Naomh Padraig Lisburn maintain their slender one point lead at the top of the table over Naomh Comhghall Antrim following this convincing win over Laochra Loch Lao on Wednesday night.
The opening exchanges were fairly even with Tarlac Barclaigh opening the scoring for Laochra in the 2nd minute before the Lisburn men replied through Francis McMeel and two from Conor Dixon to go ahead after six minutes.
Dixon fired over his third of the game before Cuilte MacGiolla Fhiondgin replied for the home side but Dixon continued to make point taking look easy as he added two more to move his side three clear by the 14th minute.
Both sides wasted opportunities but the visitors moved further ahead through Ben McMullan, Conor Dixon and Eoin Dixon to move 0-8 to 0-3 ahead after 30 minutes with the Laochra Loch Lao point coming from Jack Mac Lomhair.
After the break the Lisburn men continued to call the tune with Mark Chernek, Eoin Dixon and Chernek again on target but Laochra were fighting hard to stay in contention and replied through Cathal O Ceallaigh, Caoimhin O’Daimhin and Jack MacLomhair.
Back Came Naomh Padraig with points from Eoin Dixon, and Conor Dixon and when Mark Torbitt intercepted a short kick-out to fire to the net in the 39th minute they were in almost total control.
Josh McMullan and two from Oisin Gorman saw the visitors increase their lead with PJ O’Prey pulling one back for Laochra Loch Lao and in the run in to the final whistle Eoin Dixon added two more with Conor Dixon getting another to leave Naomh Padraig convincing winners by 16 points.
The Lisburn side sit a point above nearesdt rivals, Naomh Comhghall Antrim who had a big win over St. Malachy’s on the same night and the race for the division 3 title looks like being between these sides.
THREE goals from Róisín McCormick swung this Ulster senior final in Antrim’s favour as they ended Down’s four years’ dominance in Edendork.
Two of the strikes came in the opening ten minutes to give the Saffrons the platform to control the game.
McCormick’s first in the second minute completed a whirlwind start to the game and put Antrim 1-2 to 0-1 ahead.
Antrim pushed on from there and the Loughgiel forward’s second goal came in the 10th minute to open up a seven points’ lead.
Roisin McCormick
When Áine Magill fired over after 22 minutes it was 2-7 to 0-3, but Down finished the half strongly with four unanswered points, the brilliant Niamh Mallon splittng the sticks six times in the half.
Mallon and McCormick traded frees during the third quarter to bring the scoreboard to 2-10 to 0-10 before McCormick’s third goal in the 50th mjnute killied off any hope of a Down smash and grab.
Mallon finished with 11 points on the losing team, but McCormick’s 3-6 ensured she collected Player of the Match.
Antrim : R McCormick 2-6 (0-6 frees), Á Magill 0-3, L McNaughton 0-2, C Dobbin 0-1.
Down: N Mallon 0-11 (8 frees), L Clarke 0-2, A McAleenan 0-1
Down: C McGourty, A Savage, D Magee, D Coleman, B Savage, B Fitzpatrick, C McGilligan, P O’Hagan, C Cowan, C Fitzpatrick, L Clarke, C Fitzsimons, S Sands, A McAleenan capt, N Mallon.
Subs: C Caldwell for P O’Hagan (13), A Rogan for C Fitzsimons (43), I O’Hare for L Clarke (58)
Antrim : C Graham, A Boyle, C Drain, K McKillop, C Patterson, C Conlon, L McKenna, L McNaughton capt., N Cosgrove, Á Magill, C Wright, C Laverty, R McCormick, C Dobbin, M Laverty.
Subs: NA Donnelly for K McKillop (57) – S McKillop for Laverty
Brendan McTaggart reports from Corrigan Park, Belfast
Antrim had to dig deep on Saturday afternoon to maintain their winning record in this years McDonagh Cup. They edged Carlow with three points to spare at the end of 70 minutes and a contest that could have gone either way.
The Barrowsiders came with a definite game plan to stifle the Saffrons attack and playing to their own strengths with their ball winners and carriers having a huge bearing on the game. Defensively they were organised with Martin Kavanagh, Chris Nolan and Jon Michael Nolan all influential.
Ciaran Clarke sends over a late Antrim point
With four minutes to go they held a two point lead but Darren Gleeson’s men found another gear in the time that remained and fired over an impressive run of six points in five minutes, the pick of which a quite superb score from substitute Eoin O’Neill that effectively gave Antrim the lead once again and one they would hold onto for the remainder of the game.
