Month / August 2023

by thesaffrongael

Oisins get their first win of the campaign

Intermediate Hurling Championship, Round two

St Paul’s 2-8 Glenariffe Oisins 4-12

Despite conceding 2-1 in the final five minutes the Oisins had too much fire power for St Paul’s when the sides met in Round 2 of the Intermediate Hurling Championship at Shaw’s Road on Saturday evening. After leading by 1-9 to 0-4 at half time the Oisins pushed on the second period and three goals put them well clear. However St Paul’s came with a late run and two goals inside a minute left a few of the Glenariffe followers a little anxious, but they soon steadied the ship again to push on and get their first win of the campaign.

Oisins Seanie McIntosh in action during his team’s win over St Paul’s at Shaw’s Road

Playing with a strong wind at their backs in the opening half the Glensmen, who were short a few regulars through injury and suspensions, picked off the points through Coalan O’Connor (2), Conrad McDonnell, Seanie McIntosh and Daniel Kearney to lead 0-5 to 0-0 after eleven minutes. Caolan Crossan opened the St Paul’s account with a point in the twelfth minute, but the visitors came back with further points from O’Connor and McIntosh to go 0-7 to 0-1 clear at the end of the opening quarter.

St Paul’s were creating chances but their shooting into the difficult wind was letting them down, but points by Caolan Crossan and Caolan Duffin kept them in touch until man of the match Caolan O’Connor cut through for the first goal of the game on 24 minutes, and the Oisins reached half time with a 1-9 to 0-4 advantage.

St Paul’s Thomas Duff in action against Oisin’s Shea McDonnell

With the wind at their backs in the second half  St Paul’s started promisingly and Stephen Rooney sent over a massive free from inside his own half. Things were looking better for the Belfast side when Marcus Munce cut in along the endline and went for goal, but the Oisins keeper Seanan McToal was equal to the shot and the danger was cleared. Lorcan Phillips did add a point with a fine left sided strike soon afterward and the gap was down to six but the Oisins finally opened their second half account when substitute Dan McKillop fired home a goal from a rebound and from then on things went a lot smoother. Substitute Alex O’Boyle, who had not started because of a niggling injury, came on and was immediately into the action, showing great bravery to pull a ground shot to the net, but the ace forward was injured in a collision with the St Paul’s goalkeeper in doing so and had to be brought back off again. A great solo score from Marcus Munce saw St Paul’s get a point back but game was ended as a contest when Caolan O’Connor grabbed his team’s fourth goal, and though St Paul’s came back with two goals inside a minute late in the game, the Oisins ended with late points from Dan McKillop and Aaron Cosgrove.

Oisins Arnie Cosgrove sends over a late point

The first step in their recovery of the Oisins, but it is a long road ahead for the Glenariffe men. They have a home game against neighbours Con Magees next time out, before ending their campaign back in Belfast where they take on Sarsfields in the Bear Pit. As for St Paul’s that would appear to be the end of the road for this season, especially with Sarsfields and Creggan still to come.

by thesaffrongael

Lámhs maintain winning start in Belfast derby

Casement Social Club Antrim JHC Group 1 

Lámh Dhearg 3-22-1-10 Davitt’s 

Kevin Herron reports from Musgrave Park 

Lámh Dhearg made it two wins from two and set up a winners take all showdown for a direct semi-final spot in the Casement Social Club Antrim JHC with a 3-22-1-10 win over Davitt’s at Musgrave Park on Saturday evening.

The Hannahstown side edged out Rasharkin by a point in their opening encounter and found their scoring touch early on in the Belfast derby. 

Fionn Mervyn swung over their opener and on four minutes they found the opening goal when Odrán Waldron’s clearance from defence was gathered by Gerard Smyth, and he offloaded to Daire Cunningham to fire to the net. 

A long-range Mark Finnegan point extended his sides lead before Marcus Toner got Davitt’s up and running for the evening- converting a free. 

Adam Murray would open his evenings account from the placed ball and followed that with another from play following a nice pass from Padraig Mervyn. 

It looked to be relatively one-way traffic when Mark Finnegan doubled his account from a pinpoint Conor McConville puck-out that picked out the forward to float over and give the Lámhs a 1-05-0-01 lead after 13 minutes. 

Davitt’s responded positively however and three unanswered free’s in succession from Toner had the Beechmount outfit trailing by four with ten minutes until the break. 

