Super Saval rock Shamrocks - 30/10/2003

Division 1 play off's: Saval 2-13 Newry Shamrocks 0-06

By Tony Bagnall, Newry Reporter


SAVAL are just one step, a single league point, away from Division One football next season.

A tremendous second half performance earned the team, managed by Gerry Quinn and Eamon McCarthy, a vital victory over Newry Shamrocks - and that despite playing the whole second half with 14 men, Ciaran Morgan having been red-carded by referee Seamus O'Hanlon just before the break.

Virtually every Saval man played his part in the win though it must be said the livewire full forward Daniel Hughes was a different class, his intelligence, speed and skill causing all sorts of problems for Joe O'Reilly's Shamrocks.

Also there were massive displays from Donal Murphy, Collie Turley, Darren Cunningham and Darren Quinn.

Speaking to the Democrat after the match Gerry Quinn said: "We worked our socks off in the second half and proved just how good we are. We thoroughly deserved our victory."

From a Shamrocks' prospectus, Sunday wasn't a good day, their hopes of Division One football floundering for another year. Few of the Newry side would want to remember this match with really only keeper Sean Gallagher who made two great saves, one in each half, impressive.

Though the Newry side were dealt a cruel blow when, with just 24 minutes gone, they had to replace their injured skipper Damien Rafferty.

On the debit side when Saval stepped up the pace, Shamrocks were unable, or unwilling, to respond. It must have been so disappointing for all at the club.

Yet the city side began best with Brendan Loughran and Conor McCoy pointing in the third and fourth minutes.

But Saval bounced back with firstly Darren Cunningham and then Daniel Hughes sending over the bar to square matters.

Eight minutes were gone but from then until half-time the match was riddled with petty fouling and frayed tempers with the referee having his work cut out to keep order.

Scoring too was sparse with Saval pointing via Peter Turley and Daniel Hughes (twice) while Shamrocks replied though Chris Coffey (a mighty effort) and a Conor McCoy free.

Saval were a point to the good but a man in arrears as they started the second half.

Though if the Warrenpoint Road team thought they were in for an easy ride in the final 30 minutes they soon found out otherwise - as Saval restarted like men on a mission.

The impressive Collie Turley pointed 15 seconds after the resumption and less than two minutes later Saval had the ball in the Shamrocks' nets. Darren Quinn set up Gareth Hughes who lashed it home from close range. And still Saval went seeking more scores and got them through Gary Digney and Darren Quinn.

Furthermore they might have grabbed another goal as 10 minutes after the restart Gareth Hughes, free in front of the target, brought a superb, gutsy stop from Sean Gallagher.

Shamrocks' less than needed answer came from a Ciaran Conlon point and long range Karl Murphy effort.

Though it must be said that Karl Murphy was so unlucky on 46 minutes as the Saval keeper Peter Murphy performed a minor miracle to acrobatically turn his fiercely hit 20-yard effort onto the woodwork.

Indeed that was the end of the Shamrock threat and in the final 14 minutes, plus injury time, they never scored and rarely looked like doing so.

Meanwhile it was turning into the Daniel Hughes show as the talented full forward knocked over two great points and capped a brilliant Man of the Match performance with a penalty goal on 51 minutes.

Plus brother Jonathan and Fergal McConville added further injury time points.

The win means that Saval need just one point to be sure of making it to Division One along with already promoted Warrenpoint. In fact if Newry Shamrocks were to beat Downpatrick next week the three points Saval now have would be sufficient.

It also looks good for Saval in that they face the 'Point who don't need to win. A draw would suit both teams. In that event Warrenpoint would be Division Two champions while Saval would be promoted regardless of the outcome of the Downpatrick v Shamrocks match.

Newry Shamrocks: Sean Gallagher, Marty Connell, Damian Rafferty, lee Feehan, Gavin Murphy, Gareth Loughran, Kevin McGuigan, Paul Burns, Ciaran Conlon, Conor McCoy, Collie Burns, Marty Rafferty, Brendan Loughran, Chris Coffey and Karl Murphy with subs: Donal Quinn, Conor Fegan and Ciaran Courtney.

Saval: Peter Murphy, Lee Anderson, Declan McCarthy, Donal Murphy, Darren Quinn, Darren Cunningham, Johnny Hughes, Ciaran Morgan, Collie Turley, Peter Turley, Gavin Quinn, Gareth Hughes, Fergal McConville, Daniel Hughes and Gary Digney with subs: Stephen Sands and Barry McCoy.