Antrim Hurling League Division 1b

Ballycran 1-19 Ballygalget 1-10

On a wet and windy night in McKenna Park, it was Ballycran who secured the win and a vital two points in their efforts to secure Division 1 status for another year by beating their Ards neighbours Ballygalget. The win all but secures their place in Division 1 next season and with just three games to go it would take a very strange run of events to see them make the drop. However the result leaves their visitors in trouble at the bottom and with the teams below and above them having a game in hand they face an uphill struggle to maintain their Division 1 status.

Ballycran opened the scoring after just two minutes with a fine effort from Scott Nicholson and moments later they were three up after a free from Conor Woods and one from play from Brendan Ennis. Ballygalget opened their account soon after, with a point from the always dangerous Danny Toner but Ballycran regained their three point advantage with a fine score from half-back Phelim Savage.

It was a difficult night for scoring, with the swirling wind making things tough for the forwards but Woods and Toner traded frees for their respective sides and Woods then added another from play to increase his team’s lead. Ballygalget responded to this with a fine score from corner forward Tim Prenter from an acute angle on the right hand side but Christopher Egan then got in on the action as he responded with his first point from play. Two points from Nicholson either side of a point from Ballygalget’s Caolan Coulter brought the first half to an end, Ballycran taking a commanding 0-10 to 0-4 lead into the break.

From the throw in for the second half, Ballygalget went on the attack immediately and pointed through Caolan Coulter, possibly setting the tempo for a Galget comeback. Ballycran dug in however, and responded with two pointed frees from top scorer Conor Woods. Both sides matched each other almost score for score in the next 10 minutes, Woods, Nicholson and B Ennis all pointing for the home side while Toner responded for Ballygalget.

The big breakthrough was to come soon after this scoring burst. Christopher Egan drove right at the heart of the Ballygalget defence and he was brought down inside the large rectangle, leaving referee Kevin Parke with no option other than to award a penalty. Woods made no mistake, blasting the ball past keeper Magic Johnson and giving Ballycran a big lead to protect. The Galgets kept going however, responding first with a point from Toner and then straight after getting a goal of their own from John McManus. Another free from Toner and it looked like it could be game-on as the Galgets closed the gap to 7 points.

However, a fine point from substitute Stuart Martin put the gap at eight heading into the last 10 minutes and Ballycran were able to cruise to a 9 point win in the end, putting themselves in a strong position to secure safety in Division 1B.

Ballycran: S Keith; M Hughes, P Flynn, G Hughes (M Taylor 30’); P Savage (0-1), L Savage, C Gilmore; S Nicholson(0-3), B Ennis(0-2), C McAlister, C Woods(1-11, 1-10F), M Ennis; C Egan (0-1), C McManus, N Breen (S Martin(0-1) 48’)

Ballygalget: G Johnson; P McManus, E Clarke, J Smyth; Cathal Coulter, B Toner, C Watson; M Fisher, J Doran; G Roddy, Caolan Coulter (0-2), A Doran; D Toner (0-7,0-6F), J McManus (1-0), T Prenter (0-1)