ACHL Division 2

Glenariffe Oisin 1-19 – Cloney Gaels 2-19

Goals from youngsters Paddy Dougan in the 28^th minute of the first half and another from Colla McDonnell in the opening minute of the second turned this well contested ACHL Division 2 encounter in Waterfoot in favour of visitors Cloney Gaels.

Following an opening day win over Tir na nOg in Ahoghill the visitors were hoping to make it two from two while the Oisin’s were hoping to get points on board following their defeat to Cathaoir an Ri were aiming to open their account.

In a hard hitting first half it was Glenariffe who looked to be heading into the interval with their noses in front with Dan McKillop converting half a dozen frees to punish indiscretions by the visitors. Alex O’Boyle, Aaron Cosgrove and Oliver Kearney were all on target for the Waterfoot men but James and PJ O’Connell, youngster Colla McDonnell, Ronan Graham, Tomas McGlone and Bernard Graham kept the Cloney side within touching distance before Paddy Dougan finished to the Oisin’s net to give his side a slender two point lead at the interval.

Colla McDonnell was having an increasing influence on proceedings and the corner forward struck again in the opening minute of the second half to move Cloney Gaels five points clear before striking his side’s 10^th point, two minutes later.

James O’Connell added another as Glenariffe fought hard to get their own game together with points from Alex O’Boyle and Ben O’Boyle from play and another McKillop free but the Ahoghill men were always able to keep their noses in front as James O’Connell, Dan O’Neill and Donal Graham split the posts.

PJ O’Connell for the visitors and Alex O’Boyle for Glenariffe traded two points apiece to keep the Cloney Gaels six in front before Ben O’Boyle fired home his side’s only goal to leave just three in it with ten minutes remaining to set up a grandstand finish.

Glenariffe threw everything at the opposition with Dan McKillop converting two frees and adding another from play but a determined Ahoghill were always able to find a response as Colla McDonnell, Owen Neeson and Dan O’Neill replied with points to keep the gap at three as Ciaran McCloskey sounded his full time whistle.

Antrim Hurling League Division 1

Ballycastle 2-15 Cushendun 1-12

Ballycastle got their second win in four days in Division 1 of the Antrim hurling league when they hosted North Antrim neighbours  Cushenun at Pair MacUilin on Sunday afternoon. Leading by seven points at half time they appeared to be comfortable, but they were made to work hard during the second half when Cushendun closed the gap back to six.

Diarmaid McShane and Conaloith ‘Loaf’ McNeill exchanged 2 points each from frees in the opening five minutes before Conor Boyds sent over a long range point from a free on eight minute to put the home team back ahead, and thy pushed on from there with Diarmaid McShane, Seamus McAuley and Lorcan Donnelly all sending over points to stretch their team’s lead to 0-6 to 0-2 after fifteen minutes.

Calum Kilgore came back with one for Cushendun on 16 minutes but Conor Boyd (from a 65), Seamus McAuley, Tiernan Smyth and Fergal McKiernan all hit the target for the Town to push the gap out to seven by the 25th minute. Loaf McNeill pulled on back from a free for the Emmet’s but another Diarmaid McShane point just on half time left seven between the teams at the short whistle.

David Kilgore got the opening score of the second half for the visitors when he pointed inside thirty seconds of the restart, but McShane cancelled that out when he sent over a free thirty seconds late. Loaf came back with two pointed frees for Cushendun in the 33^rd and 34^th minutes but McShane struck a telling blow for the ‘Town when finished off a good move with a well taken goal two minutes later.

Two points from Conor McHugh and David Sharkey kept Cushendun in touch but Ballycastle were able to keep the visitors at arms-length and they gained an extra cushion when Fergal McKiernan got his team’s second goal five minutes from time. To their credit the Emmet’s kept battling to the end and were rewarded when David Kilgore grabbed a late goal to cut the gap to just five, but McShane had the final say for the home team and his point saw them home with six to spare.

BALLYCASTLE

Benny Connor, Oran Kearney, Dermot Donnelly, Mark McLean, Ciaran McKeague, Conor Boyd, Ronan Laverty, Ronan McCarry, Seamus McAuley, Cathal Connor, Ciaran Butler, Lorcan Donnelly, Tiernan Smyth, Diarmaid McShane, Feargal McKiernan

CUSHENDUN

Gareth McGhee, Conor Bannon, Aidan Corbett, Jack McKay, Matthew McCartin, Donal O’Hara, Tom Scally, Conor McHugh, Calum Kilgore, Harry Kilgore, Archie McSparran, Conlaoith McNeill, David Sharkey, David Kilgore, Pearse Bannon.

Referee – Fintan McCotter

Ardoyne Kickhams 2-11 Loch Mór 3-10

Pics by Brian McKee

Loch Mór continued their unbeaten start to their ACHL Division 4 campaign with a two-point win over Ardoyne Kickhams in an entertaining clash at Fennell Park.

The home side got off to a flying start when Oisín McVicker rattled the net in the opening minutes, with Jim McAuley adding a free moments later. But the Ardoyne men would fail to score for a further 22 minutes with the visitors adding 1-4 without reply, Ferdia Carson with the major and Darragh Turley accurate from frees.

A Simon McCrory free stopped the rot for the north Belfast side but Turley raised another white flag from a placed ball to ensure a three-point lead for the visitors at the break, 1-5 to 1-2.

A Turley brace extended the Loch Mór lead after the restart but Ardoyne then enjoyed a period of dominance with Dan Moore, Paul McGuigan and Aaron Stewart adding points from play and McAuley getting a touch on a McVicker delivery for his side’s second goal of the day.

Turley forced a great save from JP Agnew between the Ardoyne posts and the same player pointed the resultant 65 to edge Loch Mór back into the lead. Moore and Turley swapped points but the decisive score came from Murtagh Moran who fired home Loch Mór’s third goal.

Ardoyne’s Pearse Hull made it a three-point game with five minutes on the clock. Conor Jones stretched the visitors’ lead to four points, and although McCrory and McVicker narrowed the gap, Ardoyne were unable to reel in Loch Mór who now sit in second place in the Division 4 table behind leaders Ballymena.

Ardoyne: JP Agnew; C Clarke, P Clarke, S McGearty; C Wallace, S McCrory, A Stewart; P McGuigan, D Goodall; D Moore, M McLaughlin, P Hull; O McVicker, J McAuley, S Searle

Loch Mór: B Graham; A Monaghan, P Molloy, J McKenna; R Moran, C Jones, O O’Boyle; M Braniff, M Jones; D Phillips, C Dwyer, L Rooney; M Moran, F Carson, D Turley

Referee: C Brown (St Pauls)