O'Neills Antrim Hurling League Division One
St John’s 1-20 Ballycran 0-23
St John’s and Ballycran served up a score-fest thriller at Corrigan Park on Wednesday evening.
In a game of many twists and turns, it was the Corrigan Park side who threatened to run away with it early on, but they were thankful to Oisin MacManus who fired over the equaliser deep in injury time to give them a share of the points.
It was the Johnnies who came flying out of the start traps with Ruairi Galbraith firing to the Ballycran net after 10 seconds and the same player followed with a point with the game still in the opening minute.
Aaron Bradley added a point to move the Johnnies five ahead before Conor Woods got the visitors off the mark with a long-range point in the third minute.
Poacher turned net minder, Domhnal Nugent pulled off a good save as the visitors fought to get back into contention, but slowly the men from the Ards started to settle and reel in the opposition.
Paul Sheehan, Chris Egan, Connor Dorrian, Phelim Savage and the impressive Egen again hit five unanswered points to edge Ballycran ahead for the first time after 10 exhilarating minutes before Donal Carson levelled the contest for the second time with 12 minutes gone.
It was now St John’s turn to enjoy a period of dominance and Danaan McKeogh, Oisin MacManus (65) and a long-range free, Donall Carson and a great long-range effort from Shea Shannon moved them five ahead.
The game was being played at a blistering pace as Paul Sheehan and Oisin MacManus exchanged points and another brace of points from Sheehan, the second a superb side-line cut, kept the visitors in touch.
Play continued to swing end to end as Ruairi Galbraith for the Whiterock side and the increasingly influential Sheehan exchanged further minors before the visitors were handed the opportunity of drawing level but Domhnal Nugent pulled off a fine stop from a penalty to leave his side three ahead at the break, 1-10 to 0-10.
Paul Sheehan narrowed the gap to two on the restart from a long-range free and it was then the turn of Stephen Keith in the Ballycran goals to come to his side’s rescue with a good save from Galbraith.
The pace and intensity of the game was unrelenting as Oisin MacManus (65) and Danaan McKeogh moved the Johnnies four ahead with free taker, Sheehan replying from a free and a ‘65’ to keep the visitors very much in touch.
Michael Dudley moved the hosts three in front with a good point from out on the left but Ballycran were coming more and more into the game with David Gilliland, Conor Woods and Chris Egan responding with points.
Caoimhin Hanna replaced Michial Dudley on the St John’s side as the game entered the final quarter, as Shea Shannon struck a monster point from deep in his own half for the Whiterock side, but it brought another response from their visitors.
Paul Sheehan continued to produce a masterful display of free taking as he hit the next three scores, the third from a sideline cut, his second of the afternoon and Michael Hughes added another from play and the fat was very much back in the fire.
It was St John’s turn to respond and Oisin MacManus (f), Michael Bradley and Donal Carson brought a loud cheer from the Corrigan faithful as they sensed another important victory but this drama was far from over.
Sheehan hit a fine point from play for the Ards men and Nugent in the St John’s goals pulled off another good save before Oisin MacManus appeared to have given the home side the points when he converted a free in the 33rd minute.
Referee Darren McKeown deemed there was still time to play and Chris Eagen equalised before Jake Miskimmin looked to have won it for the Down men, but there would be one more play to come.
MacManus struck the equaliser for the Whiterock side deep into injury time to the relief of the home faithful and the disappointment of Ballycran who had to settle for the point in the end.
A great game of hurling highlighted by excellent long-range points from play, superb free-taking and end-to-end hurling where fortunes swayed and flowed with the result in doubt right up to the final whistle.
