Silver Hill Foods Senior Hurling Championship Final
Castleblayney 1-13 Inniskeen 1-11 12/8/12
Castleblayney retained the Silver Hill Foods Senior Hurling Championship title with a hard-earned win over Inniskeen in Sunday’s final at Aughnamullen.
Blayney got off to a flying start by hitting the first four points, but Inniskeen stuck with them all the way and even when Fergal Rafter found the net to put the defending champions in charge with just seven minutes to go, the Grattans refused to give up, with Pauric Dowdall firing home a free to set up a grandstand finish. Blayney held on, however, to secure their 12th championship success since 1999. Gary Boyd, Paul Murphy, Peter and Mark Treanor, Stephen Forde and Rafter led the way for Blayney, while Inniskeen had good performances from Séamus Loftus, Philip Brooks, Dowdall and Michael Lennon.
Blayney took an early lead when Hugh Byrne thumped over a long-range free after a foul on Peter Treanor and Byrne quickly added a point from play. Stephen Forde sent a first-time effort over the bar after a Brian McGuigan cross broke loose and he quickly added his second point following a strong run by McGuigan. Séamus Loftus converted a ’65 to get Inniskeen off the mark in the 12th minute and although Jimmy Lacey replied for Blayney, a well-taken score by David McGahon and a brace of frees by Ronan Meegan, after fouls on himself and his brother Paul, closed the gap to a point.
Mickey McHugh linked up with Barry Reilly to end ten scoreless minutes for Blayney and after converting a 30-metre free for a foul on Reilly, he added another from play to make it three in a row. Fine points from play by Michael Lennon and Paul Meegan halved Inniskeen’s deficit to two and although McHugh responded from a 30-metre free after a foul on Gary Boyd, strong work by Loftus set up Ronan Meegan for a good point which made the half-time score Castleblayney 0-9 Inniskeen 0-7.
Blayney almost had the first goal of the match within a minute of the restart when a McHugh free dropped short and broke loose at the edge of the square, but Reilly’s shot hit the post, although they did get the opening point of the half courtesy of a great strike by Boyd. Inniskeen had a chance at the other end which was only denied by a brave block and they had another opening when Lennon took a pass from Paul Meegan and let fly, only for Blayney keeper Ronan McAteer to make a diving save.
A Fergal Rafter point for Blayney was quickly cancelled out by Dónal Meegan, before Forde got on the end of a Boyd pass to push Blayney four clear. Colm Meegan made a good block from a Rafter shot at goal and Inniskeen cut their deficit to three when Ronan Meegan sent over a 40-metre free after a foul on Dónal Meegan, but when a high ball in from Boyd fell dangerously in front of goal, Rafter was first on the scene to send a first-time shot to the net.
Blayney looked to be home and dry when McHugh converted a 50-metre free for a foul on sub Deaglán Crowe, but TJ Byrne got a point back for Inniskeen and Lennon tagged on a good score at the end of a driving run by Philip Brooks. A foul on Dónal Meegan allowed Pauric Dowdall to drive a 20-metre free to the net and close the gap to two points, but that finished the scoring as Blayney held on to win by two. Gary Boyd accepted the Mick Quigley Cup from County Board Chairman Paul Curran and he also was a unanimous choice for the Man-of-the-Match award.
Castleblayney: R McAteer; P Murphy, M Treanor, P Collins; B Connor, P Treanor, C McNally; J Lacey (0-1), G Boyd (Capt., 0-1); M McHugh (0-5, 3f), B McGuigan, F Rafter (1-1); S Forde (0-3), Barry Reilly, H Byrne (0-2, 1f).
Subs: D Crowe for McNally (39 mins), P Finnegan for Connor (49), S Lambe for Rafter (53), T Forde for Byrne (55)
Inniskeen: G Ruddy; Colm Meegan, P Dowdall (Capt., 1-0f), PJ Boyle; S Loftus (0-1, ’65), P Brooks, M Lennon (0-2); D McGahon (0-1), T Hilliard; M Murphy, P Meegan (0-1), TJ Byrne (0-1); D Meegan (0-1), R Meegan (0-4, 3f), S Shevlin.
Subs: P Donahue for Shevlin (40), P Rooney for McGahon (52)
Referee: J O’Rourke (Monaghan Harps HC).
By michael Sun 12th Aug
