Silver Hill Foods Senior Hurling Championship Final

Castleblayney 1-13 Inniskeen 0-9                            3/8/14

Castleblayney regained the SHC title with what turned out to be a surprisingly comfortable victory over Inniskeen in last Sunday’s final at Aughnamullen. Blayney led by two points after playing against the wind in the first half and Hugh Byrne’s free-taking kept them well ahead throughout the second period as they avenged last year’s defeat and prevented Inniskeen from a first-ever two-in-a-row. Mark and Peter Treanor, Deaglán Crowe, Hugh Byrne and Fergal Rafter impressed for Blayney, who have now won 13 championships since 1999, while only Ronan Meegan, Philip Brooks and Pádraig Garland were near top form for Inniskeen.

A 45-metre free by Ronan Meegan, after a foul on Martin Murphy, opened the scoring for Inniskeen, but points from play by Steven Forde and Fergal Rafter got Castleblayney up and running. Ronan Meegan then won and scored a 60-metre free and Dónal Meegan edged Inniskeen ahead, but Mark Treanor replied for Blayney. Ronan Meegan converted another long-range free, but Treanor hit a fine point after blocking Colm Meegan and Blayney ended the opening quarter a point up when Tony Forde set up Niall Garland to split the uprights.

Pauric Dowdall had a shot at goal saved by David Connolly after a clever flick from Dónal Meegan had bought some space for the full-forward and Blayney made Inniskeen pay when a foul on Rafter gave Hugh Byrne a 25-metre free which went into the net, via a deflection. Dowdall won a 60-metre free which Ronan Meegan sent over the bar and Murphy added a point from play at the end of a strong run, while Kevin Crawley had a shot which went over the top of the left upright ruled wide after consultation between the referee and his umpires as Inniskeen finished the half strongly, but they still trailed by 1-5 to 0-6 at the interval.

A good point by Deaglán Crowe and a hat-trick of long-range frees by Byrne, after fouls on himself, Brian McGuigan and Mark Treanor, helped Blayney pull away quickly after the restart. McGuigan tacked on a point and Rafter linked up with Treanor to land a well-taken score, before a foul on Crowe gave Byrne the chance to make it seven on the trot from a 60-metre free.

Inniskeen eventually got their first score of the second half on 15 minutes when Ronan Meegan fired over after Dowdall had a shot blocked. Byrne converted a 40-metre free for a foul on Garland – Blayney’s only score of the final quarter – and a brace of points from play by Ronan Meegan gave Inniskeen some hope, but they never really looked like getting the goals they needed to get back into contention and they had Trevor Hilliard sent off late on.

Captain Brian McGuigan and midfielder Mark Treanor accepted the Mick Quigley Cup and the Man-of-the-Match award for Blayney, who will now compete in the Ulster Club Intermediate Hurling Championship.

 

 

Castleblayney: D Connolly; P Finnegan, P Murphy, J McHugh; B Connor, P Treanor, J Lacey; D Crowe (0-1), M Treanor (0-2); S Forde (0-1), H Byrne (1-5, 1-4f), N Garland (0-1); T Forde, F Rafter (0-2), B McGuigan (Capt., 0-1).

Subs: J Brady for T Forde (inj., 50 mins), P Collins for Connor (61).

 

Inniskeen: D McGahon; C Faul, P Brooks, P Garland; K Crawley, C McKinley, P Meegan; T Hilliard (Capt.), Colm Meegan; G Ruddy, M Murphy (0-1), M Lennon; D Meegan (0-1), P Dowdall, R Meegan (0-7, 4f).

Subs: TJ Byrne for Ruddy (inj., 26), J Dooley for Lennon (47), G Dooley for Byrne (55), PJ Boyle for Faul (59).

 

Referee: S Guinan (Carrickmacross).