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Mon 15th Mar 2010
O’Keefe Cup semi-final :
Cross & Passion Ballycastle 2-18 St Raphael’s Loughrea 1-14
O’Keefe Cup champions for the first time last year, Cross & Passion Ballycastle gave a similar blood and guts display of determined hurling to defeat a strong St Raphael’s Loughrea team in this year’s semi-final in Swords on Saturday.
Conor Laverty gave a Player of the Match performance at midfield, while in defence Matthew Donnelly, Niall Black and Ronan McCloskey cleared a lot of ball.
The Mageean Cup champions showed a variety of scoring options up front with no less than 2-13 coming from open play.
Loughrea depended a lot on All-Ireland Minor medallist Neil Keary who kept his side in touch from placed balls, but was less effective from open play.
Ballycastle opened strongly and hit the first four points. However Keary soon got St Raphael’s off the mark and they pulled 0-3 back before James Black hit back with two points.
The teams exchanged points before the Ulster champions hit four in a row to go in at the break 0-13 to 0-6 ahead, 0-5 of the Loughrea total frees from Keary.
He got the opening score of the second half, and then came a sublime first time ground strike from Stephen McAfee that hit the top corner of the net to stretch the Ballycastle lead to 10 points.
Loughrea chipped away with 1-6 to 0-3 over the next 20 minutes before Ballycastle clinched victory with Shane Jennings and James Black combining to free Conor Clarke for a 55th minute goal.
Ballycastle now play Dungarvan CBS in the final on March 27th.
Cross & Passion : Conor Clarke 1-6, Stephen McAfee 1-2, James Black 0-4, Shane Jennings 0-2, Conor Laverty 0-2, James McShane 0-1.
St Raphael’s : Neil Keary 1-10, Shane Caulfield 0-3, Paul Monaghan 0-1.
All-Ireland Colleges’ football semi-final:
Gortnor Abbey Crossmolina 1-11 St Joseph’s Donaghmore 2-18
Reports to follow.
Submitted by: Seamus McAleenan
