Naomh Eoin Hurling Club notes

Back 16/09/2019 @ 09:38 | clubnotes | Naomh Eoin Hurling Club notes
Senior Hurling Championship:

Our senior hurlers were edged out by Western Gaels in an exciting Round 5 Sligo SHC game at Kent Park last Saturday afternoon by 3-16 to 1-17. Congratulations to the team who have however qualified in joint top of the group on 7 points and have drawn Western Gaels again in the senior hurling championship semi-final this Friday at 8.30pm in Tourlestrane or Scarden, venue to be confirmed. Easkey pipped us to top spot in the group on scoring difference, meaning that we finished second place and thus face the third placed team, Western Gaels, in the semi-final.

In the first half we faced into a stiff breeze which gave our opponents an advantage that they quickly converted into scores, as Western Gaels raced to a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after five minutes of play, with the accurate Tony O'Kelly-Lynch converting the first of his three first half points from placed balls. We managed six first half points in total with Paul Kilcoyne (2) and Liam Henry adding excellent scores from play. However the visitors were dominant in possession and Gaels wing forward Alan Cawley converted this dominance into scores from frees and play, as our depleted senior team struggled to cope with a determined opposition who had to win this game to join us in the semi-finals.

As the half wore on, the away team became more dominant and a goal from a close-in free from the hurl of their keeper David Barrett meant that we were behind by 11 points at the break with a scoreline of 1-11 to 0-6.

In the second half the tables were turned and our lads made quick work of eating into the deficit with a succession of scores, initiated by a well worked move leading to corner forward Fergal O'Kelly-Lynch finishing into the net after two minutes of play. His brothers Gerard and Tony contributed to a frequent series of scores but Gaels added a goal against the run of play from wing-back Bryan Moloney which arrested our comeback to a degree. However after 20 minutes we had cut the deficit to a solitary point as Paul Kilcoyne added two further points leaving the score at 1-16 to 2-14.

Western Gaels then staged a comeback as Alan Cawley (two frees) and Simon Wade (goal) stopped our second half fight back in its tracks. A succession of desperate attempts to reel back the six point deficit lead to only one score from our top performer Tony O'Kelly-Lynch and at full time the result was Western Gaels 3-16 Naomh Eoin 1-17.

Still it has been an excellent campaign to date and we hope that our supporters will help drive us over the line and reverse this result in the semi-final next Friday to send us into the SHC Final for the second year in succesion.

U-14 Hurling Championship:

​Well done our U-14 hurlers who have reached the championship final with a convincing win in the semifinal over Western Gaels last Thursday,  by 3-13 to 0-4 . They now play Benbulben Gaels in the final next Sunday at 12. Please support the team as they aim for a clean sweep of Sligo Feile, league and championship titles.

There were skillful and determined performances by the whole team with dynamic midfielder Robert O'Kelly-Lynch in particularly impressive form as he scored 1-8 from play and frees. he was ably supported by centre-forward Eli Rooney (0-3) and full forward Dara Mostyn (1-2). Defensively we repelled any Western Gaels with goalkeeper, Thomas Hargadon, and defenders, Stefan Roche, Conor Golden and Cory O'Dowd in determined form. John Corcoran worked his socks off at midfield and apart from chief forward scorers, Rooney and Mostyn, there were impressive displays from Ronan Niland and Liam Hargadon, who also got on the scoresheet with a goal in the second half.

Team: Thomas Hargadon; Aodhán Shovelin, Stefan Roche; Conor Golden, Cory O'Dowd, Harry Cawley; Robert O'Kelly-Lynch, John Corcoran; Ronan Niland, Eli Rooney, Tom Walsh; Cameron McDaniel, Dara Mostyn, Liam Hargadon.

Juvenile Training and Fixtures:

Training for 7-12 year old girls and boys continues at 12 on Saturdays in Kent Park. All are welcome.

Our U-16 hurlers have their Round 3 game in the Sligo SHC next Monday night away to Western Gaels in Enniscrone at 6.30pm.