Ulster Minor Football Championship – Group B
Armagh 0-8 Antrim 0-8
Pics by John Merry
In a repeat of last weekend’s senior contest between Armagh and Antrim, at the same venue in Box- It Athletic Grounds, the Group B result was on course to be the same.
With the hosts backed by a strong breeze they dominated from the off and Niall McParland, Calum Hughes and Daragh McNulty helped push Armagh on to a four points to no score lead after fifteen minutes.
Antrim’s Niall Hynds goes high to win a ball at midfield
The young Saffrons were playing a retaining role during that first half but as the game progressed they began to push forward and eventually got on the scoreboard with a pointed free by James Blaney. Blaney’s Naom Bríd club mate Dara Quinn added a second soon afterwards before Con Magee’s Daire Higgins claimed a great mark and sent over the resultant award to leave them trailing by 0-5 to 0-3 at the interval.
Armagh pushed on again in the second half and appeared to have steadied the ship when they went three points clear with just five minutes left for play.
The introduction of Cargin’s Callum Gribben, St Gall’s JJ Higgins and Sarsfields Sé Ferris proved a big boost for Antrim as both showed well during the final quarter, but when the home side still held a three point lead with five minutes left to play it all appeared to too late. However the visitors never say die attitude was to stand them in good stead and points from substitute JJ Higgins of St Gall’s, left half back Ryan McKeever from Portglenone and Cargin’s Callum Gribben earned them a share of the spoils.
Callum Gribbin was the hero, saving a point for Antrim with a leveller from play.
One interesting footnote from Saturday. Colla Ward, who plays his football for Con Magees Glenravel, became the fifth successive member of the Ward family to play county football for Antrim. Colla’s great, great grandfather Ned Ward was a member of the Antrim team who played in the Senior All Ireland finals of 1911 (against Cork) and 1912 (against Louth). His great grandfather Barney Ward also played in the Saffron jersey as did his grandfather Jimmy Ward and his father Ciaran Ward. All the other of course played their club football with Sarsfields, while Colla, a Waterfoot resident, plays with Glenravel. However the Sarsfields connection lives on as Sé Ferris, who came on as a sub on Saturday, is a son of a Ciaran’s sister Cora Ward, and a proud Sarsfields man.
