Month / January 2018

by thesaffrongael

Cavan to provide another severe test for Antrim.

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McKenna Cup Section A Round 2

Tomorrow’s McKenna cup meeting with Cavan will provide Antrim and their new manager, Lenny Harbison with another severe test but also with another opportunity to take a good luck at his players in the cauldron of McKenna Cup combat as he strives to put a panel together for the forthcoming National League division 4 campaign.

Antrim got a brief glimpse at life in the fast lane when they conceded heavily to Tyrone at the Athletic grounds on Wednesday night in a game that saw debuts for Paddy Nugent in goals, Connell Lemon, Michael McCarry, Kristan Healey and Gareth Magee and the return of Niall McKeever and Colm Duffin to the starting line-up.

Despite conceding 4-20 manager Harbison will take some positives from the game and a return of 2-11 against the Ulster champions will have given him something to build on. The Antrim panel has been together for quite a while now and reports suggest that a lot of work has been put in and that the spirit in the camp is good.

Cavan had a three point win over St. Mary’s in their opening game and Matty McGleenan has been running the rule over a number of new players himself as he attempts to strengthen his panel. Tomorrow’s game has been switched to Woodland’s 4G pitch and this could give Antrim a slight edge but they will never the less start as underdogs.

The Breffni Blues will pose a serious challenge and Harbison and his backroom team will be looking to tighten things up at the back and hoping to put together another good scoring return and see where that takes his side come 3-15 on Sunday.

Conor Murray (left) and Patrick McBride could return to the Antrim starting lineup as they take on Cavan in round 2 of the McKenna Cup at Woodlands tomorrow (Sunday). Throw in 2-00 pm

by thesaffrongael

Tyrone Too Good for Antrim in McKenna Cup opener

2Bank of Ireland Dr McKenna Cup

Tyrone 4-20 Antrim 2-11

Wednesday January 3

Athletic Grounds, Armagh

Ref: Enda McFeely (Donegal)

By Brendan McTaggart

It was a baptism of fire for Lenny Harbinson in the Athletic Grounds on Wednesday as his Antrim side succumbed to a 15 point defeat to McKenna Cup holders Tyrone.

Antrim made a bright start to the match but couldn’t transfer their possession into points on the board.  With Ryan Murray and Colm Duffin staying on the edge of the square and Matthew Fitzpatrick roaming behind, it took Tyrone some time to get used to the Antrim set up.  The Saffrons however dropped efforts short into Niall Morgan’s hands in the Tyrone goals while Fitzpatrick’s speculative effort cannoned off the upright.

Tyrone Captain Matthew Donnelly opened the scoring with a point from distance in the sixth minute and doubled their advantage shortly after with a Lee Brennan ’45.  CJ McGourty opened Antrim’s account in the 11th minute with a beautiful point from wide on the right but Tyrone were taking full advantage of the wind at their back in the opening half and went through the gears.

Points each for Conor McAliskey (free) and Darren McCurry preceded Brennan’s second point of the match from placed ball to open a four-point lead for the Red Hands in the 18th minute.  McGourty’s second point of the match and a fine score from Ryan Murray reduced the deficit to two white flags in the 23rd minute and with Antrim beginning to play some decent football but Tyrone went through the gears again, scoring 1-5 without reply – midfielder McNulty with the major in the 31st minute.

McGourty for the last score of the half with his third and Antrim’s fourth but at half time Antrim trailed 1-10 to 0-4.

 

Tyrone continued in much the same fashion at the start of the second half and had a further two points added before Conor McAliskey scored their second major of the match.  Antrim were themselves unlucky not to find the back of Niall Morgan’s net when Ruairi McCann’s effort rattled the crossbar but Tyrone were in no mood to let the Saffrons back into the tie.  They continued to take scores at will with Frank Burns and Darren McCurry to the fore.

Antrim scored their first goal of the match in the 54th minute with Colm Duffin punched to the back of the net after good work from Matt Fitzpatrick but Tyrone responded with another scoring burst.  Goals from Frank Burns and Niall Sludden and three further points in a five minute spell left Antrim trailing by 20 points in the last ten minutes.

The Saffrons finished the match well however with Matt Fitzpatrick scoring their second goal and Ryan Murray taking his personal tally to 0-5 for his 70 plus minutes work with some fine scores at the death.

