Middletown 1-13 Castleblayney 0-17
CASTLEBLAYNEY caused an upset at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds on Saturday when they bravely battled past Middletown to book their place in the semi-finals of the Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship.
Kevin Moloney’s men led for the majority of the game, but when Middletown youngster Rory Grimes buried a 45th-minute goal, it looked like the Armagh side were going to take control.
‘Blayney held firm and showed serious resilience to land the final two scores of the night, both through Niall Garland, to edge through by the minimum of margins.
Middletown will rue their missed chances, with their wide count growing to 16 by full-time.
It was the visiting side that made the better start, with Mark Treanor and Garland (free) landing scores inside the opening two minutes.
Grimes got Middletown up and running, although his effort was cancelled out by Declan Hughes.
Garland and Nathan Curry traded scores, as did Brian McGuigan and Ben Toal, before Ryan Gaffney made it a one-point game.
Cormac McNally and Thomas Hughes found their range while Curry (free) kept his side in touch.
Two more from the impressive Hughes, along with scores by Treanor and Fergal Rafter, widened the gap but Curry had the final say of the half, slotting over his third while ‘Blayney headed into the changing room the happier of the two, leading 11-6.
Middletown hit four of the first five points after the turnaround as their defence, led by Paddy McBride, began to get on top but it wasn’t until that Grimes goal, coming via a powerful run from Charlie McArdle, that Middletown nudged ahead.
Castleblayney hung in and Garland claimed three of the final four points, including the winner, to catch the headlines on a great night for the Monaghan champions.
Scorers
Middletown R Grimes 1-2; N Curry 0-5 (4f); C McArdle, R Gaffney, S McGuinness (1f), C Gormley, B Toal & C Carvill 0-1 each
Castleblayney N Garland 0-6 (4f); T Hughes 0-4; M Treanor & D Hughes 0-2 each; F Rafter, C McNally & B McGuigan 0-1 each
Lisbellaw 2-11 Swatragh 2-16
TWO clinically-executed goals in the space of four minutes were key as a sharper Swatragh side had too much power for a game but outgunned Lisbellaw in Brewster Park.
The excellent P J O’Connell grabbed the first and late starter Mick McCormack landed the second to put his side into a 2-5 to 0-6 lead by the 22nd minute.
It was a lead the hard-working Derry side were never to lose and gave them momentum to move on to a convincing win.
Lisbellaw had the ball in the net in the 63rd minute from towering centre-forward J P McGarry but it merely put a gloss on matters.
Their talisman John Duffy had a penalty 10 minutes from time, but he uncharacteristically failed to rise the sliotar and his effort from the ground flew past the post.
But there was no doubting Swatragh’s superiority as O’Connell and centre-back James Friel produced commanding displays and were well supported by the pacey Sean Martin Quinn, Paul Cunning and excellent keeper Niall McQuillan.
Swatragh opened the scoring when lively wing-forward Sean Martin sped through the ‘Law defence and arrowed over a fine point.
Their cultured centre-forward Paul Cunning doubled that lead as Lisbellaw looked under early pressure.
A Caolan Duffy free got them off the mark in the ninth minute and that set the scene for a cracking encounter.
Lisbellaw put on a bit of a spurt and hit two points in the space of 90 seconds from veteran J P McGarry and Sean Corrigan,
Swatragh’s James Friel tied matters from a free but the ‘Law hit back with an intricate move of the match that ended with John Duffy hammering over a fine point to put the Ernesiders into a 0-4 to 0-3 lead.
Swatragh hit three wides from scorable chances before O’Connell levelled matters only for Caolan Duffy to edge the ‘Law into a 0-6 to 0-5 lead.
Swatragh struck for a crucial goal in the 17th minute when O’Connell found himself in space deep inside the ‘Law defence and he rifled the sliotar to the roof of the net.
O’Connell turned provider five minutes later when he flicked the sliotar across the ‘Law square and McCormack scooped the ball to the net from six yards.
O’Connell and Sean Martin Quinn added points and Caolan Duffy (0-2) responded for the ‘Law as Swatragh led by 2-7 to 0-8 at the break.
Paul Cunning and Caolan Duffy swapped points on the resumption with Sean Martin Quinn and James Friel exchanging points with Adam McShea.
Friel and Duffy exchanged frees and O’Connell put the winners into a 2-13 to 0-11 lead by the 48th minute.
Lisbellaw moved John Paul McGarry into full-forward for the second half and he made his presence felt. But Duffy’s missed penalty ended their hopes of a comeback although the ‘Law kept battling to the very end.
Four minutes of extra time were played in which McGarry goaled, but it was too little too late.
Carrickmore 0-20 Carey Faughs 2-14 (after extra-time; Carey won 3-2 on pens)
CAREY Faughs took it all the way to penalties by sheer heart and an unbreakable resolve to succeed, staying alive in a thrilling Ulster Club IHC quarter-final with late equalisers deep into stoppage time at the end of normal time and again in extra-time.
