Month / January 2020

by thesaffrongael

Promotion trail continues for Saffrons as Mayo visit Loughgiel

Allianz Hurling League Division 2A

Antrim v Mayo

Sunday February 2nd @ Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel

By Brendan McTaggart

Antrim return to league action this Sunday with their first home match of the campaign and the visit of Mayo to Loughgiel.  Following last Sunday’s win against Wicklow in the Garden County, the Saffrons will be hoping to maintain their winning start as they welcome the men from the West to Fr Healy Park.

Darren Gleeson’s men didn’t exactly set the world on fire against Wicklow in their league opener yet still managed to leave Arklow with a nine point victory.  They laboured for much of the first half before firing eight unanswered points after the restart having held a one point lead at the interval.

Gerard Walsh maintains his place at right half back after a confident display against Wicklow last weekend.

All credit should go to Wicklow though as they set up to stifle Antrim in attack and flooded their defence, tackled with intensity at the breakdown and in general made life hugely difficult for the Saffrons.  That along with the pitch in Arklow certainly looking worse for wear and in need of the mower going around it a couple of times ensured that it wasn’t quite the day at the office Antrim had when they dismantled Wicklow in the Kehoe Cup at Abbotstown.  Then again, do you blame them?  Antrim hockeyed them that day and they made sure they were going to make home advantage count.  From pristine, carpet like surface to, well, the non-pristine and carpet like surface in Arklow.  It took Antrim the majority of the first half to adjust but when they did, they began to go through the gears and do enough to win the game.

Neil McManus top scored with ten of his 11 points coming from play while he showed fight and desire for the full 70 minutes and played in a number of roles.  The half back line all excelled with Paddy Burke in the centre putting in another accomplished display and has become one of the first names on the Antrim team sheet. 

Conor McCann makes his return on Sunday following injury

The Antrim attack struggled for long periods and were reliant on McManus’ exploits from placed ball.  Keelan Molloy continues to be side-lined as he recovers from appendicitis while Conal Cunning also remains on the injury list.  James McNaughton tore Wicklow apart in the Kehoe Cup in a breath-taking 20 minute cameo and it’s fair to say he was a marked man last Sunday.  He was the most fouled man in the Antrim team with five of McManus’ frees coming as a result of infringements on McNaughton while Dan McCloskey came to life in the second half.  Both lads will relish playing in a Saffron shirt on their home ground and retain their places in the starting 15.  The introduction of Conor Johnston at half time gave them a different dynamic with his trickery and guile but Eoghan Campbell’s emergence in the second half was another reason why the Saffrons took control.  His ability to read the game from deep and find space in a crowd where others might struggle is a major asset for Antrim.  He has become another big player for Antrim in recent times and an important cog in the Saffron wheel.  Campbell returns to the starting line up for Sunday in midfield where he will be partnered by Niall McKenna.  Alex Delargy returns to the starting 15 in one of six changes to the Saffrons starting team.  Michael Bradley, Conor McHugh and Aodhan O’Brien the remaining changes.

Alex Delargy is back his first game since sustaining injury against Offaly in the Kehoe Cup final

Mayo in Loughgiel on paper should be another victory.  Anything less would be a massive upset.  The last time these two played was just under 12 months ago when the Saffrons ran riot.  Winning by 20 points, scoring five goals and all this despite having two men sent off.  Neither Eoghan Campbell nor Nigel Elliott saw out the 70 minutes with red cards but it was an afternoon on the west coast where Antrim got everything their own way.

Mayo suffered a heavy loss to Kerry last weekend, the Kingdom running out 2-24 to 0-13 winners in Castlebar.  All signs point to another Antrim win and while they are hot favourites, lessons from last weekend should be learned in what to expect.  Teams like Wicklow last week and Mayo this weekend will see Antrim as a huge scalp and would raise their own game and intensity.  If Antrim are to push for promotion however, coming up against Mayo in their own backyard should be a comfortable two points and while the underfoot conditions in Arklow were far from helpful, the Saffrons will be hoping for a better return from their attacking unit on Sunday. 

