A game that was mediocre in the extreme ended in a welter of excitement as a late Ciaran Clarke point gave Ballycastle victory over Ballycran in Sunday’s Antrim Hurling League Division 1 game at Pairc MacUílin. The win, that or long periods of a mistake ridden game had appeared unlikely lifted Ballycastle into to the top six, and a couple of players that I spoke to after game thought they were in the top half of the table. However they were made aware afterwards that it is in fact going to be a top five, and they now face two journeys down the Ards in the second half.
In a mistake ridden opening half Ballycran were well on top and with the wind blowing up into the Rathlin end of the ground they led by 0-9 to 0-4 at half time.
Ballycastle started the second half in a more positive fashion and points from Ronan Laverty, Ciaran Clarke and Ciaran Butler the cut the gap to two. Ballycran came back with points Phelim Ward, Ben Arthurs and Conor Woods to restore their five point cushion. Ballycastle came with three in a row through Joe McToal, Rueben McClean and Ciaran Clarke to leave just two between the teams, and they hit the front on 50 minutes when a clever free from Clarke put Dairmaid McShane in for a goal.
Conor Dorrian brought the sides level again with a pointed free but when Clarke, Laverty and Ronan McCarry put them three clear entering injury time the home side appeared to be home and hosed. However Ballycran hit back right away and when Gerard Hughes won possession on the twenty metre line he drilled a low shot to the Ballycastle net.
With the game deep in injury time you would have thought it was ending level, but there was one more play left and when the ball broke to Ciaran Clarke he slotted over the winner.