Micko Herron dropped over his first point of the half after Padraig Mervyn picked out the experienced forward with a cross field free. 

Talisman Toner landed back-to-back frees in the aftermath to leave Cunningham’s goal the difference going down the home straight. 

Points were traded between Padraig Mervyn and Toner (free) though a long range Fionn Mervyn score and another from Micko Herron saw Lámh Dhearg into a 1-09-0-07 lead at the interval. 

Lámh Dhearg started the second period confidently and extended their lead through points from Mark Finnegan and Adam Murray. 

Half-time substitutes Niall McGarry and Joel Brady added further scores and in-between times Gerard Smyth contested for a dropping ball and won it before offloading to Adam Murray to fizz to the net. 

Adam Murray fires in his sides second goal

It took Davitt’s until the 36th minute to claim their first score from play and it arrived through the familiar source of Marcus Toner. 

Murray replied with his second converted free of the evening and although the Lámhs were pulling into the distance, Davitt’s threw themselves a lifeline with twenty minutes remaining. 

The Beechmount side were frustrated that referee Piarais McCaffrey had blown his whistle and didn’t allow an advantage after Stephen McGivern had fired to the net in the aftermath. McGivern stood over the resulting free and would opt to go low – succeeding in squeezing his shot to the net to make it 2-14-1-08. 

Any prospects of a fightback were short-lived however as Lámh Dhearg racked up another 1-04 unanswered in an eight-minute spell. 

Ciaran Boyd floated over his first score and Adam Murray converted successive frees. Paddy Mervyn linked up with Micko Herron for his third point of the evening and Herron would net within 60-seconds. 

After receiving the ball in a promising position, Herron looked across and spotted Mark Finnegan at the back post and unselfishly handpassed across. Finnegan was unable to steer the ball home and after a further shot was blocked the ball was recycled across to the other post where Herron lined up a shot made no mistake to open up a 3-18-1-08 advantage. 

Stephen McGivern landed a long range free in reply and Adam Murray chalked up his seventh point of the evening. 

Further points were traded between Colm McKee and Mark Finnegan before two late Murray frees completed the games scoring as Lámh Dhearg ran out convincing 3-22-1-10 winners at the conclusion.  

The Lámhs have at the very least secured themselves a quarter final berth but travel to Armoy in a fortnight knowing that victory will see them straight through to the semi-final. 

Davitt’s meanwhile must defeat Rasharkin in their final Group game to have any hope of making it through to the last eight. 

Lámh Dhearg: C McConville, T McKenna, O Waldron, M McGuigan, D Murray, D Lynch, F Mervyn (0-02), C Boyd (0-01), P Mervyn (0-01), A McGuigan, M Herron (1-03), A Murray (1-09, 0-06f), M Finnegan (0-04), G Smyth, D Cunningham (1-00). Subs: J Brady (0-01) for M McGuigan (HT), N McGarry (0-01) for D Cunningham (HT), C Nolan for O Waldon (52), E Stanley for M Finnegan (52), A Ferris for M Herron (60). 

Davitt’s: A McLaughlin, O Gorman, J Park, T Carson, C Gallagher, S McGivern (1-01f), D Mooney, P Carleton, C Heaney, C Maguire, C McKee (0-01), D Whelan, C Rainey, J McNally, M Toner (0-08, 0-07f). Subs: G Cosgrove for C Rainey (48), D Maher for J McNally (48), C Ferran for D Whelan (51). 

Referee: Piarais McCaffrey (St Galls)

by thesaffrongael

Cuchullains maintain unbeaten run

Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship – Group 1

Dunloy 0-31 Rossa 1-17

Saturday 19 August

Brendan McTaggart reports from Naomh Eanna

Dunloy made it two from two in this years’ senior hurling championship as they swept aside the challenge of Rossa at Naomh Eanna. It was an accomplished performance from the Cuchullains who’s figures continued to impress at the end of the hour. Five subs made with 10 different scorers. 20 points from open play with three of their subs getting on the scoresheet before referee Darren McKeown called time.

It was another performance where the Cuchullains went through the gears when they needed to with ruthless efficiency.  Rossa gave them their fill of it in the first half and starved Dunloy of time and space in the danger areas for large periods of the opening 30 minutes.  Their hunger and physicality in possession was coupled with moments of brilliance from Dara Rocks and Thomas Morgan in attack, the Shaws Road men gave Dunloy plenty to think about but playing with the breeze in the second half, Dunloy pulled away.  Eight unanswered scores in the space of 10 minutes in the second half put daylight between the sides and Dunloy never looked behind them.