When they last met….

Sunday February 24, 2019

Ballina, Mayo

Antrim 5-18 Mayo 0-13

Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, John Dillon, Stephen Rooney; Eoghan Campbell, Matthew Donnelly, Simon McCrory; Donal McKinley, Nicky McKeague (0-4, 1f); Nigel Elliott (2-00), James McNaughton (1-9, 7f’s), Ryan McCambridge (1-1); Eoin O’Neill (0-1), Conor McCann (0-1), Ciaran Clarke (1-1).

Subs: Conor Boyd for S McCrory (HT); Conor Patterson for J Dillon (55); James O’Connell (0-1, 1f) for C Clarke (55); Conor Laverty for N McKeague (58); Sean Duffin for J McNaughton (63)

Yellow Cards: J Dillon (30).

Red Card: Eoghan Campbell (26); N Elliott (49).

Mayo: Stephen Lenaghan; Conor Murray, Conor Daly, John Gerraghty; Padraig O’Flynn, Stephen Coyne (0-2, 2f’s), Cathal Freeman; Daniel Huane (0-1), David Kenny; James Gallagher (0-1), Eanna Ryan (0-1), Patrick Kiely; Shane Boland (0-7, 6f), Sean Regan, Eoin Delaney.

Subs: Conor Henry for J Geraghty (HT); Brian Hunt for P Kiely (HT); Bobby Douglas for J Gallagher (50); Cormac Phillips (0-1) for E Delaney (53); Corey Scahill for C Freeman (56).

Yellow Cards: E Ryan (14); S Boland (30); S Regan (68).

Conor McHugh comes in at corner back for Sunday’s game with Mayor

SUNDAY’S STARTING TEAM….

Ryan Elliott; Stephen Rooney, Ciaran Johnston, Conor McHugh; Gerard Walsh, Paddy Burke, Aodhan O’Brien; Eoghan Campbell, Niall McKenna; James McNaughton, Neil McManus, Michael Bradley; Alex Delargy, Conor McCann, Dan McCloskey

Subs: Matthew Donnelly; Conor Boyd; Phelim Duffin; Domhnall Nugent, Ryan McCambridge; Eoin O’Neill; Ronan Molloy; Joe Maskey; Ryan McGarry; Nicky McKeague; Tiernan Butler

by thesaffrongael

Antrim and Sligo to renew old rivalry

Antrim v Sligo

Antrim and Sligo have been regular rivals over the past eleven years going back to 2009 when the two sides met in the Division 4 final at Pearse Park Longford which Sligo won by 1-12 to 1-10. The sides finished level at the top of Division 4 on 14 points each, the Saffrons topping the Division on score difference. Antrim won their meeting in the league proper at Casement Park by 1-11 to 0-9 but the Connacht men turned the table in the league final. By the way Antrim’s top score in both games was a young Lamh Dhearg player called Paddy Cunningham.

Tony Scullion is congratulated by team manager Liam Baker Bradley after the win over Sligo at Casement Park on March 28th 2009. Right – Paddy Cunningham with the Sligo captain Charlie Harrison and the match referee before the final in Pearse Park Longford on April 25th

The following year was a similar pattern. With both teams promoted to Division 3 Liam Bradley’s side once again finished top of the league table, again beating Sligo on score difference and once again coming out on top in the league proper at Casement with a 1-12 to 0-14 win. In the Div 3 decided at Croke Park Sligo once again turned the tables, this time with a more emphatic 0-19 to 1-11 win. Paddy Cunningham was again the Saffrons top scorer in both games with 1-5 at Casement and 0-6 in Croker

Left – Michael McCann in action during the league win over Sligo at Casement Park on February 7th 2010. Right – Antrim captain Colm Brady looks on as Sligo lift the Division 3 trophy at Croke Park on April 24th.

