Sunday is a big day for the Antrim Camogs as they take on Kilkenny in the All Ireland Intermediate Final at Croke Park at 2pm. Many of our readers may not know at the team and panel so thanks to the brilliant work by Brona ‘McIntyre’ McCollum we give you the chance to get to know the girls a little bit better
Creagh Concrete Minor Hurling A Championship – semi-final
Loughgiel 3-21 Ballycastle 2-15
Seven minutes into Thursday evening’s Minor Hurling Championship semi-final in Armoy, Ballycastle had opened a six point lead against a Loughgiel side who were reduced to 14 men and it looked like the Shamrocks bid for three-in-a-row was in danger of coming to a halt.
However a Ronan McCollum goal two minutes later saw the champions staging a comeback of epic proportions, scoring a further 13 times, while holding Ballycastle to just four scores, and at the end they were nine points to the good
The Shamrocks had started strongly and with Jack McCloskey in unmarkable form at full forward they were 1-2 to 0-1 after six minutes, McCloskey getting 1-1 and Ronan McCollum 0-1 to overhaul Cathair Donnelly’s early point. An exchange of points by McCloskey and Ballycastle’s James Bakewell kept the gap at four, but a goal from Ballycastle full forward Oran Donnelly and a point from Darragh Kelly brought the sides level on 13 minutes.
It was point for point for a while until a Darragh Kelly goal five minute from the break gave Ballycastle the edge and they went into half time with 2-7 to 1-7 advantage.
Jack McCloskey cut the gap back to two within a minute of the restart, but Ballycastle came back with four on the trot through James Bakewell (2), Craoiste McAuley and Tienan Heggarty to open a six point lead. At this stage it appeared we might be in for an upset, but when Ronan McCollum fired in a goal on 39 minutes the Shamrocks found another gear.
Bakewell pointed twice within five minutes for Ballycastle but the rest of the game it was all Loughgiel as they hit eleven of the next twelve scores to take the game away from Ballycaste. Six of the eleven came from Jack McCloskey while Tiago McGarry got two, with Darragh Patterson, Ronan McCollum and Liam Glackin getting one apiece.
Darragh Kelly got a late point for Ballycastle but Loughgiel ended with a goal from a penalty from Tiago McGarry to win by nine.
Senior Reserve Football Cup (semi final)
St Gall’s 2-17 Casement’s Portglenone 0-12
Back to back goals from the impressive Brendan Bradley and Barry McCaffrey in the third quarter fired St. Gall’s to victory over Casement’s in the semi-final of the Reserve Football Cup at Dunsilly tonight.
The lower Fall’s side received an early numerical advantage when Casement’s Niall Kelly was shown red after only 12 minutes but the South West side remained very much in contention until that double strike just prior to the second water break.
St Galls opened brightly but it was the South west side who drew first blood as Aiden Mc Aleese raised the opening white flag. The city side tried to respond but were denied by a couple of excellent save by Portglenone keeper, Jordan Hyndman.
The young keeper denied both Barra Mc Caffrey and Niall Burns in the 5th and 6th minutes, but he was powerless to prevent the former from opening the St Galls account when the corner man despatched a close free between the posts.
The city men having found their feet went on to raise a trio of white flags without reply and they led 0-04 to 0-02 at the first break.
Casement’s were reduced in numbers when Full forward Niall Kelly was shown red in the 12th minute but fought hard to get going but Caolan Chada and Brendan Bradley were calling the shots in the central zone for the Milltown men.
A couple of points from Aiden Mc Aleese and Stephen Kelly left the Ports just a point in arrears as the end of the opening period drew near but the Milltown men grabbed late points from Barra McCaffrey and Dualtach Mc Liam to lead 0-08 to 0-05 at the interval.
Casement’s introduced Feargal O’ Kane at the start of the second half and it gave his side a foothold at mid-field and when Aidan McAleese grabbed two early points they were only a point behind.
St Gall’s regained the initiative however and back to back points from the impressive Caolan Chada and Conn Doherty moved them three ahead once more.
Casement’s were gaining the upper hand at mid-field at this stage with Feargal O’ Kane impressing but the South West side had appeals for a penalty waved away and St. Gall’s broke forward with Brendan Bradley firing to the net.
The momentum was now with St. Gall’s and Barra McCaffrey seized the resulting kick out to nip away and the Milltown men had moved 2-10 to 0-07 ahead.
Casement’s pressed hard in the closing stage with the St. Gall’s goal surviving
A number of goal attempts and a couple of points from Aidan Mc Aleese and mid fielder CoaryMc Laughlin was all they could manage.
St Gall’s emptied their bench as the Casement’s threw everything at them in the closing stages and late scores from Aidan Mc Aleese (0-03), Stephen Kelly and Coary Mc Laughlin increased their tally but in was too little too late and it is St. Gall’s who go forward to meet St. Brigid’s in the Reserve Cup final.