A tough workout for the Saffrons against last years All-Ireland semi-finalist as Harbinson now turns his attentions to a meeting with Cavan in Glenavy on Sunday.

Teams

Antrim: Padraig Nugent, Pat Brannigan, Patrick Gallagher, Connell Lemon, Kevin O’Boyle, Paddy McAleer, James Laverty, Michael McCarry, Niall McKeever, Stephen Beatty, Matthew Fitzpatrick (1-00), Ruairi McCann, Conor McGourty (0-4, 3 f’s), Colm Duffin (1-1), Ryan Murray (0-5, 2 f’s)

Subs: Paddy McBride for J Laverty (35 mins), Conor Murray (0-1) for M McCarry (35 mins), Niall Delargy for C Lemon (42 mins), Kristan Healy for C Murray (42 mins), Sean McVeigh for P McAleer (51 mins), Gareth Magee for C McGourty (61 mins)

Black Card:

Yellow Card: Ryan Murray (inj)

Red Card:

Tyrone: Niall Morgan, Brendan Burns, Pádraig Hampsey, Michael McKernan, Tiarnan McCann, Hugh Pat McGeary, Kieran McGeary, Cathal McShane (0-4), Padraig McNulty (1-00), Matthew Donnelly (0-2), Niall Sludden (1-00), Frank Burns (1-3), Darren McCurry (0-5, 3 f’s), Conor McAliskey (1-1), Lee Brennan (0-2, 1 ’45, 1 f)

Subs: Ronan McHugh (0-2, 1 f) for C McAliskey (45 mins), Ronan McNabb for K McGeary (46 mins), Declan McClure for P McNulty (49  mins), Ciaran McLaughlin for T McCann (55 mins), Ben McDonnell for M Donnelly (58 mins), Micael Cassidy for M McKernan (65 mins)

Black Cards:

Yellow Cards: Kieran McGeary (22 mins), Brendan Burns (50 mins)

Red Cards:

 

CRLL3337 copyAntrim’s Matthew Fitzpatrick rises to palm the ball to the Tyrone net for his team’s second goal. Pic by Dylan McIlwaine

 

by thesaffrongael

O’Boyle named Antrim captain for 2018

AA2

Cargin’s Kevin O’Boyle who has been named as Antrim football team captain for the coming season.

Kevin O’Boyle has been named as Antrim football team captain for 2018. The Erin’s Own, Cargin man has been part of the Saffron setup for more than a decade but missed the side’s league campaign last season before returning as a substitute in Antrim’s defeat to Donegal in the Ulster Championship.

His first game as Antrim captain comes tonight when Antrim face McKenna Cup holders, Tyrone in a game that has been switched from Healey Park to the Athletic Grounds in Armagh owing to an unplayable Healey Park pitch.

Manager Lenny Harbison may take the opportunity to have a look at several new players to the panel as his side faces a Tyrone team going for their seventh McKenna Cup in succession. St. John’s keeper, Paddy Nugent who had an excellent season as his side reached the Senior championship final and All Saints high scoring forward, Michael McCarry are amongst a number of new names hoping to see some action tonight.

All Saints forward, Michael McCarry and St. John’s keeper, Paddy Nugent will be hoping to see some action as Antrim face Tyrone in the McKenna Cup at the Athletic Grounds in Armagh tonight.

by thesaffrongael

Antrim brave the storm to see off UU

Bank of Ireland Conor McGurk Senior Hurling Tournament at QUB13Deaghlan Murphy who top scored for Antrim in their win over UUJ. Pic by John McIlwaine

Antrim 1-18 – Ulster University 2-3

Antrim won their opening game in the Conor McGurk Memorial Senior Hurling tournament at Queens University when they beat UU by twelve points at the Arena pitch at the Dub on Tuesday night in a game played in gale force winds and driving rain. In all the years I have covered hurling I have never seen a game played in such a wind as this and the amazing thing was that somehow the players on the pitch produced some fine hurling. Antrim free taker Deaglan Murphy was a good example, scoring a series of great points both from frees and open play as indeed was his Rossa clubman James Connolly who also displayed a high level of accuracy on the UU side.