 The two teams who went up to Division 2 together in 2011 came back down together at the end of the season, Antrim finishing bottom of the pile with just one win against Meath while Sligo won the game between the two teams by 2-18 to 1-11 in Casement and also got a draw against Donegal in Ballybofey.

The following year 2012 they were down in Division 3 together again, this time both finishing out of the top places – Antrim finishing third while Sligo were down in 5th. They met in the first game of the season at Casement Park (they seemed to have home advantage in the majority of their meetings) with Antrim coming out on top by 0-13 to 0-12.

Sligo gained revenge in Division 3 in 2013, this time in Markievicz Park, where the men in white and black won by 1-12 to 0-13. Antrim were relegated, despite winning their first game of the campaign against Cavan by 1-14 to 2-8. Sligo managed to avoid the drop by a single point so in 2014 there was no meeting between the sides for the first time in six years. The next time they met was in 2017, Antrim now back in Division 3 after topping the Division 4 table ahead of Louth the previous season, but losing out to the Wee County in the final in Croke Park. The Saffrons’ stay in Division 3 would be brief, despite beating Sligo by 0-11 to 1-7 in Corrigan Park. Sligo survived the 2018 season in Division 3 but were relegated last season and so on Sunday the two old rivals will renew a battle that has gone on for over a decade

The Antrim team who beat Wexford in last week’s NFL Div 4 opener in Glenavy
by thesaffrongael

Can Antrim carry good form into trip to Sligo?

NFL Division 4

Sligo v Antrim

Marcievicz Park 2-00

Antrim make the trip to Marcievicz Park this Sunday buoyed by an excellent victory over Wexford on Sunday past at Glenavy and hoping to get one over a Sligo team who have been something of a nemesis over the years.

The Saffrons lost to Sligo two years ago at the same venue in the All Ireland play-offs and over the years the Connaught side have been something of a bogey side. The sides met in the NFL Division 4 finals in 2009 and 2011 with the Connaught side emerging victorious on both occasions.

Sligo played their football in division 3 last year but endured a disappointing campaign but they put 18 months of disappointment behind them with an impressive 5-9 to 0-11 win over London last Sunday to get their division 4 campaign off to a winning start.

Paddy O’Connor and Pat Hughes each scored two goals, while Darragh Cummins also saw the green flag raised.

Red Óg Murphy turned his back on a career in Aussie Rules last year and made his first league appearance for Sligo, scoring two points in his starting role.

In a blustery McGovern Park, the Yeats men raced into a 3-03 to 0-03 advantage at the break thanks to Cummins and O’Connor, while goalkeeper Aidan Devaney’s 45 was another highlight of the half as he produced a fine display.

  • Marc Jordan who had a good debut at mid-field against Wexford
  • Eunan Walsh scored an excellent goal to send Antrim on their way to victory at Glenavy

The second period was a non-event as error-strewn London improved slightly, but two goals in 60 seconds from Hughes added gloss to the victory with the margin between the sides 13 points in the end.

An excellent result on paper but just how good London were remains to be seen and the Saffrons are likely to provide a much stiffer test for the home side on Sunday and if they can produce anything like their performance against Wexford then I believe they can come away with what could be a season defining win.

Manager Lenny Harbinson, in his third season in charge has been forced to reshuffle his pack again owing to retirements and defections to soccer but has never the less a strong panel at his disposal and most of those on duty this Sunday have at least a couple of seasons under their belts.

New to the Antrim line-up is keeper Oisin Kerr but the Creggan man had a fine National League debut last Sunday, pulling off one spectacular second half save while Meath native Mark Gardiner had a solid debut at left back and looks like a good find for the Antrim management.

Paddy Cunningham returned to the Antrim side after six years away from the Saffron setup and adds valuable experience and knowhow and his free talking and leadership qualities could be important to Antrim’s promotion chances this season.

