North Antrim Feile na nGael – Round-robin 2
Loughgiel 1-8 Oisins 2-8
A penalty save in the fifth minute of injury time by stand in goalkeeper Phelim Ward saw the Oisins hold off a great Loughgiel fightback in Saturday’s North Antrim Feile round-robin game at Fr Healey Park, Loughgiel. The Glenariffe boys appeared to have wrapped up the victory when a Brogan O’Connor free put his side four points clear one minute into injury time, but the young Shamrocks closed the gap to three when Jack McCloskey pointed from a free a minute later, and when McCloskey was pulled down when closing in on goal soon afterwards the Oisins fans must have feared the worst. However Ward was equal to McCloskey’s shot and the whistle went seconds later to send some very relieved Oisins fans home happy.
The say a good start is half the battle and the Oisins could not have started better as their brilliant right half forward Orrin O’Connor grabbed a goal in the second minute. Brogan O’Connor added two points from frees and after Eamon Ward got in for his team’s second goal on seven minutes Brogan tagged on another one from a free to put his team 2-3 to 0-0 ahead after nine minutes.
Loughgiel were out of it but a Jack McCloksey point from play in the tenth minute got them going and for the remainder of the first half it was them who dominated and with McCloskey at the heart of everything they did the Shamrocks clawed their way back into the game.
He held off the challenge of three opponents in the eleventh minute to hit a great point but was desperately unlucky three minutes later when his brilliant angled shot came back off the butt of the far post and rebounded to safety. McCloskey never gave up the fight though and two more points from frees saw him cut the gap back to five, though a Brogan O’Connor point just before the break gave the Oisins a 2-4 to 0-4 lead at half time.
McCloskey cut the gap back to five again two minutes into the second half but the Oisins responded with a great four man move which ended with Ward sending one over at the other end. However the whole tempo of the game changed two minutes later when a long deliver out defence by Loughgiel centre back Pearce Patterson dropped in behind the Oisins defence and Dara Patterson struck a great ground shot to the Glenariffe net.
A brilliant smothering save by Loughgiel goalkeeper Mark Christie denied Orrin O’Connor what looked like a certain goal midway through the half, though the Oisins did pull a point back a minute after that when Brogan O’Connor sent over a free. Back came Loughgiel and two pointed frees from Jack McCloskey had the gap down to just two with five minutes left for play and in truth it looked like anybody’s game. The Glenariffe nerves were settled a little when full back Matthew Black got up to send over a point, and when Brogan O’Connor added another from a free it appeared to be over.
Loughgiel were not about to give up however and McCloskey’s pointed free set up a grandstand finish which ended in Ward’s match winning save.
LOUGHGIEL: Mark Christie, Preston McGarry, Roan McGarry, Codai McGarry, Charley O’Hagan, Pearse Patterson, Tiago McGarry, Liam Glackin, Dara Patterson, Ronan Fitzgerald, Ben McGarry, Ronan Casey, Conn McCormick, Ciaran McCarry, Jack McCloskey.
Subs – Ashton McGarry, Eoin McCarry.
OISINS: Cahir McNaughton, Niall Magee, Matthew Black, Daniel Douthart, Ronan Leech, Cathan Graham, Callum McIlwaine, Patrick McIlwaine, Orrin O’Connor, Brogan O’Connor, Peadar McDonnell, Eamon Ward, Phelim Ward, Orin McClintock.
Subs – James Kearney, Oisin Mort, John Scullion, James O’Kane
Referee – John Carson (Ruairi Og)