Playing with a tempest at their backs Antrim took an early lead with a point from Ed McQuillan but UU were soon level when Creggan’s Kevin Rice answered for the students. Connolly edge Jordanstown ahead but Antrim came back with points from Dan McCloksey and Ed McQuillan, plus a goal from a twenty metre free from Deaghlan Murphy. UU came back with points from Peter McCann and Conor McHugh to leave just a goal between the sides but Antrim finished the half strongly and three points from Deaghlan Murphy and one apiece from Conor Carson and Maol Connolly gave them a 1-10 to 0-4 lead at the break.

Jim Connolly pulled a couple back for Jordanstown early in the second half to close the gap to seven but David Kearney from play and Murphy from a free restored the nine point advantage. Two more by Murphy in the 56th and 59th minutes had the gap out to eleven before Connolly gave the students hope with two quick goals, one from a free and the other from play to reduce the arrears to five with six minutes still to play. However it was to be UU’s last scores of the game and two more from Deaghlan Murphy and one apiece from James Connolly and Conor Carson left twelve between them at the end.

ANTRIM

Chrissy O’Connell, Callum Scullion, Ryan McGarry, Conor Carson (St John’s), Joe Maskey, Neal McAuley, Eamon Smyth, David Kearney, Ed McQuillan, James McNaughton, Conor Carson (Ruairi Og), Maol Connolly, Deaglan Murphy, Eoin O’Neill, Daniel McCloskey.

Subs – Sean Duffin and Aaron Crawford.

Ulster University

Paddy Carlin, Aidan Orchin, Tomas Burns, Conor Boyd, Gerard Walsh, Paddy Burke, Mark Fisher, Conor McHugh, Malachy , James Connolly, Kevin rice, Johnny O’Dwyer, Daithi Sands, Emmet Laverty, Peter McCann.

Referee – James Connors (Donegal)

In the other Conor McGurk game played on Tuesday night hosts Queens University beat Down by 1-11 to 1-3

by thesaffrongael

Tough away opener for Harbison and Antrim in McKenna Cup

 

Clockwise: Niall McKeever returns to the Antrim panel and should add power to the mid-field while Conor Murray and Paddy McBride can play important roles for the Saffrons.

New Antrim senior football team manager, Lenny Harbinson brings his side to Healey Park in Omagh tomorrow night in the opening game of the McKenna Cup for what looks like a baptism of fire for the former All Ireland club championship winner with St. Gall’s.

Harbinson has trawled the country for new faces since his appointment as Antrim manager and seems to have unearthed a few new faces to the Saffron cause but it is perhaps the return of a couple of others that could prove significant as he tries to win promotion from division 4 in the coming season.

The return of Portglenone’s Niall McKeever and Dublin based Mark Sweeney will add experience to what is a fairly young squad but the former Antrim and St. Gall’s player has resisted sweeping changes to a panel who performed reasonably well last year despite being relegated from division 3.

Chris Kerr, Paddy Gallagher, Kevin O’Boyle, Niall Delargy, Sean McVeigh, Paddy McAleer, Sean Burke, Matt Fitzpatrick, Paddy McBride, Conor and Ryan Murray, CJ McGourty and James Laverty will give the side a backbone of experience while the emerging talent of Paddy Brannigan and the inclusion of new faces such as Michael McCarry,  Colm Duffin, ConnellLemon and Gareth Magee gives him further options.

Tyrone have won the McKenna Cup for the last seven years and have announced a strong squad for tomorrow night’s game with Matty Donnelly, Peter Harte, Aidan McCrory, Darren McCurry, Ronan McNabb and Ronan O’Neill amongst the household names likely to test Antrim’s early season preparations to the limit.

Anything other than a Tyrone win seems highly unlikely and Harbison is likely to be more focused on a performance rather than a win as Antrim enter the lion’s den. Tyrone away in early January should give him an indication of how his side performs under the most testing of conditions and with heavy rain forecast the Healey Park pitch is likely to be heavy for tomorrow night’s game.

CJ McGourty and Niall Delargy in opposition during the Antrim SFC between St. Gall’s and Portglenone will join forces in the Antrim cause while Aghagallon’s emerging star, Paddy Brannigan and Lamh Dhearg’s Ryan Murray will all be hoping for a start in Omagh.