O'Neills Sportswear Antrim Hurling League Division One
O'Donovan Rossa 0-25 St John's 0-17
A STRONG second half on Wednesday evening saw Rossa pull clear of St John's on home turf to make it back-to-back wins in Antrim hurling's Division One.
Aodhán O'Brien top-scored with 11 points for the victors who had eight different names on the board as they overturned a one-point deficit at the break to take advantage of the wind in the second period to power to the line.
For St John's, Michael and Aaron Bradley proved a good midfield partnership and they contributed 11 of their side's tally between them, but the visitors' evening was blighted by what looked to be a nasty injury to Peter McCallin who was helped off midway through the second half.
The game opened brightly with the impressive Eoin Trainor landing within the opening seconds, while Ruairi Galbraith took little time to respond at the other end. This set the tone for the opening 10 minutes as the sides went score-for-score.
Dara Rocks gets his shot off despite Domhnall Nugent's challenge 
O'Brien and Aaron Bradley traded, as did Dara Rocks and CJ McKenna before a pair of Bradley points helped St John's into a 0-6 to 0-4 lead.
The free-takers would continue to trade with the Rossa talisman landing to bring the gap down to one and then on 24 minutes, an excellent line ball in from Trainor resulted in a Rossa penalty as Dara Rocks was adjudged to have been impeded when tussling for the dropping ball.
However, St John's goalkeeper Declan Cregan made a stunning stop from O'Brien, low to his left to turn the sliotar around for a 65 that the Rossa man would convert to tie the game.
Thomas Morgan briefly nudged Rossa ahead once more, but CJ McKenna would benefit from the wind at his back to land from his own half and level, while Michael Bradley steered one from deep to help the Johnnies into a 0-9 to 08 advantage at the interval.
Michael Bradley in possession
They would stretch the lead early in the second period as Aaron Bradley judged the elements to perfection as his shot from play curled inside, but Rossa then began to enjoy the upper hand with Pearce Short bouncing off a challenge to score before O'Brien levelled from a free. He pointed another with Conal Shannon dropping over from deep as they now led by as many as they trailed by just minutes before.
Michael Bradley burst through for St John's points either side of another O'Brien free with the gap just one, but then came that injury to McCallin that forced a lengthy stoppage with the Johnnies' skipper helped off with an injury to his leg.
The play resumed with a Rossa sideline that Trainor spectacularly pointed and then from a similar position he went into the far corner where O'Brien gathered, spun and split the posts from an acute angle to push the gap out to three.
Eoghan McMenamin and Michael Bradley then traded, but Rossa were beginning to pull away with another three on the spin through Shannon, O'Brien and Stephen Beatty to double their advantage.
The Johnnies ate into the gap with Aaron Bradley and Jordan McAlister pointing as the game moved into what were 10 minutes of stoppage time.
Aodhán O'Brien gets away from Jack Bohill
Thomas Morgan kept the board ticking at the other end as the Johnnies were now chasing a goal to bring them right back into it and from a free around 25 metres out, Bradley had no option but to go low, yet there were too many bodies in the way as the ball was topped and eventually cleared.
Morgan, McMenamin and Beatty tagged on scores for Rossa to make the game safe with Niall McCallin forced to settle for a point at the other end when the attempted to lob a free in, but just as the game began, it was Eoin Trainor bursting away from challenges to lash over and complete a good win for Rossa over their rivals.
ROSSA: D Armstrong; C Shannon (0-2), C McGuinness, C Boyle; P Short (0-1), Stephen Shannon, R Murray; C Orchin, E Trainor (0-3, 1 sideline); Seaghan Shannon, S Beatty (0-2), A O'Brien (0-11, 8 frees, 1 65); D Rocks (0-1), E McMenamin (0-2) T Morgan (0-3).
Subs: J Kerr for R Murray (37), D Rogan for D Rocks (50).
ST JOHN'S: D Cregan; M Darragh, P McCallin, D McCallin; S Wilson, D Nugent, J Bohill; A Bradley (0-7, 4 frees), M Bradley (0-4); J McAllister (0-1), N McCallin (0-2, 1 free), CJ McKenna (0-2); R Galbraith (0-1), L Loughlin, L McCurdy.
Subs: O Donnelly for P McCallin (46), S Maxwell for L Loughlin (53), S Hughes for M Bradley (60).
REFEREE: Barry Winters (Dungannon)
Wednesday's results
O'Neills Sportswear Antrim Hurling League Division One
O'Donovan Rossa 0-25 St John's 0-17
Naomh Éanna 0-12 Loughgiel 2-24
Portaferry 1-14 Ballycran 1-20
Ballycastle 2-14 Dunloy 2-17
Cushendall 0-31 Carey 1-8
Division Two
Cushendun 1-15 Glenariffe 4-10
Tír na nÓg 1-15 St Paul's 1-15
Sarsfield's 0-14 St Gall's 2-11
Carryduff 2-20 Bredagh 0-7
Division Three
Glenravel 1-10 Cloughmills 1-17
Gort na Móna 2-8 Cuchullains 0-28
Rasharkin 2-20 Ballymena 1-18
Division Four
Loch Mór Dál gCais 2-13 Belfast Saints 1-17
St Brigid's 0-10 Davit's 7-24
Loughbeg Harps 0-11 Ardoyne 4-19