There was another impressive debutant in Marc Jordan of Lamh Dhearg while Aghagallon pair, Eunan Walsh and Ruairi McCann were amongst Antrim’s outstanding performers, sharing Antrim’s three goals between them.

  • Two goal Ruairi McCann has impressed for the Saffrons this season
  • Paddy Cunningham’s return has provided experience and scoring potential to Antrim’s bid for promotion

McCann has turned the promise he has shown at club level over a number of years into county form this year and has proved to be a great target man for his county over their two McKenna Cup games and again on Sunday’s league opener while Walsh covered every inch of the Glenavy pitch in a man of the match performance.

There is plenty of experience in the Antrim ranks to complement the new comers however with Ricky Johnston, Paddy Gallagher, Declan Lynch, Colum Duffin, Paddy McBride, Conor Murray and Niall Delargy having seen plenty of action in the Antrim colours over recent years while Tomas McCann will offer further experience if he has overcome a recent injury.

Both sides will have taken confidence from their respective victories on day one and Sunday’s round 2 encounter could be close but Antrim looked fit, organised and inventive at Glenavy and if they can curtail the scoring threat of O’Connor and Hughes then they should gain the win that would set them up for a strong promotion push.

Antrim team to play Sligo: Oisin Kerr, Paddy Gallagher, Ricky Johnston, Mark Gardiner, Declan Lynch James McAuley, Peter Healey, Colum Duffin, Marc Jordan, Eunan Walsh, Paddy McBride, Niall Delargy, Paddy Cunningham, Ruairi McCann, Conor Murray.

    by thesaffrongael

    Send off for All Ireland Finalists

    Photographs: Bert Trowlen

    A big crowd of supporters gathered in the Derryhirk Inn on 28th January for a send-off night for the All Ireland finalists who will represent St Mary’s Aghagallon in the All Ireland Scór na nÓg Final in Killarney at the weekend. Friends and family came together to wish the girls all the best and to congratulate them on their achievements so far. Ulster Scór Chairperson, Paula Magee was in attendance and wished the girls every success on Saturday.  A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the girls so far. The All
    Ireland Final takes place this weekend in the INEC in Killarney.

    by thesaffrongael

    Glenarm are the champions

    Twenty five years ago Glenarm hurlers (then called St Joseph’s) had their best ever season, winning the Intermediate Hurling Championship, the Intermediate Reserve Championship (both played on the one day in Casement Park) and the Division 2 League title. On Saturday night the club will honour the players from those teams at a gala dinner in the Tullyglass Hotel. To mark the occassion we are runnning a copy of the Ballymena Chronicle’s report of the game from September 1995, plus photos taken on the day.

    BALLYMENA CHRONCILE – SEPTEMBER 1995

    Glenarm St Joseph’s 2-10 St Enda’s 1-8

    St Joseph’s Glenarm won their third Intermediate Hurling title at Casement Park on Sunday and if that was not enough they also clinched the Intermediate Reserve title into the bargain.

    Their last title came in 1981 and their first in 1976, but perhaps this was their sweetest of all having been there or there abouts without success for a number of years now.

    Hurling Board secretary Tony Mulvenna presents the Intermediate Hurling Championship Cup to Glenarm captain, and man of the match, Sean Waide after his team’s win over St Enda’s in the final at Casement Park. Pic by John McIlwaine

    They were always favourites to win this crown, thanks to their fine league run, and that title could come their way very soon. With St Enda’s forced to field without Brendan Prenter the odds were stacked against the Glengormley side and when he did appear, despite injury, his goal showed what a force he could be. They failed also with their poor finishing, shooting eight wides in the first half and nine in the second, while Glenram were much more economical, missing just four times in each half. Glenarm were on top throughout and were never headed after Hugh McKay scored in the first minute. There was an immediate reply from St Enda’s when Liam Vallely, who turned out to be their ace card, pointed in the fourth minute but only to see the Glenarm men pull two ahead with points from Seamus O’Kane and Oliver Mulvenna in the 5th and 6th minutes. Vallely struck back with pointed frees in the 9th and 11th minutes to bring St Enda’s level again, but Glenarm captain Sean Waide, who had an absolutely magnificent game, came up from the half back line to fire over in the 16th minute to give his team back the lead. Vallely, who scored all St Enda’s first half scores, levelled again in the 20th minute, but Waide began the charge who saw his team take a 1-6 to 0-4 lead by half time. In the 25th minute he sent over a long range point and soon afterwards Sean O’Neill struck a telling blow when he kicked the ball to net for the first goal of the game and when Waide added another point they went in at half time with a five point cushion.

