Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship, Group One
O'Donovan Rossa 6-26 Clooney Gaels 2-16
A MERCILESS Rossa sealed second place in Group One of the Antrim Senior Hurling Championship as they were in the goalscoring mood to put Clooney Gaels away on home turf on Friday.
Going into the game, there was still an outside chance the city side could be eliminated should the visitors score a big win to put themselves through, but any thoughts that scenario might come to pass were wiped out long before half-time.
The hosts hit three goals in either half with Aodhán O'Brien netting a hat-trick on an evening when he was at his brilliant best but he was just one of 10 Rossa scorers with Dominic McEnhill and Thomas Morgan hitting 1-4 apiece.
They won't be happy with the concession of two goals but they faced a Clooney side that wouldn't say die and led brilliantly by James O'Connell and Patrick Graham, the Ahoghill outfit kept going to the last, even though any hopes of progression to the knockout stage were gone.
There was no time wasted from the off as Declasn McCartney opened the Rossa scoring after just six seconds with James O'Connell levelling before we had a minute played.
O'Connell nudged Clooney ahead from a free, but it would be the only time their noses were in front as after Gerard Walsh levelled, while Dominic McEnhill took advantage of the visitors not clearing their lines to nip in and squeeze a shot inside.
He would punish them again from the poc-out that wasn't gathered and McEnhill nipped in to gather and go low this time for the game's opening goal on eight minutes.
Gerard Walsh rises high to fetch 
Clooney kept pace for a while with O'Connell and Eoin Graham pointing either side of Dara Rocks' first of the evening and while their goalkeeper Francis Neeson would deny Aodhán O'Brien in this time, he could do nothing on 14 minutes as O'Brien gathered in a ruck after Walsh's long delivery, spun and sent a bullet past him.
O'Brien netted again a minute later with Eoin Trainor the provider to put three goals between the sides and the hosts powered on with Thomas Morgan and Trainor also chipping in with scores.
It was already looking a tough task for Clooney but they pulled a goal back when Patrick Graham broke through, passed to Eoin Graham who in turn found PJ O'Connell to grab the goal.
They could actually have had one before but James O'Connell's 20-metre free came off the post.
But it would be Rossa leading 3-11 to 1-7 at the half as McEnhill landed a beatuty and Walsh knocked over their only score of the half from a free.
It took Rossa a little longer to get on the board after the restart, 10 seconds this time, with Stephen Beatty getting on the board.
The scores began to flow through Walsh McEnhill, Morgan and Trainor with O'Connell and Patrick Graham getting on the board for the visitors, but Clooney's persistence would be rewarded with their second goal on 43 minutes as substitute Colla McDonnell put Eoin Graham in to finish.
Dominic McEnhill lines up a shot 
But four minutes later, O'Brien would hit back to complete his hat-trick as he displayed silky skills to put himself away to finish low, pushing the gap out to 14.
Stephen Shannon and O'Connell traded points before Rossa's fifth goal and this time it was Morgan whose low shot was saved by Neeson, but the sliotar spun up and in, cruel luck on the Clooney goalkeeper who made some excellent stops in the game.
Rossa continued to pile on the points with the Clooney resistance mainly coming from Graham, but Fionnbar O'Neill would land a monster score of his own.
The evening was wrapped up for the hosts with substitute Diarmaid Rogan, who had earlier pointed, benefitted from great build-up play from O'Brien to crack home and send Rossa into the quarter-finals in fine stead.
ROSSA: M Devlin; C Orchin, C Shannon, A Orchin; S Shannon (0-1), C McGuinness, P Short; D McCartney (0-1), E Trainor (0-3); D Rocks (0-2), S Beatty (0-2), G Walsh (0-6, 2 frees); T Morgan (1-4), D McEnhill (1-4), A O'Brien (3-2).
Subs: C Boyle for A Orchin (39), D Rogan (1-1) for D McCartney (50), M Murray for S Beatty (51), C McGettigan for P Short (53), N Devlin for C Orchin (55)
CLOONEY GAELS: F Neeson; H O'Donnell, J Magee, C McCloskey; F O'Neill (0-1), B Graham, D O'Neill; E Brady, O Neeson; R Graham, D Graham (0-1), P Graham (0-4); PJ O'Connell (1-1), E Graham (1-1), J O'Connell (0-8, 4 frees).
Subs: G Graham for J Magee (38), C McDonnell for G Graham (40), S Neeson for H O’Donnell (50), P Dougan for E Graham (57)
REFEREE: Kevin Parke (Naomh Éanna)
