Senior Hurling Championship Group B, Round One

Naomh Éanna 2-18

Naomh Eoin 0-24

AN inspired Niall O'Connor dragged St Enda's back from the dead in the final moments as his dead ball effort sailed over the bar to break the hearts of the Johnnies and salvage a last-gasp draw for his side on the Hightown Road.

The pair met for the first time in Championship action since last year's quarter-final which saw the Johnnies rack up a nine-point victory to earn a semi-final spot last autumn.

The sides entered the contest in opposite veins of form after St Enda's finished a less than impressive league campaign in mid-table.

The Johnnies, on the other hand, fought tooth and nail at the top until a defeat to Rossa at Corrigan Park ended their hopes of a league title.

Sunday's clash opened with a flurry of exchanged scores as Conor Hanna and Shea Shannon pointed for the Corrigan Park side before Niall O'Connor and Eoin Conlon restored the score to honours even in the first five minutes of play.

O'Connor was truly the man of the hour as the Johnnies could not deal with the county star's attacking prowess as he pointed his third in as many minutes on the 13th minute of play.

At the midway point of the half momentum was certainly in favour of the Glengormley men as their talisman was once again proving to be a thorn in the side of the St John's backline when he caused the green flags to be raised.

O'Connor bulldozed his way into the space and was unforgiving in his finish as he thumped the slíotar into the roof of the net for the first goal of the game.

Shea Shannon, meanwhile, pointed a brace either side of another O'Connor free.

The first half was a one-man show as the St Enda's forward continued his perfect aim and pointed in reply to a couple of points for the Johnnies courtesy of Odhran Carleton and Conor Johnston. 

With ten minutes remaining in the half, Ruairi Donaghy and Conor Johnston swapped scores.

LAST-GASP: The Johnnies saw victory snatched from them in dying momentsto a late flurry
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LAST-GASP: The Johnnies saw victory snatched from them in dying momentsto a late flurry

Eoin Conlon claimed a tremendous long-range effort for St Enda's and Donaghy followed up with a short range free to put three points between the sides.

Conor Johnston was on hand once again as his effort reduced the the scores to two points.

The Johnnies caught fire in the closing stages of the half when Oisin McManus struck a hat-trick of points before the break, two from set-pieces, earning his side a single-point advantage at the break.

The second half saw Niall O'Connor restore parity after a lovely point from distance, taking his personal tally to 1-6 for the afternoon.

Both sides went hell for leather and struggled to edge away from one another.

O'Connor's effort from a free inside his own 45 was not only an ambitious effort, but one expertly executed to the approving roar of the Hightown faithful.

Shea Shannon and Ruairi Galbraith pegged their opponents back once again before Joe Maskey replied for the home side to level the game once again.

As much as Niall O'Connor's prowess was key, the big moment looked to have came for brother Luke as he pounced after a scramble inside the box and dispatched his effort low and beyond Domhnaill Nugent in the St John's net.

Points from O'Connor and McManus left the scores at the minimum in favour of the West Belfast side but the Johnnies hit twice after a further reply from the sharpshooting Niall O'Connor when Galbraith and Shannon floated two points over moments later.

As the final whistle drew near tensions rose as the Johnnies led by two points on the 59th minute and likely would have held on except for the ill-discipline which saw the duo of Ciaran Johnston and Aaron Bradley dismissed after fouling St Enda's forwards as they were involved in a last ditch scramble to clear their lines.

The resulting free saw Niall O'Connor maintain the necessary composure to level the game with the final puck of the game.

The full-time score-line leaves both sides still in with a strong shout of progression, and Dunloy's demolition of Ballycastle could see both sides aiming to pip the North Antrim coastal side in their aim for knockout hurling. 

LINEUPS:

ST ENDA'S: N McGivern, R Eager, D Maguire, C McAllister, E Conlon 0-2, J Maskey 0-1, C Jennings, O Ó Cuinn, E O'Connor, M McGribbon, K Jennings, N O'Connor 1-10 (0-7f), L O'Connor 1-0, M Mullan, R Donaghy 0-5 (0-3F)

SUBS: M Curran, O Kennedy, R Gillen, O Breen, E Maguire, C Cormican, C McAllister

ST JOHN'S: D Nugent, R Donnelly, C Johnston, O Carleton, R McNulty, C Morgan, E McGurk, S Wilson, S Shannon, D McGuinness, C Johnston, M Dudley, R Galbraith, O McManus, A Bradley

SUBS: M Bradley, S Donnelly, P McCallion, A Donnelly, L Heenan, D McKeogh, J Wilson, C Hanna