Gerard Walsh’s brilliant goal in the closing stages proved to be the only goal of the game but it was a goal to grace any game in the country.  Over 20 yards from Ryan Elliott’s goal, Walsh struck the sliotar with top spin that dipped viciously and into the bottom corner of Elliott’s goal.  Walsh would finish top of the scorers list for Rossa while there were telling contributions from Dominic McEnhill and Morgan.

11 of Coby Cunning’s 15 points came from placed ball in a flawless performance from the Dunloy free taker that saw him at his mesmeric best from frees – 11 chances and 11 white flags and a performance that saw him playing more around the middle third of the field.  The Elliott brothers, Seaan and Nigel split seven points between them before coming off late in the game while the half back line of the Cuchullains was imperious with their reading of the game and distribution into attack.

The Cuchullains seemed content to rack up the points in the second half with many of their scores coming from further out the pitch.  Ryan McGarry’s two monster points and a free from Coby that was well inside his own half a highlight for the Cuchullains who never really threatened Matthew Devlin’s goal.

Rossa had a couple of chances for goal with Thomas Morgan going close at the start of the second half.  The angle was against him but he was close enough to Ryan Elliott’s goal only for Phelim Duffin to make an outstanding block just when the Rossa livewire was about to pull the trigger.  Owen May will look at his 54th minute point when they look back at this game and feel a tinge of regret that he didn’t go for goal.  Receiving the sliotar no-one in the Hightown Road pitch could believe the space he had found himself in, but he elected to go for a point.

It mattered little over the hour as Dunloy looked to be in cruise control for the second half.  Their ability to find a man off the shoulder, offering support at pace and breaking defensive lines compelling during that 10 minute period of the second half.  Eight points in ten minutes and six of those from play, a devastating period of play that ensured the championship points were going back up the M2 to Pearse Park.

Both sides turn their attention to the senior football championship with Dunloy hosting Creggan next Sunday in a match that will decide who tops the group while Rossa travel to Randalstown to face Tir na nOg on Friday evening with their fate very much still in their own hands.

TEAMS

Dunloy: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, Conor McKinley, Conor Kinsella; Eamon Smyth, Kevin Molloy, Ryan McGarry; Paul Shiels, Eoin McFerran; Keelan Molloy, Gabriel McTaggart, Seaan Elliott; Nigel Elliott, Conal Cunning, Eoin O’Neill

Blood sub: Chrissy McMahon for N Elliott (35 – reversed 40)

Subs: Chrissy McMahon for G McTaggart (30); Deaglan Smith for Keelan Molloy (51); Oran Quinn for C Kinsella (51); Nicky McKeague for S Elliott (53); Ciaran Elliott for N Elliott (53)

Scorer: C Cunning 0-15 (11fs); S Elliott 0-4; N Elliott 0-3; R McGarry 0-2; P Shiels 0-2; Keelan Molloy 0-1; E O’Neill 0-1; D Smith 0-1; C McMahon 0-1; N McKeague 0-1

Rossa:  Matthew Devlin; Ciara Orchin, Chris McGuinness, Conal Shannon; Declan McCartney, Stephen Shannon, Pearse Short; Gerard Walsh, Eoin Trainor; Dominic McEnhill, Stephen Beatty, Aodhan O’Brien; Thomas Morgan, Eoghan McMenamin, Dara Rocks

Subs: Aidan Orchin for D McCartney (44); Owen May for D Rocks (51)

Scorers: G Walsh 1-4 (2fs, 1’65); D McEnhill 0-3; T Morgan 0-3; D Rocks 0-2; A O’Brien 0-2 (2fs); E McMenamin 0-1; S Beatty 0-1; O May 0-1

Referee: Darren McKeown (St Galls)

by thesaffrongael

Laochra Ladies on the verge of historic league success

By Kevin Herron

Laochra Loch Lao are on the verge of clinching their first league title and could do it on Sunday evening when they visit Con Magee’s Glenravel (6.30 throw-in) with victory ensuring Division 3A honours. 

Fresh from securing the Junior B Championship with a victory over Ardoyne last season, manager Ciaran Doherty believes that momentum has carried into this year and credits the make-up off his management team and their specific roles for the position they find themselves in.  

