St Eunan’s hurlers bow out of Ulster at the hands of Éire Óg of Carrickmore 

St Eunan’s Ulster IHC ambitions are over after falling to Eire Óg of Carrickmore on Sunday in O’Donnell Park. 

The hosts hung with the Tyrone champions during the opening half but seemed to be on the verge of falling out of contention as the visitors went six clear nearing the end of the last quarter. 

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However, a John Kealy goal on 53 minutes, after Peter Kelly had landed a point, threatened to reel the leaders back in as the deficit was trimmed to two. 

But the Red Hand outfit would show their class down the stretch as they nailed the last five points of the contest to cross the line, in the end, with seven to spare. 

At the break, it was Carrickmore that held a two-point advantage. Conor Grogan and Anthony Crossan, from out the park, fired Carrickmore as many clear, inside the first five minutes. 

St Eunan’s were off the mark soon after as Kealy landed. Aidan Kelly, from a free, and Aidan Woods then made it 0-4 to 0-1. 

The hosts finally found some momentum nearing the end of the opening quarter with Kealy, and a brace of Peter Kelly placed sliotars, clearing the crossbar and levelling matters up. 

Aidan Kelly and Peter Kelly traded frees and matters remained deadlocked four minutes out from the break. Kelly then landed his fourth of the contest as St Eunan’s led for the first time. 

But with Carrickmore finishing the opening period with a three-point flurry through Oisin Daly and an Aidan Kelly double, the scoreboard read 0-8 to 0-6 at the changeover. 

Sean McVeigh got the hosts off to an encouraging start when matters resumed. But within touching distance of parity, Shea Munroe struck to the net for the leaders. 

Fearghal Delaney responded with a point for St Eunan’s to leave it 1-8 to 0-8. But three overs in succession, through Kelly (free), Sean Óg Grogan and Kelly again, meant the gap was back out to six on 50 minutes. 

Still, St Eunan’s refused to fold and with Kelly and, especially Kealy, intervening, all of a sudden it was 1-11 to 1-9 with seven to go. 

St Eunan’s did earn yards into the Carrickmore final third as they desperately looked to land another big blow. 

But those passages broke down, allowing Aidan Kelly to clip two routine frees and earn some much-needed breathing space once more. 

Substitute Dean Rafferty also registered to leave it 1-14 to 1-9 headed into four minutes of time added on.

Before the end, St Eunan’s lost half-time replacement Matt Ahern to a straight red card and with the excellent Aidan Kelly tagging on two final overs to his impressive ten-point haul, it’s Carrickmore that deservingly progress.

St Eunan’s scorers: Peter Kelly 0-5,4f; John Kealy 1-2; Gearghal Delaney and Sean McVeigh both 0-1 each. 

Eire Óg Carrickmore scorers: Aidan Kelly 0-10, 8f; Shea Munroe 1-0; Conor Grogan, Anthony Crossan, Aidan Woods, Dean Rafferty, Oisin Daly and Sean Óg Grogan 0-1 each.  

St Eunan’s: Cian Hennessy; Sean Halvey, Conor O’Donnell, Lorcan Heavey; Kieran Larkin, Kevin Kealy, Cormac Finn; Fearghal Delaney, Conor Parke; Ryan Hilferty, Conor O’Grady, Sean McVeigh; John Kealy, Brian MacIntyre, Peter Kelly. 

Subs: Matt Ahern for Parke (ht), Steven Doherty for Delaney (45), David Horgan for Hilferty (50), James O’Donnell for L Heavey (52), Cian Randles for B MacIntyre (56). 

Eire Óg Carrickmore: Conor McElhatton, Dean Rafferty, Oran McKee, Conall McKee; Dermot Begley, Conor Munroe, Francie Hurson; Conor Grogan, Bryan McGurk; Anthony Crossan, Aidan Kelly, Aidan Woods; Oisin Daly, Sean Óg Grogan, Shea Munroe. 

Subs: Kevin Hughes for Hurson (37), Cahir Munroe for Crossan (40), Conn Sweeney for Daly (58).

Referee: Kevin Parke (Antrim).