Antrim Hurling League Division 3
Con Magees 5-16 Davitt’s
As Spring formally declared it’s arrival in the parish of Glenravel it was former Loughgiel hurler, Martin Scullion, lodged at full forward, who provided a perfect fulcrum around which the Glenravel attack pivoted throughout this game. A personal tally of 3-04 contributed significantly to a home victory in fine sunshine.
Davitts started brightly with a pointed free from Christopher Gallagher followed by one from play by Colm McKee in the opening couple of minutes giving them an early two point lead. However, one minute later Declan Traynor rounded his man and found the roof of the net to give the home side a lead they would not relinquish to the end of the game.
Scullion, who just a few weeks ago celebrated the 10th anniversary of Loughgiel’s All Ireland win, got off the mark a minute later but Davitts were quick to reply with a fine point from burly full forward Anthony Rowntree. Niall Donnelly had a good hour in open play but excelled in the free taking department. It was he who delivered the next point which with his first free of the game. Davitts mobile corner forward, Stephen McGivern replied with a good score and with eight minutes gone the home side held a slender lead 1-02 to 0-05. But from the tenth to fifteenth minute, Con Magees stretched their lead to five as Niall Donnelly followed two frees with a score from play and Martin Scullion got his second and Glenravel’s sixth point. Davitt’s most impressive stickman, Deaglan Mooney then provided us with the score of the game on twenty two minutes when his sideline cut sailed over the bar, Deaglan almost repeated that feat in the second half as well. With only five minutes of the half left Glenravel lead on 1-06 to 0-05 scoreline.
Martin Scullion and Stephen McGivern traded points but with only three minutes of the half remaining, the home side delivered two sucker punches inside one minute when Declan Traynor and Martin Scullion goaled to put real daylight between the teams for the first time. Even though Davitts would record the final two points of the half from McGivern and Rowntree they will have felt disappointed to go in the break eight points down on a 3-07 to 0-08 scoreline.
Davitts needed a strong start to the second half but unfortunately for them the home team came out determined not to lose ground. In that crucial first fifteen minutes, Con Magees recorded five points, four from Niall Donnelly, three of which were frees and another from James Duffin. Davitt’s responded with a solitary point from the impressive Stephen McGivern but the game was over as a contest as the home side led 3-12 to 0-09. Marcas Toner did manage a goal for the visitors to breathe life back into their campaign but Con Magees applied more pressure with the next four points coming from Scullion, Traynor and Donnelly (0-02) all of whom proved a real thorn in the Belfast teams’ said side all day. With five minutes remaining Martin Scullion grabbed his second goal to put the game well and truly beyond the visitors. Deaglan Mooney grabbed a consolation point for the city men but the final score of the day fell appropriately to Scullion when he completed his hat-trick when he scrambled the sliothar across the line from all of two feet out to add to the visitors’ misery. Shortly after this, referee Paul McSparron called time with the scoreboard reading Glenravel 5-16 Davitts 1-11.
Davitts would argue that the scoreline doesn’t do justice to their efforts; they were in the game for much of the opening half but the brace of goals ahead of half time took the wind out of their sails and they didn’t manage to recover after that.