Conal Cunning top-scored for the Saffrons with 1-11 beside his name by the time referee Sean Stack called time with Neil McManus scoring the other Saffron major, both goals coming in the opening 35 minutes. The Saffrons never reached the attacking prowess they showed against Down six days earlier but showed plenty of glimpses with Ciaran Clarke, Seaan Elliott and Cunning all looking like they could cut loose at different times. Such was Carlow’s organisation and game play however, those moments were fleeting. Antrim’s delivery into their forward unit was being dealt with on numerous occasions as the visitors to Corrigan Park look to strangle the contest and leaving the game bereft of flow.
As the contest progresses, Antrim needed something different and the impact off the bench effectively was the difference between the sides. Michael Bradley and Niall McKenna returning from injury were introduced along with Daniel McKernan while Eoin O’Neill’s touch for his point in the 68th minute was sumptuous and matched only by the score that followed.
The sides were tied on three points each when Antrim scored the opening goal of the game. Maskey breaking free to release Clarke while he showed incredible vision to spot Cunning in space. Coby applied the finish with composure to score his first major of the McDonagh Cup and settle the Saffron’s into the game in the 12th minute.
The Saffron fans in attendance didn’t have to wait long before the second goal with McManus firing to the back of the net just six minutes later. Maskey and Clarke involved once more before Conor McCann provided the assist for McManus to hammer the sliotar to the back of the net.
McManus’ major gave Antrim a seven point lead and signalled an awakening of sorts in the Barrowsiders. They cut the Antrim lead to six before scoring their only goal of the game through Chris Nolan. John Michael Nolan with the side line cut deep into the Antrim defence that wasn’t dealt with while Chris Nolan punished.
Indeed, he should have scored another major with the next attack of the game but his drive was superbly saved by an in-form Ryan Elliott. The Saffron’s steadied the ship with Cunning’s frees a life line while Kavanagh was equally accurate for Carlow at the opposite end of the pitch to leave Antrim ahead at half time with the minimum between the sides, 2-8 to 1-10.
Seaan Elliott goes past the challenge of Carlow’s Fiachra Fitzpatrick
That one point advantage was gone inside the opening 60 seconds of the second half as Carlow for the first time in the game, Chris Nolan and Kavanagh the architects at the beginning of a whirl-wind second half that was played largely on Carlow’s terms.
The sides were tied on five occasions in a second half that saw Carlow take a two point lead on three occasions. The last of those with four minutes remaining but Antrim rallied.
Three frees from Cunning, points from Joe Maskey and the impressive Conal Bohill while O’Neill’s score was deserving to grace any pitch in Ireland.
The Saffrons have an extra week to recover ahead of a contest with Meath in Navan that could see Antrim seal their place in the McDonagh Cup Final on Leinster Final day.
Antrim’s Conal Bohill hand pass the ball away as he is challenged by a Carlow opponent
TEAMS
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, Gerard Walsh, Niall O’Connor; Paddy Burke, Eoghan Campbell, Conal Bohill; Joe Maskey, James McNaughton; Seaan Elliott, Domhnall Nugent, Conor McCann; Conal Cunning, Ciaran Clarke, Neil McManus
Subs: Michael Bradley for J McNaughton (46); Eoin O’Neill for N McManus (50); Daniel McKernan for D Nugent (56); Niall McKenna for C McCann (62); Aaron Bradley for J Maskey (inj)
Scorers: C Cunning 1-11 (10 f’s); S Elliott 0-3; N McManus 1-00; C Clarke 0-2; P Burke 0-2; C Bohill 0-2; J Maskey 0-1; E O’Neill 0-1
Carlow: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Conor Lawlor, Michael Doyle; Jack McCullagh, Diarmuid Byrne, Richard Coady; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Conor Kehoe; Sean Murphy, Chris Nolan, Kevin McDonald; John Michael Nolan, Martin Kavanagh, Paul Coady
Subs: Jon Nolan for K McDonald (63); John Doyle for S Murphy (inj)
Scorers: M Kavanagh 0-11 (9f’s); C Nolan 1-4 (1f); K McDonald 0-2; D Byrne 0-1; R Coady 0-1; F Fitzpatrick 0-1; JM Nolan 0-1; C Kehoe 0-1
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Goals in either half from Anton McGrath and Chrissy McMahon ensured Dunloy took the league points on offer at Pearse Park on Friday evening. Six points separated the Cuchullains from Cushendall at the end of the hour in a game neither side looked fluent but the the home side had more attacking threat throughout the pitch.