Last year’s beaten finalists Carrickmore just couldn’t shake a stubborn opponent and they emptied the tank with a passionate display at Pairc Colmcille.
And when it came to the shoot-out, they refused to bend, claiming victory with a couple of fine saves by Steven McGinn.
The Tyrone champions had built up a three-point lead by the end of the opening quarter, through Sean Óg Grogan, Justin Kelly and Aidy Kelly, whose free-taking was exceptional throughout the contest.
But they were denied time and again by a defence in which Patrick Gillan, Sean McBride and sweeper John McBride stood tall.
The physically stronger Faughs side imposed themselves on the midfield battle through Caolan McCaughan and James McCouaig, and a 1-2 volley saw them ease in front 10 minutes before the break.
It was Conlith McKinley who finished to the net from close range after a long ball from John McBride was not cleared to safety.
The energy of Oisin Daly and Aidan Woods troubled the Carey rearguard, and with Kelly finding the range with ease, Eire Og clawed it back, but trailed by a point at the break, 0-8 to 1-6.
A strong start to the second half saw Kelly open out a two-point lead, as they pressed strongly with men in support, in contrast to Carey’s long-ball game, which often came unstuck due to a colossal display by centre-back Dermot Begley.
But the Saffron champions trusted their approach, closing the gap through McKinley and Conall McGlynn.
Conor Grogan eased Eire Óg ahead in stoppage time, but there was still time for McKinley to find an equaliser, tying it up at 0-15 to 1-12.
Seamus Sweeney and Kelly had Eire Óg ahead by a point midway through extra-time, but McGlynn got in for a vital goal just seconds after the restart.
Again, the Carrickmore men dug deep with points from Justin Kelly and Aidy Kelly, but again were denied by a stoppage-time leveller, this time from McCouaig.
The penalty shoot-out saw McKinley, James Black and Conor McBride net for the Faughs, while Begley and Woods were on target for the Eire Ógs, and it was goalkeeper Steven McGinn who clinched it with saves from Aidy Kelly and Conor McElhatton.
Match stats
Eire Og C McElhatton; M Kelly, D Rafferty, A Crossan; B McGurk (0-1), D Begley, C Grogan (0-2); C Munroe, S Sweeney (0-1); O Daly (0-2), A Kelly (0-10, 6f), D Sweeney; A Woods (0-1), S Og Grogan (0-1), J Kelly (0-2).
Carey Faughs: S McGinn; Z McCaughan, S McBride, P Gillan; M McVeigh, J Black, C McGlynn (1-7, 0-6f); C McCaughan (0-1), J McCouaig (0-2); C McKinley (1-2), C McBride (0-2), J McBride; S Hunter, E Hill, C Cane.
Bredagh 0-23 Burt 1-18
BREDAGH breathed a sigh of relief when referee Tarlach Conway sounded the full-time whistle as they’d survived a late Burt onslaught to book their place in the semi-finals of the Ulster IHC where they’ll face Swatragh.
A brilliant burst at the start of the second period saw the Down champions, playing on home turf at Pairc Esler, pull ahead by six points and it looked as though they would comfortably cruise over the finish line.
But Burt battled ferociously hard to remain in the encounter, led by the impressive Liam McKinney, and a fortuitous goal right on the 52nd-minute mark ensured a nervy final few minutes for both teams.
Kieran Brady’s effort dropped harmlessly in around the square, but Bredagh defender Mel Lavery failed to deal with it and when the ball bounced off his hand to dribble over the line, it was game on.
The sides were fairly evenly matched during the opening exchanges and were tied 0-5 apiece after 20 minutes of action. A sensational score from close to the sideline by McKinney nudged his side ahead before Bredagh took control to lead 0-12 to 0-10 at the break.
The eye-catching Donal Hughes extended the margin 10 seconds into the second period and that inspired his team-mates, including goalkeeper Ian Galway, who turned away a Brady effort with a fabulous save.
Eoin Kennedy posted his third of the day to stretch the gap to six before McKinney, who finished with 0-14, rattled over a brace. Then came the goal which tied things up, but Bredagh’s star man Hughes along with Kennedy, edged them in front once again.
McKinney swooped to the rescue and nailed two opportunities to tie things up, but Donal Sheehan’s Down men finished the stronger with three of the final four points to book their place in the semi-finals.
Scorers
Bredagh D Hughes 0-6; B Christie 0-5 (4f); T Sheehan (2f) & E Kennedy 0-3 each; M Patterson 0-2, R McCampbell, J Hanrahan, J McCollum & S Hughes 0-1; Own goal 1-0
Burt L McKinney 0-14 (12f); A McKinney 0-2, K Brady 0-1, C Gartland 0-1
