Omagh hurlers no match for St Eunan’s

St Eunan’s 4-24 Omagh 0-9

DONEGAL opponents St Eunan’s dominated from start to finish as they advanced to the Ulster Junior Hurling Championship semi-final with a convincing win over Omagh St Enda’s in O’Donnell Park.

The Letterkenny men were quick out the blocks and were 3-5 to 0-1 ahead after just ten minutes, with Kevin Kealy, Matt Ahern and Dáire Ó Maoileidigh getting the goals.

It was 3-14 to 0-4 at the break and Peter Kelly added a fourth goal inside the first minute of the restart as the Black and Amber cruised to victory, Mark Corry top scored for the Omagh men, hitting 0-7 of their 0-9.

It took just two minutes for the Letterkenny men to get going as Kevin Kealy found the net after being played in by Sean McVeigh on the left.

McVeigh pointed after Kelly went for goal while Brian MacIntyre and Dáire Ó Maoileidigh added points in the opening five minutes.

Ryan Hilferty squeaked a shot over from a narrow angle on the left and when Matt Ahern dispossessed an opponent high up, he raced towards goal and fired in to the net.

Mark Corry got St Enda’s on the scoreboard from a free but ‘Eunan’s quickly countered and Ó Maoileidigh picked up a loose ball and struck high into the net.

McVeigh won the puck out and quickly pointed while Corry replied at the other end with another free.

Ó Maoileidigh pointed from a free and again McVeigh pointed after winning the puck out, while Fearghal Delaney hit two quick points for a sixteen point lead.

Hilferty, Kealy and Kelly all hit the target with efforts from distance while Conor O’Grady had to defend well at the other end as Ciarán Lagan ball into danger was cleared.

Corry was on fine form for the visitors and he converted a ’65 and a free from inside his own half just before the break but ‘Eunan’s again were on form and two great flicks by O’Maoileidigh set up Kealy and MacIntyre for a 3-14 to 0-4 lead.

And while the Donegal Championship runners-up weren’t as dominant after the restart, they still outscored their opponents with O’Maoileidigh setting up Peter Kelly for a goal after a great catch and shot inside the first minute.

Kealy was next to be set up by O’Maoileidigh for a point before McVeigh hit two on the spin.

Corry added another free which was followed by a point from substitute Fionn Corry from play. St Eunan’s replied with two scores of their own, first from Kealy then an O’Maoileidgh free as they were 24 up and cruising.

Mark Corry’s free was equalled by a super Cathal O’Brien point from distance while Cian Hennessy had to make a good save to deny Damien Woodhead and keep his clean sheet intact.

Corry pointed his first from play and his last of the game for a seventh point, but O’Maoileidigh would reply with a free of his own to equal that tally.

Kelly split the posts with an effort from the left while Paul O’Grady got St Enda’s final score of the game.

O’Maoileidigh converted one last free to leave as top scorer while Russell Forde slotted over the final point in added time for a 4-24 to 0-9 win for the home side.

TEAMS & SCORERS

St Eunan’s
Cian Hennessy; Seán Halvey, Conor Neely, Lorcan Heavey; Ryan Hilferty (0-2), Conor O’Grady, Cormac Finn; Brian MacIntyre (0-2), David Horgan; Seán McVeigh (0-5), Matt Ahern (1-0), Kevin Kealy (1-4); Peter Kelly (1-2), Dáire Ó Maoileidigh (1-5, 4f) Fearghal Delaney (0-2).
Subs: Cathal O’Brien (0-1) and Russell Forde (0-1) for Horgan Ahern (half-time), Conor McVeigh and Conor Parke for Neely and Finn (37 mins), Noel O’Donnell for Heavey (50 mins).

St Enda’s Omagh
Ryan Woods; Ben McGavigan, Eoghan Winters, Cain McGuigan; Ruairi Winters, Ciarán Lagan, Paul McKernaghan; Fionnbharr Taggart, Paul O’Grady (0-1); Eunan Campbell, Mark Corry (0-7, 5f, 1 ’65), Tom McClements; Byron O’Neill, Damien Woodhead, Cormac Taggart.
Subs: Fionn Corry (0-1) and Oisin McGuigan for McGavigan and McClements (half-time), Shaun Holden and Oisín Sally for Campbell and O’Neill (37 mins), Jakub Krawczyk for McKernaghan (49 mins).

Referee: Peter Owens (Derry).