St Gall’s: Niall Mc Curdy, Fergus Donnelly, Jack Hopkins, Eoghan Mc Curdy, Dualtach Mac Liam (0-05), Ruairi Wilson, Conall Mc Girr, Conor Ryan, Caolan Chada (0-01),Michael Hopkins (0-010, Brendan Bradley (1-02), Dara Delaney, Barra Mc Caffrey (1-07), Conn Doherty (0-02), Niall Burns (0-01)
Subs
Oran Mc Ilhatton for Jack Hopkins
Matthew Mc Caffrey for Conor Ryan
Conaill Mc Cabe for F Donnelly
Kevin Bradley for B Bradley
Casement’s: Jordan Hyndman, Declan Dobbin, Ciaran Lynch, Kevin O’ Kane, Paddy Graffin, Paddy Carey, Conor Magee, Coary Mc Laughlin (0-01), Stephen Kelly (0-04), Ronan Kelly (0-01),Aiden Mc Aleese (0-06), BJ Donnelly, Adrian Carey, Niall Kelly, Michael Kelly
Subs
Feargal O’ Kane for A Carey
Colin Lordon for BJ Donnelly
Referee: Barry Hopkiss (Glenavy)
Creagh Concrete U17B HC
All Saints 1-20 Ard Na Ri 2-12
A great exhibition of point taking by Aodhan McGarry pointed All Saints Ballymena into the Creagh Concrete U17B Hurling championship final when they overcame the challenge of a battling Ard Na Ri at Dunsilly tonight. McGarry gave an exhibition, both from play and frees to record a personal total of 0-12 over the hour and his scores proved vital against an Ard Na Ri who battled to the final whistle.
The Ballymena side got off to a great start and a goal from Matthew Mullan had them 1-3 to 0-0 ahead after four minutes with all their points coming from the sweet striking Aodhan McGarry.
David Prenter got Ard Na Ri off the mark with a point in the 7th minute and Fintan Cleary followed with another but All Saints replied with points from Kevin O’Boyle, Joseph O’Rawe, Pearse Martin and Matthew Mullan to lead 1-8 to 0-3 at the end of the opening quarter, the Ard Na Ri point coming from Diarmuid Martin.
Aodhan McGarry increased the All Saints lead with another excellent point but Ard Na Ri came back with two of their own through the impressive Fintan Cleary. Late points from Mullan and McGarry moved All Saints nine in front as half time approached but the Belfast side struck with a late goal from Aodhan McDonagh to hand his side a boost as the half time whistle sounded.
As the action got under way again with the good crowd suitably entertained from what had gone on before it was Ard Na Ri who got the first point through Niall Fallon to close the gap to five but Kevin O’Boyle replied immediately with a point at the other end to restore All Saints six point advantage.
Their opponents Ard Na Ri were growing in confidence however with James Sloan and Fintan Cleary fielding some great ball and they hit two on the trot through Brian McGurk and Fintan Cleary to leave just four between the sides by the 37th minute.
The Ballymena lads looked a bit out of sorts at this stage and their opposition were winning a lot of dirty ball around mid-field but they rallied well and a couple of Aodhan McGarry frees and another from play by Joseph O’Rawe moved them seven clear after 42 minutes and they seemed to have survived the Ard Na Ri surge.
The Belfast combination were having none of it however as the sides shared the next four scores with Fintan Cleary and Brian McGurk on target for Ard Na Ri and Aodhan McGarry replying from two frees for the league winners
Two more from Cleary and McGurk closed the gap to five with seven minutes remaining as Ard Na Ri battled to close the gap but All Saints were once again able to find a response with the unerring accuracy of McGarry from two more frees and another from the dangerous Matthew Mullan putting eight between the sides with time almost up.
Ard Na Ri kept battling to the final whistle and were rewarded with a late goal from Niall Fallon but it came too late to affect the result with Terry Reilly’s whistle bringing an excellent semi-final to a conclusion from the resulting puck out.
All Saints: 1 Ciaran McQuillan, 2 Diarmuid Casey, 3 Conor McKenna, 4 Rhys Haveron, 5 Archie McGreevy, 6 Conan McMullan, 7 Rian Thom, 8 Kevin O’Boyle, 9 Aodhan McGarry, 10 Fintan Brady, 11 Joe O’Rawe, 12 Dara Martin, 13 Tiernan McGurk, 14 Daniel McCoy, 15 Matthew Mullan, 20 Pearse Martin, 21 Connor O’ Hara, 17 Rory Dunne, 18 Daniel Kelly, 19 Dara Killough, 22 Seanan O’Boyle, 23 Rory Taggart
Ard Na Ri: 1 Pearse Hamill, 2 Emmet Corey, 3 Eoghan O’Mainnin, 4 Olibhear Corey, 5 Ruairi McErlean, 6 Brian McGurk, 7 Gairech MacAdhaimh, 8 James Sloan, 9 Fintan Cleary, 10 Diarmuid Martin, 11 Niall Fallon, 12 Aodhan McDonagh, 13 Cormac Barnes, 14 David Prenter, 15 Niall Duffy, 17 Caoimhin Pierce, 19 Oisin Kelly, 20 Niall McDonnell, 27 Marcus McCrossan
Referee: Terry Reilly (Gort na Mona)
Minor Hurling Championship semi-final
Oisins 1-19 St Paul’s 0-7
An exhibition of point taking from Oisins full forward Niall McGarrel saw Glenariffe Oisins book a place in the Antrim Minor Hurling Championship final as they saw off the challenge of St Paul’s at Slemish Park, Ballymena on Thursday evening.
In a game that won’t go down as a classic McGarrel hit the first four scores of the game before Broagn O’Connor got the only score from play on ten minutes. McGarrel added another from a free before Paul Donnelly got St Paul’s opening score of the game just at the first half water break.
After McGarrel had stretched the lead to 0-7 to 0-1 Shea Burns came back with one for St Paul’s, but two excellent scores from John V Morgan and Cailin Devlin plus a Brogan O’Connor goal in first half injury time saw the Oisins lead by 1-10 to 0-5 at the interval.
Two from Orrin O’Connor and one from Nial McGarrel increased the Oisins lead soon after half time before goalkeeper Thomas Duff showed his forwards how it was done when he came up and pointed a St Paul’s 65. The game fizzled out at this stages as Oisins kept pickings off the points to set up final meeting with Loughgiel.
