Ulster Junior Hurling Club Championship

November 03, 2008
Ulster Junior Hurling Club Championship Final At Ballyshannon Sunday November 2 2008 2.30 pm Lisbellaw St Patrick's, 4 gls. 15pts; v Setanta Killygordon, 4 gls. 6 pts. We Are The Law! The defiantly and triumphant words of the victorious Lisbellaw hurling captain Karl Kehoe after accepting the Ulster Junior Hurling Championship Trophy of 2008 from Ulster G.A.A President Thomas Daly. A largely untroubled St Patrick's side swept aside the Donegal hurling champions Setanta at Ballyshannon last Sunday 2 November 2008. They Lisbellaw side now go on contest the All Ireland Junior Hurling Semi-Final early next year against the Munster winners. Meanwhile the St Patrick's hurlers, managers and supporters now joyously reflect on their club second major hurling triumph of 2008.  With previously winning  the Ulster Club Division 4 League Title early this year, this is most the victorious twelve months since the foundation of Cumann Iom·ni· Lios BÈal ¡tha forty years a go.  St Patrick's supporters further rejoice when they realise that their flagship team have only lossed only one game to Derrynoose in the Armagh Senior Hurling League.  Lisbellaw had many stars but each of their players were hurling heroes and therefore it would be disingenuous to pick out one more player for man-of-the-match. The seemly narrowest of the final scores of 4 goals 6 points for Setanta to 4 goals 15 points for the winners Lisbellaw belies the massive defeat that they St Patrick's side handed to their Donegal opponents. With less than five minutes to the games end Lisbellaw were leading by a massive 4 goals and 15 points to a mere 2 goals and 6 points for Setanta, who in  the remain time added a further two goals.  Nevertheless the St Patrick's side had too much in their scoring locker to be troubled by a lately aroused Killygordon side. The Game ñ the first half. Shortly after this game had begun this matches eventual winners Lisbellaw laid repeated pressure on their opponents defences which initially reaped a '65, which was dropped short of the twenty metre line, where it then  grabbed by the St Patrick's right half forward John Duffy who was instantly fouled.  Then his teammate and mid-fielder Ryan Bogue coolly popped over his opponent's crossbar for his, his teams and the games first point. Stepping up their attack further the Lisbellaw side had a second point from play courtesy of right full forward Sean Corrigan. However the host Donegal side Immediately fought back and forced their opponents into conceding a close in free, which their talisman and starting substitute Kevin Campbell neatly pointed for the Tirconnell lad's first minor score.  The latter player now rattled over a further three points, all from frees. That all too brief Killygordon purple patch came to a quick end, when went into a scoring revenge, which firstly witnessed Ryan Bogue into firing the slithor over the bar from all of 75 metres.  Lisbellaw now notched up their fourth point from the very inform John Duffy for his opening score and his sides fourth point.  Moments later the latter player brought this match to light when the St Patrick's right half forward blasted home his first goal from a previously conceded '65. With the games first quarter ebbing away and the park's scoreboard declaring that Lisbellaw had a score of 1 goal 4 points and Setanta languishing far behind.  However the north Donegal sides where about to remedy that adverse situation.  Steadying their nerves the Tirconnell lads raced up field and forced the St Patrick's lads into giving away a close free, which was laced into the mid-Fermanagh net by the Killygordon second sub. Kevin Campbell, who instantly created this games first draw of 1 goal 4 points each.  Giving a vastly different complexion to the park's score board.  Many of the neutrals now awaited the expected Setanta avalanche of scores both major and minor.  But in the remaining ten minutes of the games opening half the fiercely resolute Lisbellaw defence conceded only one point from a free pucked over by Kevin Campbell.  This was quickly responded to by the Patrick's star full forward Declan McGarry who brought this game to the second and only draw.  Then they St Patrick's forwards and mid field massively stepped up their attacks on the quickly porous Killygordon defence. Beginning with John Duffy fired over his second and his side's sixth point.  