Under
14 Hurling Championship Final:
Clonduff Vs Ballyvarley/Ballela
St Patrick’s under 14
hurlers came out on top in a very
competitive Down Hurling
Championship Final against Clonduff,
with joint captains Tony Hegarty and
Michael Downey lifting the first
underage trophy of the season. The
game played in Annsborough was
played in the correct spirit with
some excellent play and skills on
display from both sides, with the
game in the balance until late into
the second half.
St Patrick’s wearing
their red jersies started nervously
with Clonduff enjoying a lot of
early possession and coming close to
goaling after a few goalmouth
scrambles in the St Pats goalmouth.
Resiliently the Reds’ rerarguard,
aided by Conor Strain, Darragh Brady
and Thomas McKernan kept the
Hilltown lads scoreless, and then
got the first score of the match
with a great solo from Owen Magee
around midfield ending with him
flicking it over the bar from close
in.This spurred the locals on with
Patrick Mackin asserting his
physical presence to break through
the Clonduff defence and slot over
from wide on the left and on the
right before Tony Hegarty added a
fourth.
Clonduff despite being
four points down were well in the
game and they quickly showed this
with a well worked goal. Niall
McPolin and Shay Murnin were getting
the upper hand in midfield for the
Hilltown boys with Rian Branagan
showing well in their forward-line.
A pointed free soon after saw the
teams level and the impetus with the
yellow shirted Clonduff side.
The next ten minutes
were tight with players throwing
their bodies into tackles with a
tremendous amount of commitment from
both sets of players doing their
clubs proud. By this stage some of
the St Patrick’s boys stepped up
with Christopher Martin having a
tremendous game at half-back. The
next score was going to be crucial
and fortunately it came the way of
the Reds. The St Patrick’s forwards
won a free 50 yards out and
Christopher Martin was sent up to
take it. Christopher sent a high
lofting ball into the penalty area
and it dipped suddenly to hit the
net. This spurred on St Pats to grab
two more points through Patrick
Mackin, the second from an almost
impossible angle wide on the right.
With that the half-time whistle went
with the Reds in the ascendancy and
leading by five points.
HALF-TIME: Clonduff 1-1 Ballyvarley/Ballela
1-6
From the throw in
Clonduff were determined to get back
in the game and did so getting the
first score of the half with a
quickly pointed free from 30 yards
out. A point from play from Niall
McPolin reduced the deficit to a
single goal. For a five minute
spell St Patrick’s defence were
under severe pressure. Thomas
McKernan and Christopher Martin rose
to the occasion with some excellent
long range clearances to relieve the
St Pat’s defence. Darragh Brady,
Paul Colgan and Cathal McGrath aided
the cause with their best displays
of the season.
The St Patrick’s defence
needed some relieve and Tony Hegarty
and Michael Downey provided it by
winning some frees, allowing the
back-line to reorganise and have a
breather and the opportunity to
attack. From 70 yards out and the
wind at his back Christopher Martin
gave the Reds some breathing space
with an excellent pointed free and a
carbon copy was added minutes later.
Then came the killer
score that was to decide the
contest. Patrick Mackin won the ball
at half-forward and soloed through
and despite being under tremendous
pressure he somehow found space to
shorten his grip and flick the
sliothar to the net. Clonduff
battled back with another spell of
sustained pressure and moved Shay
Murnin to full-forward in search of
goals, but with Thomas McKernan on
Murnin and Conor Strain sweeping up
behind they frantically cleared the
ball away from the danger area time
after time.
Eventually the Reds
reasserted themselves on the game
and after good play from Owen Magee
the sliothar found its way to
Patrick Mackin to bat a lobbed ball
to the net. The Hilltown boys
replied with two pointed frees, but
St Patrick’s were well in control
with Jonathan Lennon emphasising
this with a well taken point out on
the left. The final say in the game
went to Patrick Mackin who capped a
good display with another three
pointer at the death.
FULL-TIME: Clonduff 1-5
Ballyvarley/Ballela 4-9
After the game
the two teams shook hands after a
good clean game of competitive
hurling. All that was left
was for Gerard McShane from the Down
Hurling Board to present the Under
14 Hurling Championship Cup to St
Patrick’s Joint Captain’s Tony
Hegarty and Michael Downey to the
applause of the sizeable crowd.
It was a brilliant
display of hurling from Clonduff and
St Patrick’s. Best for Clonduff were
Rian Brannigan, Shay Murnin and
Niall McPolin; while for St
Patrick’s Thomas McKernan and
Patrick Mackin were excellent,
Michael Downey and Tony Hegarty were
competitive and Christopher Martin
was superb at the back.
The Reds now have a few
weeks break from matches until 20th
June when the next league starts.
Training will continue with sessions
on Saturday 9th June at
4pm and Monday 11th June
at 6pm in Ballyvarley.
Ballyvarley/Ballela Team
Michael McAllister, Conor Strain,
Thomas McKernan, Darragh Brady,
Cathal McGrath, Christopher Martin
(1-2), Paul Colgan, Michael Downey,
Tony Hegarty (0-1), Michael McKay,
Patrick Mackin (3-4), Jonathan
Lennon (0-1), Ciaran Heaney, Peter
Verhoven, Owen Magee (0-1). Subs:
Aidan McKernan, Ciaron Davis, Ciaran
Heaney, Peter Lavery, Rory McShane,
James O’Meara, Liam Stewart, Ryan
McCusker, Jack Kearns, Stephen
Caruthers, Cathal Bingham.
Sent in by Colm O’Neill