“Absolutely, I think we came in with a hunger from the Championship” believes Doherty. 

“As I said last year, I had no real plans to stay on and to be honest- the appreciation and the love that the club, committee and everybody around the place- it kind of helped me to stay. It was more of an honour and privilege than anything else.

“We put a management team together. I knew we needed something special to achieve what I wanted to achieve, I brought in my brother [Darach] who is a tactical genius, I brought in Michaela from Rossa, who is a goalkeeping genius, John McMahon- whose wife plays on the team, and he is one of the best one-to-one coaches that you will get. 

“I brought Eamonn- who is a best friend of mine and his words of wisdom have really helped us also. Aisling McConville was the last coach I brought in and Aisling’s wealth of knowledge around the leagues, around ladies’ football and drills and games are second to none. I knew when I put the team together that we would give ourselves a good chance. 

“We had a PowerPoint presentation at the start of the year and if I’m going to be honest, our aim was to do better than last year in terms of the league. I wasn’t manager for the league last year, but I was at most of the games, and I was hopeful we could do better. I think we finished 5th or 6th and I thought that if we could finish in the top half of the league I would be delighted, and anything could happen from there”. 

Doherty admits to initially worrying that their squad wasn’t big enough to push for the title this year, but revealed that some returnees to the game helped bolster their numbers for their campaign. 

“One of my worries was that our squad was down to the bare bones last year” admitted Doherty. 

“We were down to 18 players for the final, so if you’re getting 18 players for a final – I was thinking that this wasn’t’ going to be good enough for a league campaign. You needed a panel of about 20-30. I think the attention that the girls got after the Championship win, we got a lot of old players back, which was amazing. 

“We recruited a lot of other players who haven’t played Gaelic football in a while. It wasn’t like it was players from other teams that came. It was girls that maybe fell out of love for the game and wanted to get back at it. The recruitment side of things was really, really important for me because winning a league is very different from Championship. 

“it’s consistency through about eight months and I knew that was going to be hard. We put a pre-season together were we played teams that above our ability. We played my own club [Sarsfields], played Lámh Dhearg and Rossa. We have seven or eight games in pre-season and it was the best thing for us and it really stood by us. 

“Going into the season we had great momentum, the squad was really, really good and things were going great.The match before the season started our centre-half forward fell pregnant (something I’ve had to get used to as a manager as I’m used to taking boys teams), our left-half back got a serious injury in pre-season and had has been out for the year. We had to jig things around a bit because we were playing a style and working out what our best team was going to be. 

“It gave other players the chance to step up as such and Darach putting a playing style together and we worked together and put our stamp on it. We wouldn’t be where we are without the coaches that we have and influence they have in their own different ways. We started the league really, really well. We actually have the best defence in the league, our defence has been unbelievable and really, really fantastic – we’ve done a lot of work on tackling and stuff like that”. 

Defeat to Randalstown earlier in the campaign proved to be a turning point in eyes of Doherty, in that it brought them back down to earth- though the Sarsfields clubman feels they have pushed on since. 

“We went to Randalstown and they gave us a hiding up there and it took us a while to get back after that” he reflected. 

“We had a few wins in a row and Randalstown brought us back down to earth again and we had to rethink things a bit and change things about a bit. We got back after that and got a few more victories. We finished fourth in the league- which I was delighted with. We said that we would see how we would get on and I dare say that no one ever dreamed that we would be top of the table like we are at the minute. 

“When we went into the split, we were fourth and a couple of point behind. It was really, really close between the top-four teams and we played Randalstown early in the split. At one point we were seven points down and the girl’s showed strength and fight like I’ve never seen. We ended up coming away with a one-point win. 

“We played Creggan on Monday night. There was about 100-people at it, it was amazing for girls football. The atmosphere was outstanding, and it really helped our girls. We ended up winning by seven. We’re away to Glenravel on Sunday and we’re hoping to bring a few supporters down to help the girls because we thought that made the difference the last time. Hopefully we can bring home some silverware again. 

Doherty is adamant that league success would be historic coming off the back of their Championship win last season and feels there is now a greater respect towards the club. 

“It would be great to have a Championship and a league in less than 12-months, it would be historic” insists Doherty. 

“The club are newly formed and for the girls be leading the way is amazing. Hopefully the boys can go on a run with Paddy Murray in charge. Things are going really well at the minute, and I think this would be huge. I saw the affect that the Championship win had on the younger teams and thew talk around the club. We’re no longer the whipping girls or the whipping boys- there is now respect for Laochra and teams know it isn’t an easy two-points against Laochra anymore- they are going up for a fight. 

