St Brigid’s input to Antrim’s All County U16 B hurling championship final
Tuesday 5th October 2010 in Casement Park, Belfast
St Agnes (St Brigid’s St.Agnes’ Eire Og) (5-09) St.Mary’s Rasharkin (1-09)
This was a great St Agnes team victory, won using total focus on the sliotar, determination to get to the ball first and a will to win every sliotar including a good measure of first class hurling.
St Brigid’s diamond(s) force at mid field consisted of Conal Kelly (Centre half forward), Cathal Conway (Mid Field), Fearghal Leyden (Midfield) and Garrett Mulholland (centre half back). It was they who made it possible for St Agnes to overcome a proud St Mary’s Rasharkin under floodlights at Casement Park. Goalkeeper extraordinaire Gerard Henvey combined great fielding, slight of turn with clever accurate puck outs including a penalty save to boot to keep a gritty St Mary’s at bay.
In the second half Jack Hamill, Jack O’Kane and Jonathan Dillon were delighted to enter the fray and represent St Agnes and St Brigid’s in this great victory.
Game Summary: Within 2 minutes Conal Kelly had registered the first well taken point from play. This was followed by a point from Rasharkin’s Fergus Lynch. From the 65m line Garrett Mulholland then launched the sliotar to the edge of the small parallelogram where Joe Robinson wiped it into the net. A great goal! Then Enda McFerran of St Mary’s scored two points, one from a free and one from play.
After 12 minutes: St Agnes 1-1 St Mary’s 0-3
Midfield: The high fielding of Cathal Conway linking with fleet of foot and astute sliotar distribution of Feargal Leyden kept the pressure on St Mary’s backs. On the thirteenth minute top of the right Tiernan Monaghan fed by right half back Conor Comptston of St Agnes increased the lead to 2 points. The sheer pace of Conor Phelan, captain of St Agnes, at right half forward, left the St Mary’s half backs for dead, wiping the sliotar over the bar. After another Pele attack of sheer pace, the sliotar hit the cross bar, rebounded to Tirenan who kicked the ball to the net. On the 25minute Enda McFerran of St Mary’s replied with a point, this was followed by a free from Donagh Quigley of St Mary’s. Again the endeavor and work rate of St Agnes mid field and half backs prevailed. Conor Phelan converted a final point in the first half for St Agnes. Tenacious defending from half backs Conor Comptston, Garrett Mulholland and Cormac Flannery kept St Mary’s half forwards on the back foot.
Half time scores: St Agnes 2-5 St Mary’s Rasharkin 0-6.
St Agnes had won the first half and knew that Rasharkin would re-group and put up a fierce counter attach in the second half particularly in the first ten minutes. So St Agnes players had to raise their game. They all responded to great effect.
Initially St Mary’s took the game to St Agnes with their corner forward McFerran scoring a goal. However, great ground work battling by Mulholland fed the powerful Conway who flicked it to captain Phelen who raised the net for St Agnes. Leyden and Conway took control of midfield feeding centre half forward Kelly with plenty of ball who slotted over two points from play. McFerran of St Mary’s slotted over his seventh point from a free. After seventeen minutes sub Brian Crossan immediately pointed. From 60 yards Garrett Mulholland scored from a free. At a late stage St Mary’s caused a fracas, they were facing defeat. Brian Crossan scored two goals from play to finish off a great St Agnes performance.
Final Score: St Agnes 5-9 St Mary’s 1-9
St Agnes, St Brigid’s, Eire Og Abu!!
St Agnes: Gerard Henvey (Goalkeeper) David Boyd (Left Full Back) Ryan Reilly (Centre Full Back) Daniel McConnell ( Right Full Back) Conor Comptston (Right Half Back) Garrett Mulholland (Centre Half Back) Cormac Flannery (Left Half Back) Fearghal Leyden (Midfield) Cathal Conway (Midfield) Conor Phelen (Right Half Forward) Conal Kelly (Centre Half Forward) Coiln Mallon (Left Half Forward) Tirenan Monaghan (Right Full Forward) Joe Robinson (Full Forward) John Erskine (Left Full Forward)
Substitutes: Brian Crossan, Ben Toner, Jack O’Kane, Jack Hamill, Jonathan Dillon, Donal Rooney, Ciaran Mohan
St Mary’s Rasharkin: Conor Doherty, Aaron Henderson, Aidan McKeever, Emmett McFerran, Cathal O’Hagan, Kieran Kelly, Pearse Kearns, Enda McFerran, Kelan Darragh, John Henderson, Kieran Hardy, Peter McLarnon, Donagh Quigg, Fergus Lynch, Conor McFerran,Chris McFerran, Dermot Carey, Jack Quinn, Eoghan Kennedy
The journey began last October 09 with 16 weekly indoor wall ball training sessions at Rathmore Grammar School on a Tuesday nights. Early April training started outdoors on Monday evenings at Woodlands with matches on Sunday. Skill focus fitness and attendance were in short supply the league was difficult with one win against Eoghan Ruadh. However the first inkling that a team of strength would emerged was a narrow defeat to Lamh Dearg on 2 May 10. Preparation for the championship increased training to two sessions per week. Our first championship challenge was on 30 May against St Galls. On this day, with only 13 players, a great performance against St Galls made it clear to the coaches a bright future was looking at us in the U16 B hurling championship. All players responded. Talisman Fearghal Leyden returned from a long injury. Numbers increased. In the next round of the championship St Agnes defeated Sarsfields. Next up Setanta at Casement Park a combination of: St Paul’s, Gortnamona, and O ‘Donnels were turned over by St Agnes. This was a great South Antrim championship victory. The icing on the cake was victory at Antrim’s All County U16 B hurling championship final.
St Agnes, St Brigid’s, Eire Og Abu!!
Throughout the year coaches: Michael McGranaghan, Hugh Grieve, Peter Leyden, Kevin Grieve and Gerard Mulholland made every effort to give our boys, who are now men, the gift of hurling. There is no doubt this gift was gratefully received and accepted.
This game was the curtain raiser to the Under 16 “A” final between St.John’s and St.Brendan’s under the lights at headquarters.