    Oliver Mulvenna in action during the win over St Enda’s.

    To their credit St Enda’s never gave up the fight and they started the second half strongly with a Paul McGarry point. Liam Magill kept the cushion at five when he pointed in the third minute but Tony Morgan hauled St Enda’s back into the game with an eighth minute point.

    The telling point of the game came in the next ten minutes when Glenram added a goal and a point without reply to quite frankly put the game beyond St Enda’s reach. Kevin McKay got the point in the ninth minute and six minutes later right-half-forward John Rosborough struck the telling blow with the second goal of the game to give his team a 2-8 to 0-7 lead by the end of the third quarter.

    However St Enda’s did not throw in the towel and the appearance of Brendan Prenter gave the Glengormley side a boost. Vallely started the fightback with a point and when Prenter fired the ball to the Glenarm net in the twentieth minute the gap was down to four again. To their credit Glenarm responded well to the pressure and points from Oliver Mulvenna and Sean O’Neill put them six clear and even though Liam Vallely ended the game as he had started it, with a pointed free the cup was bound for Glenarm.

    The St Joseph’s men certainly deserved their success but full marks to St Enda’s for a plucky performance. Without the injured Prenter they struggled but they had fine performers in Michael Curran and Liam McCollun in defence, Pat Doran and Declan Steele at midfield and Liam Vallely and Prenter (when he came on) up front. The Glengormley men did enough to suggest they will live to fight another day.

    Step forward man of the match Sean Waide! His performance at right-half-back was magnificent and along with Liam Magill and midfielder Kevin McKay kept the St Enda’s forwards on a tight rein. Oliver Mulvenna and Sean O’Neill were the stars up front but what set the sides apart was the ability of the Glenarm men to take their scores. In total eight different players got their names on the scoresheet.  

    Glenarm scorers – Sean O’Neill 1-1; John Rosborough 1-0; Sean Waide 0-3; Oliver Mulvenna 0-2; Seamus O’Kane 0-1; Liam Magill 0-1; Kevin McKay 0-1; Hugh McKay 0-1.

    St Enda’s scorers – Liam Vallely 0-6 (all frees); Brenan Prenter 1-0; Paul McGarry 0-1; Tony Morgan 0-1.

    GLENARM – Hugh Magill, Seamus Dobbin, Francis Magill, Brendan Ward, Sean Waide (capt), Seamus O’Kane, Liam Magill, Kevin McKay and Jim Petticrew, John Rosborough, Pat O’Neill, Oliver Mulvenna, Paddy O’Kane, Sean O’Neill, Hugh McKay.

    Subs – Gareth McLaughlin

    ST ENDA’S – Declan Lawell, Peter Kane, Michael Curran, Stephen Matthews, Sean O’Connor, Liam McCollum, Jospeh McClintock, Pat Dornan and Declan Steele, Joe Ward, Liam Vallely, Gerard Matthews, Paul McGarry, Tony Morgan, David Maguire.

    Subs – Daniel Curran and Brendan Prenter

    REFEREE – James McLean (Dunloy)

    Tony Mulvenna presents the Intermediate Reserve Cup to team captain Kevin Davey after his team’s win over Carey in the final.

    In the Intermediate Reserve final which was played immediately before the main final Glenarm were also victorious as they beat Carey by 6-5 to 1-2.