Antrim Hurling Division 1A

St John’s 1-19 Dunloy 4-19

Corrigan Park

SUNDAY afternoon saw St John’s welcome fellow title chasers Dunloy as the pair met for the second time in the league phase with the first drawing a low-scoring affair with the Johnnies clawing a single score victory in North Antrim.

The Johnnies looked to recover any slim chance they had of a league title after a mid-week loss at the hands of West Belfast rivals Rossa. The away side began the day in third, with a game in hand over league-leaders Rossa.

It was the home side who started the better after a flurry of early scores courtesy of Conor Johnston, Shea Shannon and Aaron Bradley who pointed in reply to Paul Shiels opening score for Dunloy. 

It was a much-depleted Johnnies squad with Jack Bohill and Oisin McManus both unavailable for the home-side. It didn't seem to trouble St John’s in the early period, who looked determined to write the wrongs of Wednesday’s defeat. A lovely piece of play from Ruairi Galbraith and Donal Carson saw the Johnnies off to a quick start. Galbraith controlled a fast-paced ball into the path of forward partner Donal Carson with the latter thumping his effort over the bar.

On the ten-minute mark Dunloy took control of proceedings, when they scored their first of four first half goals. Luke McFerrin struck his effort with conviction when Dunloy breached the St John’s backline to score an early goal.

The home-side were left dumb-founded when Nigel Elliot planted another goal past Domhnail Nugent in the Johnnies goal within seconds of the previous.

Elliot found a free run at net when Tom McFerran was able to hand-pass the ball into the midfielder’s stride, he bore down on goal and drilled an effort into the corner of the net, turning the game completely on its head.

Ryan McNulty and Aaron Bradley did reply to level proceedings on the 15th minute of play but Dunloy’s ruthlessness in front of goal proved devastating for the Corrigan Park natives.

Eoin O’Neill made it three goals in the space of eight minutes after Nigel Elliot found the space once again to turn on the afterburners into space. The St John’s backline had to stick or twist, choosing the latter allowing O’Neill to be freed up inside the 13-yard line, the forward collected the pass from Elliot and rifled another goal for Dunloy putting them clear by three with ten minutes remaining of the opening period.

RESILIANT: Johnnies kept going despite a strong Dunloy performance
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RESILIANT: Johnnies kept going despite a strong Dunloy performance

The Johnnies were determined not to let up when Conor Johnston scored a lovely point after a terrific use of the turf to keep his run down the wing legal. The forward bounced the ball into the surface to supplement the four-step count before gaining the space on his marker to point over the black spot, reducing the deficit to two scores.

Domhnaill Nugent did prevent what looked to be another goal for Dunloy. The Johnnies shot-stopper made a great block with his hurl, before using his strength and power to bulldoze out to clear his lines. Unfortunately for the home-side it was caught by Shiels who pucked over from short range, establishing a three-point lead between the sides.

Shea Shannon was cautioned before the break, proving the first of many to see the yellow during the affair.

Michael Bradley escapes his marker
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Michael Bradley escapes his marker

Cuchulainn’s re-established their first-half dominance with a fourth goal as the period ended.

Lightning struck twice for the away-side when Nigel Elliot fired home his side's fourth of the game after the floodgates seemed to open much to the disappointment of St John’s.

St John’s did enjoy a good scoring half with 15 points to their name, but that simply could not keep the travelling side at bay, after their Midas touch in front of goal granted them a six-score lead at the interval.

The first half seemed to have dampened the spirits of the Corrigan Park faithful, as the Johnnies felt no matter how many points they struck, their inability to find the net would prove decisive in the affair.

The early chances in the second half were few and far between, but on the 34th minute Dunloy looked destined for a fifth goal when Eoin O’Neill’s thunderous effort left the post reverberating, keeping St John’s alive, but only just.

Keelan Molloy did find the first score of the second period with a long-range point inside his half to split the uprights for his side, extending their already healthy lead.

HEATED: Tempers flared in the closing stages as Dunloy sealed victory
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HEATED: Tempers flared in the closing stages as Dunloy sealed victory

O’Neill looked on for a goal yet again as the mix-matched back-line of St John’s struggled to cope with the waves of attack from Dunloy. Ryan McNulty threw in a clean block to prevent the forward from finishing a fifth goal.

Sean Elliot sent his side into a double-figure lead with a quarter of an hour remaining.

The away side continued to threaten when Oran O’Kane and Keelan Molloy pointed from play, but the Johnnies did manage to show signs of life when Donal Carson found the net. The forward caught the long-ranged pass into his mittens before dropping the ball and kicking it into the Dunloy goal as the preceding scuffle with his marker rendered his hurl unavailable.

With less than five remaining on the clock tempers flared once again. Substitutes Dáire King and Phelim Duffin broke into a brawl after a St John’s attack went astray. The referee looked to his umpires for a decision, concluding that the Johnnies forward King required a red card with Duffin escaping with just the yellow.

The Johnnies were down by 11 scores and now reduced to 14 players, with all hope virtually gone at this stage of play.

Shea Shannon did manage to reduce the final score to nine for St John’s, but Dunloy ran out deserving winners as they go level with Rossa at the top of the table.

St John’s disappointing June sees them drift out of title contention after back-to-back home losses. A sore one to take given their fate was solely in their hands prior to the league's split.

The Whiterock Road side must now look to the Championship in a month's time, a chance to rectify their late season collapse.

St John’s: D Nugent, R Donnelly, C Morgan, O Carleton, D McGuinness, R McNulty, E McGurk, S Shannon 0-8 (0-7F), C Hanna, A Bradley 0-2, C Johnston 0-4, D McKeogh, D Carson 1-3, M Bradley, R Galbraith 0-2

Subs: C Flannery, D King, M Napier

Dunloy: R Elliot, E McFerran, C Kinsella, O O’Kane 0-1, K Molloy 0-6, R McGarry 0-1, K Molloy, A McGarry, N Elliot 2-0, T McFerran, N McKeague, L McFerran 1-3, E O’Neill 1-1, S Elliot 0-3 (2F, 1 65’), S Shiels 0-3

Subs: E Smyth, D Smith, O McCamphill, K O’Kane, G McTaggart, P Duffin, S Óg Blaney, C Elliot, R Cunning, O McCallin, R Mort 0-1