was anonymous in the 1st half then dropped a 55M free into the Johnnies box and this was nudged over the bar. The fact that Coulter didn't go directly for his point showed the drop in moral in the Cuchullains team with only two wides from frees in the first half to show for their limited incursions into the Johnnies half.

Peoples and particularly Boyles first half performances were excellent. They were well aided by the midfield pairing of Colm McFall and Simon McCrory who were dominant in this sector. Conal Maskey and Peter McGarrity likewise were showing great awareness in a dominant Johnnies defence.

HALF TIME:St.Johns 2:07 Cuchullains 0:01.

But this Cuchullains team had never been beaten in Championship Hurling since their formation at U-12 level and like all good teams they had a point to prove. They came storming out at the beginning of the 2nd period. Three points in the 1st three minutes from Toner, Coulter and Kane set passions alight and there followed an ugly scuffle between 20 players and yet surprisingly referee Martin Mulholland only booked two players. Cuchullains then switched their effective goal minder JJ Clarke out to the half forward line and brought on Kevin Doyle into goal.

Then Peoples soloed up the left wing and delivered a pass across the 21 for Boyle to catch and drive strongly to the Cuchullains net. This was followed two minutes later by a sideline cut from Colm McFall which was collected by his brother Barry who soloed across the 21 and shot to the bottom right corner to leave the Johnnies with an unassailable lead of 4:07 (19) to 0:04 with 22 minutes of the 2nd half played and Cuchullains by any strength of the imagination dead in the water-literally!

But as with so many games one incident can change everything. Ciaran McCurdy was sent to the line after an off-the-ball scuffle with his marker and John Meade was switched to full-back. Cuchullains quickly set about exploiting their new found freedom in the backline. Eoghan Gribbon blasted a superb 25 yard strike to the Johnnies net. Then Coulter was scythed across his elbow as he soloed up the left wing (again the player responsible should have been red carded). Coulter pointed his free to leave the scores 4:07 to 1:05. Cormac Toner further pulled Cuchullains back into it with a fine point a minute later before Coulter again pointed after a 30m solo run.

Coulter then repeated what Peoples had done in the first half with a 20M free to the roof of the Johnnies net to leave the scores 4:07 to 2:07 with 9 minutes of normal time remaining. Colm McFall replied for the Antrim men with a fine hoisted point a minute later and this was followed by the sweetest of goals as Peoples broke through the Cuchullains defence to find himself 1 on 1 with the Cuchullains keeper. He deftly flicked the sliotar to the left and pulled on the ground from 20 yards to the net much to the relief of the blue and white management and supporters. (5:08 to 2:07)

But this Cuchullains team didn't understand the meaning of defeat. McNamara pulled another point back before the roving former goal minder JJ.Clarke hit the Johnnies net after a Coulter pass. Clifford and Moan pulled back two more points to leave only a goal between the sides before the stylish Colm McFall received a pass from Boyle to point and leave 4 points between the sides in the 12th minute of extra time. And with that referee Martin Mulholland brought an end to the proceedings.

An exciting encounter, physical yes and occasionally rough and the hurling was reduced in quality by the atrocious underfoot conditions but full credit to both teams who served up an entertaining afternoon for the 500 souls who braved the elements.
Cuchullains had good performances from JJ.Clarke, Eoghan Gribbin, Declan Coulter, Cormac Toner and Gerard Barton. For St. Johns Conal Maskey, Peter McGarrity,Simon McCrory, Colm McFall, Jimmy Peoples, John Meade and Liam Boyle who had a superb first half. The final has been provisionally set for Easter Tuesday where St.Johns will play Ballycran of Down.

St.Johns. 1.Brian Holmes, 2.Peter McGarrity 3.Ciaran McCurdy 4.Conal Maskey 5.Kevin McGuinness 6.Dermot Hartigan 7.Liam Knocker (Captain) 8.Colm McFall 9.Simon McCrory 10.Barry McFall 11.John Meade 12.Jimmy Peoples 13.Liam Boyle 14.Adrian Oliver 15.Fionntain McKillop
Substitutes 16.Gerard McCann (blood sub 5 minutes) 17.Conor McStein 18.Eoghan Caldwell.
St.Johns Scorers: Liam Boyle 2:02, Jimmy Peoples 2:03 (1:03 frees from 6 attempts), Barry McFall 1:01, Colm McFall 0:02.

Cuchullains : 1. JJ.Clarke, 2.S.Gribben, 3.Sean Fields, 4.J.Rolston 5.Eoghan Gribben, 6.G.Barton (Captain), 7.D.McMaus 8.C.Clifford 9.C.Kane 10.C.Toner 11.R.Donnelly 12.J.McNamara 13.P.Sherry 14.D.Coulter 15.L.Moen
Substitutes:16 K.Doyle for R Donnelly
Cuchullains Scorers: Declan Coulter 1:04 (1:01 frees from 6 attempts), Cormac Toner 0:02, Eoghan Gribben 1:00, JJ.Clarke 1:00, Ciaran Clifford 0:01, C.Kane 0:01, J.McNamara 0:01, L.Moen 0:01

Referee :Martin Mulholland Slaughtneil
Linesmen: Eddie Nash, Patrick Groogan , Ballynascreen.