Glenariffe/Glenravel set up final meeting with Ballycastle

Under 19A Hurling Championship semi-final

Glenariffe/Glenravel 3-15 Dunloy 0-10

Glenariffe/Glenravel booked their place in the final of the Under 19A Hurling Championship when they beat Dunloy in Tuesday evening’s semi-final at Dunsilly. The Oisins-Con Magees combination looked nervous at the start and fell two points behind, but once Cormac McKeown got their first goal on seven minutes they took control against a Dunloy side who were forced to field without their minor players who are in action this Saturday in the Under 17A final against Loughgiel. However the main talking point of the game was an injury to Dunloy goalkeeper Eoghan Richmond who had to be stretchered off the field in the second half with what appeared to be a neck injury and we all join in wishing Eoghan well in his recovery and hope the injury was not as serious as it first appeared.

**Dunloy’s Aodhan McGarry breaks out of defence**

Dunloy’S top scorer Aodhan McGarry got his side off the mark with a pointed free in the opening minute and Barry McCloskey added one from play four minutes later. Glenariffe/Glenravel were struggling to get to the pace of the game, but a goal from full forward Cormac McKeown, who had played on the Glenravel winning Intermediate football team three days earlier, settled the nerves with his team’s opening major on seven minutes.

A pointed free by McGarry brought Dunloy level again a minute later but the following ten minutes belonged to the Glensmen and with Orrin O’Connor and Daniel Kearney to the fore they hit the next six points, four of them from O’Connor and two from Kearney to pull six clear. McGarry came back with another pointed free for Dunloy on 23 minutes to cut the gap to five, but Peadar McDonnell hit back less than a minute later with his team’s second goal and his side pushed on to lead by 2-9 to 0-6 at the break.

**Glenariffe/Glenravel’s Cormac McKeown in action against Dunloy’s Cathair Gormley**

Ryan Mort pulled a point back for Dunloy in the first minute of the second half, but McKeown cancelled that out with one at the other end for Glenariffe/Glenravel. McGarry responded with another pointed free on 34 minutes but when Orrin O’Connor got in for his team’s third goal on 35 minutes there was no way back for the young Cuchullains.

Glenariffe/Glenravel added a further five points in the final quarter but through Orrin O’Connor (2), Daniel Kearney, Caolan Lennon, and Conor Duffin, but the injury to Eoghan Richmond was the thing on everyone’s mind as the game ended.

GLENARIFFE/GLENRAVEL

1. Phelim Ward, 2. Colla Ward, 3. Cathan Graham, 4. Niall Magee. 5. Ronan Leech, 6. Cailin Devlin, 7. Calum McIlwaine, 8. Patrick McIlwaine, 9. Odhran Gillan, 10. Peadar McDonnell, 11. Daniel Kearney, 12. Brogan O’Connor, 13. Niall Hynds, 14. Cormac McKeown, 15. Orrin O’Connor

Subs – Eamonn Ward, Caolan Lennon, Connor Duffin, Michael Furey, John Scullion.

DUNLOY

Eoghan Richmond, Michael Traynor, Joseph Magee, Pearse McLean, Francis McMullan, Daire McMullan, Darra Watterson, Tom McFerran, Cathair Gormley, Ryan Mort, Aodhan McGarry, Barry McCloskey, Eoin O’Kane, Conail Elliott, Sean McAleese.

Referee – Ray Matthews (Rossa)