Cumann Pheadaír Naofa 3.-16 Killeavy 1-19
They say that a good team has spirit, determination, heart and a never say die attitude. Well Warrenpoint’s last challenge game before this weekend’s semi-final of the Betsy Gray Shield had it all and more. From ten points down at half time having played awful Hurling, a stern talking to at half time saw the Blues shake themselves into life to earn a well-deserved three-point win at Páirc Liam Uí Ír. Although it was just a challenge game the tackles and determination shown in the second thirty minutes was a pleasure to watch. Two second half goals from Darryl Freer, who could so easily have had another brace, and an absolute bullet of a free from thirty metres from John O’Kane had the Blues tales lifted. Freers’ first goal at the start of the second half started the revival, leaving Warrenpoint trailing by six and when O’Kane goaled from thirty metres the gap had closed to just two points with eight minutes to go. In the meantime, Killeavy’s scoring had been drastically reduced to just four points in the second half as Cumann Pheadaír Naofa defensive unit closed ranks, Mark Rafferty, Conan O’Neill, Conan Kelly and Damien McConville putting in some tremendous work in the blues own half of the field. O’Kane, under pressure from two Killeavy defenders plucked a sliotar from out of the sky close the side-line and in one fluid motion flighted the equaliser straight between the posts and two minutes later Freer drilled the sliotar over the crossbar when a goal could so easily have resulted. On twenty nine minutes an O’Kane free gave the blues a two point advantage, only to see Killeavy score a most unusual goal from a free, that looked to be going wide, but as it took a deflection goalward an odd bounce saw it creep inside Anthony O’Brien far post as Killeavy looked to have crossed the line in first place. Straight from the puckout O’Kane squared thing once more as the game looked certain to finish all square, but deep into injury time Darryl Freer fired in from close range to give the blues a well-deserved victory.
Scorers: J O’Kane 1-9, D Freer 2-1, S Rooney 0-2, T Tinnelly 0-1, O Kelly 0-1, T Murphy 0-1, J O’Hare 0-1