“The girls have been the heartbeat of that. It has been the most enjoyable coaching year of my life. Girls listening and wanting to learn, and they are hungry for it. I would never ever have dreamed that we would be top of the table ahead of our final game of the year. it’s a fairy-tale and like the Rocky version of GAA. The girls are pinching themselves, these are girls who only started playing Gaelic football in the last five years”. 

“You’re coming up against Creggan, Randalstown, Glenravel- all well-established clubs. They’ll probably kill me for saying this but we’re probably the oldest team in the league. I don’t know if that experience of being woman has helped us. We’re probably not the fittest team in the league, we’re coming up against 16/17 year olds- which we don’t have. The girls have showed something, I don’t know if it has come down the language or being Gaels or what, but we’ve showed some superpowers to get where we have at the minute. We’re just so excited for Sunday”. 

by thesaffrongael

Bailey rocket earns Loch Mor a share of the spoils

Junior B Hurling Championship

Loch Mor Dal gCais 2-14 Kickham’s Ardoyne 2-14

As darkness fell at St. Agnes on Friday night, Bailey Graham fired a rocket to the Ardoyne net in the fading light to give Loch Mor Dal gCais a share of the points that seemed highly unlikely minutes earlier.

The Kickkham’s had finished strongly with three points on the bounce from corner-forward, Patrick McGreevey and looked to have done enough to have edged a thrilling Junior B Hurling Championship encounter.

A flashback to the old days as a bare headed Loch Mor players strike the ball after losing his helmet

With time almost up Graham applied the coup de grâce and these two sides could meet again in the decider if the final round of games fall in both their favour.

In a game of changing fortunes that swung in favour of one and then the other throughout these two well matched sides could not be separated during an exciting opening half where both teams played some excellent hurling in far from ideal conditions

The game turned into a shootout between Loch Mor’s Darragh Turley and Patrick McGreevey of Ardoyne who both gave an exhibition of free taking over the hour despite the driving wind and rain.

Turley would account for 0-6 of his sides 0-11 first half total while McGreevey replied with three for the Kickham’s but significantly it was Aaran Stewart with goals in the 2nd and 27th minutes that kept them on level par at the change of ends.

On the restart it was Loch Mor Dal gCais who looked the more likely winners as they dominated the opening exchanges with Turley carrying on where he had left off with three points in the opening four minute, one a superb long range effort.

It certainly look to be swinging very much in favour of the Lough Shore side when Bailey Graham fired home their opening goal of the contest in the 5th minute and Ardoyne looked in trouble as they trailed by six points.

McGreevey began the comeback for the Kickham’s with points in the 10th and 11th minutes with Daniel Moore and Paul McGuigan splitting the posts as they slowly reeled in the Loch Mor lead.

The momentum was now very much with Ardoyne as McGreevey and Goodall brought matters level by the 22nd minute and three late strikes from the Ardoyne corner-forward looked to have secured victory.

Loch Mor were not yet finished however and Bailey Graham became their hero when he fired home with time almost up to secure his side a point that on the balance of play was probably the right result.

Both side deserve credit for their performances on the night and both are still in there battling for Junior B Championship success.

Loch Mor Dal gCais travel to Loughbeg Harps on the 5th September while Ardoyne face Belfast Saints at Fennell Park on the same day.

Kickham’s Ardoyne: 1 JP Agnew, 2 Pascal Clarke, 3 Paul Baker, 4 Cahal Clarke, 5 Sean Searle, 6 Micheal McGreevey, 7 Christopher McShane, 8 Dean Goodall, 9 Oisin McVicker, 10 Daniel Moore, 11 Cahal Keown, 12 Pearse Hull, 13 Patrick McGreevey, 14 Aran Stewart, 15 Jim Og McAuley, 19 Paul McGuigan

Loch Mor Dal gCais:  1 Michael Morgan, 2 Aaron Monaghan, 3 Sean Burke, 4 James Magorrian, 5 David McAreavey, 6 Conor Jones, 7 Declan Phillips, 8 Martin Braniff, 9 Cormac Dwyer, 10 Ruairi Bannon, 11 Bailey Graham, 12 Cal Burke, 14 Ferdia Carson, 15 Darragh Turley, 22 Gerard Pickering