Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

St John’s 1-13 Ballycastle 4-21

Ballycastle scored a big win over St John’s at Corrigan Park on Sunday, a win that lifts them out of the bottom half of the table.

There was little between the teams in the first half and a Loughlin McCurdy goal, which he toe –poked through a crowded goalmouth put the home team in front after Eoin McAlonan and Rambo McCarry had given the Town an early lead. Tiernan Smyth restored the visitors lead with two points from frees before Domhnal Nugent brought the Johnnies level with a well struck point from distance. Three in a row from Seamus McAuley, Mattie Donnelly and Rambo McCarry open a gap for the visitors but Ruairi Galbraith and Aaron Bradley brought St John’s back to within a point, and though Cian Waldron and Tiernan Smyth hit back for Ballycastle there was just two between the sides at the interval and Sean Wilson and Aaron Bradley (3) hit late points for the Corrigan Park men.

With the breeze behind them in the second half Ballycastle started strongly and points from Cian Waldron and Tirnan Smyth put the gap out to five. Full forward Niall McCallin pulled one back for the Johnnies but two more from Smyth and one each from McAlonnan and Seamus McAuley saw the gap widen. Domhnal Nugent got one back from a free before Ronan McCarry got Ballycastle’s first goal. St John’s captain Nugent hit three points in a row, but Ballycastle were now dominant and a late flurry of goals from Lorcan Donnelly, Seamus McAuley and Donnelly again saw them run out convincing winners.