That minor score cajoled the Lisbellaw captain centre half forward Karl Kehoe to blast home his side's second goal.  The St Patrick's lads were firing on all cylinders now with wilting Killygordon unable or unwilling to stop this Lisbellaw scoring blitz. With less than five minutes to the games interval it was now the duty of the St Patrick's first line to register their major scoring ability.  This was aptly demonstrated by their right half forward Sean Corrigan who latched onto an incoming slithor and then spun goal wards to drive the ball into the back of the Setanta net for Lisbellaw's third goal from play.  The opening half's last score was a well taken point from play by John Duffy. Half-time scores Lisbellaw, St Patrick's, 3 gls. 7   pts;   Setanta, Killygordon, 1 gl. 5 pts. More Lisbellaw In uncanny repeat of the game's opening half Lisbellaw's ace scorer Ryan Bogue once again raced up to the scoring plate when he popped over his third and his side's eighth point.  For good measure the St Patrick's side's mid-fielder fired over his fourth and his side's ninth point to further distances Lisbellaw from their hapless opponents.  Momentarily they game swung back   in favour of the Killygordon side, when their centre half back Damien Doherty pucked over his solitary point to increase his side's scores to 1 goal 6 points to 3 goals 10 points to their dominating opponents St Patrick's.  That very brief scoring respite for Setanta was quickly and ruthlessly answered by Lisbellaw's captain and centre half forward Karl Kehoe who latched onto an incoming pass from Ryan Bogue, which the former now utilised fully by driving the ball to the back of the Donegal team's net >from play.  With the late third quarter score line now showing Lisbellaw with 4 goals 10 points 1 goal 6 points for the hapless Setanta, their was seemly  no way back for the Tirconnell men.  Not so the under the scoring cosh Killygordon lads found fight particularly from their number one substitute Bernard O'Brien who banged home his sides second goal from a close in free.  At times so men and women step forward and do the necessary. So a person is Ryan Bogue who fired over his side's eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth points to widen the scoring difference with Killygordon lads.  The latte's scoring duties was now transferred to his captain Karl Kehoe who thumped over from play his side's fourteenth point.  His team mate and playing directly in front of him Declan McGarry pucked over his second and his sides fifth and last point from play.  Setanta Come To Life Whilst the Lisbellaw lads finished scoring not so the apparent under the cosh Killygordon lads, who despite in a scoring arrears of 2 goals 6 points to 4 goals 15 points for the St Patrick side.  With their back s to the wall the north Donegal side came live to score another two goals from their scorer-in-chief Kevin Campbell.  Alas for Setanta it was all too late, Lisbellaw had done it all in the first, when they register red a score of 3 goals 7 points to a token of 1 goal 5 points to Setanta who were never to inherit the mantle of Cuchullian.  Lisbellaw now go on to play the Munster Junior Hurling Champions.  Meanwhile St Patrick's hurling focus is on their minor side who are again in action in the coming weeks. Presentation Almost immediately after the end of this game Ulster G.A.A. Council Chairman Thomas Daly presented the Ulster Club Junior Hurling Championship to the winning Lisbellaw captain Karl Kehoe.  The charismatic centre half forward delivered a short but riveting speech.  Karl then roared the Lisbellaw war cry ìWe Are The Lawî The teams, Lisbellaw St Patrick's, Peter McEvoy, Colum Rice, Cathal McGarry, Fergus Bannon, John Paul McGarry, Mark Slevin, David Slevin, Ryan Bogue ( 6 pts.), Brendan McGarry, John Duffy (1 gl. 3 pts.), Karl Kehoe (1 gl. 1pt.), Dermot Curran, Sean Corrigan (1 gl. 2 pts.), Declan McGarry (1 gl. 2 pts.), Andrew Breslin (1 pt.). Subs., Paul McCarney on Andrew Breslin. Managers, Seamus McCusker, Sean Duffy & Garry Winterson. Setanta Killygordon, Ciaran Kelly, Paddy McGovern, Terence McDaid, James Callaghan, Gerard O'Dwyer, Damian O'Doherty (1 pt.), Warren Scanlon, Damien Browne, Anthony McDaid, Simon McMenamin, Michael McGee, Martin Bonner, Phillip Browne, Martin Callaghan & Danny Cullen (1 gl.) Subs, Kevin Campbell, 2 gl. 5 pts., Bernard O'Brien (1gl.) Manager, Paul Campbell.

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