Cumann Pheadaír Naofa 3-17
East Belfast 0-7
A goal in the nineteenth minute from John O’Kane seemed to settle a nervy Blues opening few minutes in this first round of the 2022 JHC. Indeed, the opening few minutes was like a game of chess as both East Belfast and the hosts probed each other’s defence score for score with Oisin Kelly & O’Kane matching early scores from East Belfast’s Conor McCurdy, Tony Ferris & Joe Clifford as the two sides stood toe to toe, score for score inside the first fifteen minutes.
East Belfast, although having plied their hurling in a division lower than their hosts Warrenpoint, looked totally unphased, as they sought out Joe Clifford & McCurdy to break the blues hearts and cause the first upset of the 2022 championship season. But as the game passed the eighteenth minute mark Oisin Kelly won a puckout, ahead of East Belfast’s Ronan Rushe, soloed through and popped the sliotar through to an unmarked O’Kane, to give him the easiest of tasks, finishing to the net for the opening goal and see Warrenpoint gain the upper hand with a three-point lead.
East Belfast side struggled with their hosts movement and with Jason Grey, Matthew Duffy & Allie Higgins dictating defensive proceedings the visitors scoring soon dried up, as they had to be content with half chances from distance.
The sides called a halt to the first thirty minutes proceedings with Warrenpoint leading 1-9 to 0-3.
East Belfast, defiantly grabbed the opening score of the second half inside the opening seconds with a Cormac Rushe 30m strike before the Blues knew what had happened. East Belfast rallied and were unfortunate not to have narrowed the contest with their efforts over the opening few minutes of the second half.
But with seven minutes played Warrenpoint pulled ahead further, O’Kane once more winning an aerial battle against corner back Ronan Rushe, playing a one-two, that saw him totally open and with only Michael McNicholl to beat finished to the net with aplomb.
The Blues, now in a commanding position, rattled over the next few points and when second half replacement Emmet McCourt latched onto a pass down the left wing, the fleet footed attacker flew down the line, cut in and slashed the sliotar to the far corner of the net, as McNicholl vainly tried to deflect it wide of the posts to give the hosts an unassailable 3-13 to 0-6 lead and only fifteen minutes remaining.
As the game started to draw to a close the final few minutes saw Warrenpoint complete the story with Daryl Freer, Ronan Cunningham & O’Kane seal a nineteen-point win.
The focus now turns to Kilclief in two weeks’ time, who were defeated by a youthful Castlewellan in today’s earlier fixture, as the contenders for the JHC title is well and truly under way.
Cumann Pheadaír Naofa: A O’Brien, T Magee, J Grey, M Duffy, D O’Neill, A Higgins, J Beggs, M Rafferty (0-1), C Teague, J O’Hare, J Grant (0-2), T Kelly, J O’Kane (2-5), O Kelly (0-5), R Cunningham (0-3)
Subs: E McCourt (1-0) for T Kelly, C O’Neill for Beggs, T Daly for O’Hare, M Murphy for Magee, D Freer (0-1) for Grant
