Dohert Woodshavings Antrim Hurling League Division One
St John's 1-14 O'Donovan Rossa 0-17

IT was honours even between St John's and Rossa at Corrigan Park as these old rivals took a point apiece in a rather forgettable Antrim Hurling League Division One clash on Wednesday evening.

As you would expect from a meeting of these old rivals, the exchanges were tough but fair, yet lacked any real quality with little free-flowing hurling over the hour that was dominated by the referee's whistle.

Indeed, this game could best be described as a free-taking contest with 23 of the 32 scores coming from placed balls and that tells its own story.

It's not that this was a dirty game, but rather one in which every slight indiscretion was punished with the change to the advantage rule that limits it to a clear goalscoring opportunity there in all its glory, as no longer is play allowed to develop for the five seconds, but pulled back immediately for the free.

This led to a game that was stop-start to say the least, with Rossa's Deaglan Murphy converting 13 of his sides 17 scores from placed balls, while Aaron Bradley had a similar return for the Johnnies with 12 - two from play - of his team's 15.

With county players absent, this gave both sides the chance to look at different players and in that regard this game was a fairly good early season workout, but both will feel there is plenty to work on in the weeks ahead.

Murphy edged the visitors ahead early only for Oisin Donnelly to land a fine point from play out on the left and this would set the tone for the game with the sides virtually going score-for-score throughout.

After an exchange of frees, Dara Rock's registered Rossa's first from play on 14 minutes as he darted infield from the left and clipped over a tidy score.

He hit a second and his team's last from play for almost 40 minted with 19 gone to make it 0-5 to 0-4 for the visitors before the only goal of the game arrived on 21 minutes when Rossa goalkeeper Phil Crean opted to stop a long effort from sailing between the posts by batting down, but Donal Carson was lurking to latch onto the loose slitter and whip home to put the Johnnies two clear.

A pair of Murphy frees had the game tied again, but St John's edged back ahead thanks to an Aaron Bradley score from play on the left, only for Murphy to knock over his sixth free of the first half to leave the sides level at the break with he score 1-5 to 0-8.

Things did improve a tad after the break with the pace increasing and there was hope that the game may settle down as St John's edged back in front just 30 seconds in when Carson pointed on the turn, but the game soon returned to its familiar pattern with the free-takers taking centre stage for the remainder of the third quarter.

A pair from Murphy gave Rossa a 0-13 to 1-8 lead by the water break, but back came St John's with Bradley converting three-in-a-row and then he split the posts from play after taking a fine cross field pass from Aidan McMahon to put the hosts two clear with 53 gone.

This remained the gap when Rossa finally managed to register from play as on 58 minutes, Thomas Morgan clipped over and then as the game ticked into stoppage time, a good line-ball into the right corner found Seaghan Shannon who split the uprights from a tight angle.

Bradley converted a free at the other end to put the Johnnies back in front, but Murphy responded in kind at the other end to level the game for the 12th and final time.

The Rossa man did have a chance at the death from a free inside his own half, but the shot tailed to the right and wide in what proved to be the last act of a game in which a draw would have been hard to argue with.
  
ST JOHN'S: D Moran; J Bohill, R McNulty, S Wilson; S Tierney, C Morgan, C Carson; A McGowan, C Hanna; A McMahon, O Donnelly (0-1), M Dudley; A Bradley (0-12, 10 frees, 1 65), D McKeogh, D Carson (1-1). Sub: CJ McKenna for D McKeogh (29). Blood sub: CJ McKenna for R McNulty (8-12).

ROSSA: P Crean; C Orchin, C McGuinness, E O'Neill; M McGreevy, M Armstrong, Stephen Shannon; Deaglan Murphy (0-13 frees), Seaghan Shannon (0-1); T Morgan (0-1), E Trainor, C Shannon; D Rocks (0-2), Daire Murphy, S Beatty. Sub: D McEnhill for C Orchin (HT).

REFEREE: Colum Cunning (Dunloy)