Chrissy McMahon who top scored with 1-4 for the Cuchullains
Chrissy McMahon top scored with 1-4, finishing the match with some exhibition like scores while six other players in green and gold finished with their names on the scoresheet. Deaglan Smith, Eoin McFerran and Ronan Molloy excelling also while the Cuchullains full back line yielded very little for the Ruairi’s. Oran Quinn in particular with an accomplished 60 minutes. A tally of 15 wides will be a cause for some early season concern for Gregory O’Kane and his management team but they were worthy of their six point winning margin.
Alex Delargy impressed for the Ruairi’s with six of his seven points coming from placed ball while Dominic Delargy put in a strong performance with confidence exhuming in his ability to take scores from all ranges.
Ruairi McCollam and Arron Graffin were solid at the heart of the Cushendall defence, Graffin’s battle with Kevin Molloy fascinating during the game but this was a game Dunloy rarely looked out of their comfort zone. The Ruairi’s had momentum mid-way through the first half but by enlarge this contest was played on the home sides terms.
Dunloy started brightly, going into a two point lead by the tenth minute but even at that stage both sides were guilty of missed chances. The Ruairi’s would hold Dunloy scoreless for the following ten minutes and raise the white flag five times themselves in the same period of time with Dominic and Alex Delargy and Aidan McNaughton on the scoresheet to give the visitors to Pearse Park a three point lead.
Alex Delargy fights for possession with Eamons SmythRuairi McCollam sets up another Cushendall attack
The first goal of the contest gave the Cuchullains the lead once again. With six minutes of the half remaining, Anton McGrath finished to the back of Eoin Gillan’s net after good work by Deaglan Smith down the right hand side. The Cuchullains maintained that advantage until the short whistle with the sides going in at 1-7 to 0-8 in the home sides favour.
The opening exchanges of the second half were sedate at best with Cushendall bringing parity to the scores by the 16th minute but Dunloy found some of their fluency in the time that remained.
They outscored Cushendall 1-5 to 0-2 in the last ten minutes. McMahon with the major thanks largely to a surging run from Kevin Molloy to draw in the Cushendall defence. McMahon’s fourth point of the contest was a touch of class, over his shoulder and under huge pressure while Eoin McFerran finished the scoring with his second point of the match in a big performance.
‘Bunga’ surges through the Cushendall defence to create Dunloy’s second goal
A welcome first two points of the league campaign fort the Cuchullains who will be next out on May 8thwhere they visit Ballycastle the Ruairi’s must wait until 18th May where they welcome Ballycastle to their grounds.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Callum Mullan; Eamon Smyth, Karl O’Kane, Oran Quinn; Conor Kinsella, Kevin McKeague, Conor McKinley; Nicky McKeague, Ronan Molloy; Deaglan Smith, Barry Scott, Eoin McFerran; Anton McGrath, Chrissy McMahon, Kevin Molloy
Subs: Ryan Mort for B Scott (42)
Scorers: C McMahon 1-4; N McKeague 0-5 (4f’s); A McGrath 1-00; K Molloy 0-2; R Molloy 0-2; E McFerran 0-2; D Smith 0-2
Cushendall: Eoin Gillan; Ronan McAteer, Arron Graffin, Liam Gillan; Conor McCollam, Ruairi McCollam, Seamus McNaughtonl Mark Donaghy, Joe McCurry; Andrew Delargy, Dominic Delargy, Aidan McNaughton; Francis McCurry, Alex Delargy, Niall McCormick
Subs: Padraig McKillop for F McCurry (43); Martin Burke for J McCurry (46)
Scorers: Alex Delargy 0-7 (6f’s); D Delargy 0-3; A McNaughton 0-2; Andrew Delargy 0-2; J McCurry 0-1; N McCormick 0-1; M Burke 0-1
Referee: Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel)
Ruairi McCollam sets up another Cushendall attackAlex Delargy fights for possession with Eamons SmythChrissy McMahon who top scored with 1-4 for the Cuchullains‘Bunga’ surges through the Cushendall defence to create Dunloy’s second goal
