A wasteful Greenlough maintained their unbeaten start to finally get the better of All Saints in Sunday’s Ulster Intermediate Football league match in Ballymena. A strong first half performance from the Slemish Park side coupled with a first half goal saw the Ballymena side move into a four point lead.
Greenlough battled back and Seoirse Lagan and Cillian Moore points closed the gap as the visitors continued to be wasteful in front of the posts missing a number of goal opportunities. The Lough started the second half stronger and Jude Moore, Matthew Bradley and James O Neill pointed to keep the scoreboard ticking over as Greenlough ran out seven point winners.
Three second half goals proved the difference in the end as Desertmartin came from behind to pip Moneyglass in an entertaining Ulster Intermediate Football League encounter on Sunday.
On a good day for football it was St. Ergnat’s who were quickest out of traps scoring from the throw in through full forward Colum Duffin. The same player would remain prominent in the early stages, helping his side to a 0-4 to 0-0 lead after 5 minutes as the South West side opened strongly.
Slowly Desertmartin stemmed the tide as they registered the next 2 scores but this wasn’t to disrupt the Moneyglass dominance scoring as they came back with 4 more points with a single Desertmartin reply leaving the score 0-8 to 0-3 after 20 minutes.
During this period of dominance the Antrim side missed a couple of goal chances which would have put them in a strong position and to their credit Desertmartin went score for score with the opposition for the remainder of the half to leave the score at the midway point 0-11 to 0-7 in favour of St Ergnat’s
2nd half
Trailing by four, Desertmartin knew they would need the better start as they hit the first 2 scores of the second half with Colum Duffin responding for St. Ergnat’s to leave it 0-12 to 0-9 in favour of the Marian Hill side.
Desertmartin began to settle, slowing but surely cutting into their opponents lead and would turn the game on its head as they fired home the first major of the evening and more importantly drawing the teams level 1-09 to 0-12. Following this the teams traded points before Moneyglass stepped it up again, reeling off 3 on the trot and seemingly back in control.
But as before Desertmartin refused to go away and by the 20th minute it was still anyone’s game with St. Ergnat’s leading 0-717 to 1-12. With the game now entering the final minutes Desertmartin again turned the game on its head again with a second goal to move them one ahead. goal putting them 1 up.
It was still anybody’s game with both teams now going for it score by score but as the South West side pushed for an equaliser they were turned over and it was Desertmartin who broke up field to score their 3rd goal of the afternoon, leaving final score 3-13 to 18 points in what was a very competitive and entertaining game.
Following a winning start to the season, an inexperienced Antrim suffered their second successive defeat when they travelled to Markievicz Park on Sunday and lost to a good Sligo side, led by their captain, Niall Murphy.
The Sligo number 15 scored eight points as the men in black put in their best performance of 2024 to run out seven point’s winners against a Saffron side who had performed well in the opening half.
Sligo keeper, Aidan Devany comes smartly off his line to deny Marc Jorday what looked a certain goal.
Inspired by their own sharp shooter, Paddy McBride, the visitors led 1-9 to 1-8 at the short whistle and might well have been further ahead but were hit by a goal on the break from Cian Lally in the 26th minute.
Antrim came back from this setback to hit 0-6 on the bounce with McBride leading the way and Ruairi McCann, Dominic McEnhill and keeper Mick Byrne moving them two in front as half time approached.
An injury time point from Daragh Cummins for the Yates County left the home side trailing 1-9 to 1-8 to the break but Antrim must have felt fairly comfortable despite facing the breeze in the second half.
Paddy McBride (Above and featured image) who scored 0-6 for Antrim at Markievicz Park
Bright start from the Saffrons
Antrim rattled the home side with a scrambled goal in the seventh minute when Ronan Boyle got the final touch after a Ruairi McCann delivery – a point attempt from a mark – dropped short.
A couple of minutes earlier Sligo keeper Aidan Devaney came smartly off his line to deny Marc Jordan with his legs as the big wing half back looked certain to find the net.
Sligo, though, gradually improved and they moved a point ahead, 0-5 to 1-1, with 23 minutes played following scores from Niall Murphy, Darragh Cummins and Sean Carrabine.
Good points from Dermot McAleese and Patrick McBride put Antrim back in front, 1-3 to 0-5 before Sligo replied with a goal from Lally in the 26th minute and followed with a point from Niall Murphy that looked to have put the Connacht County in control.
Sligo substitute, Luke Lally fires over a spectacular point despite the best efforts of Colm McLarnon and Mick Byrne, Antrim.
Antrim responded positively as they scored six points without reply, including four from the impressive Patrick McBride, who was landing some beautiful scores, to lead 1-09 to 1-08 in first-half stoppage time.
Sligo produced a much improved second half performance to secure their third win of the campaign with Murphy leading by example as they struck through Paul Kilcoyne and Sean Carabine to take the lead in the opening minute before Paddy McBride briefly levelled the contest with his sixth of the evening.
The visitors would only add two further points however through Colm McLarnon and Niall Burns as Sligo took control and slowly began to turn the screw.
The home side grew in confidence and stature with Niall Murphy leading the way and the Sligo captain would finish the contest with 0-8 to his credit as they out-scored their opponents 0-12 to 0-3 in a dominant second half display
Sligo captain, Niall Murphy who was iin spectacular form for the Yates county and finished with 0-8 tio his credit in their win over Antrim at Markievicz Park on Sunday
The hosts and the visitors had identical records coming into this fixture – two wins and one loss apiece, with Sligo victorious over Limerick in the previous round and Antrim losing to promotion favourites Down.
These sides contested successive Allianz Football League finals back in 2009 and 2010, with Sligo winning those Division Four and Division Three deciders.
Recent meetings have been close encounters – a one-point win for Sligo in 2020 and a minimum margin victory for Antrim three years ago.
Murphy, substitute Luke Towey, Eddie McGuinness and Brian Cox impressed in a strong Sligo side and this win looks to have secured their place in division 3 for another campaign.
Antrim, for whom Patrick McBride was outstanding, finished with 14 players because of a late black card for Marc Jordan and will hope to get something from next week’s visit of Westmeath as they look anxiously over their shoulders at the chasing pack.
Antrim’s Ruairi McCann and Sligo’s Nathan Mullen in a race for possession
Sligo: Aidan Devaney, Paul McNamara, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons, Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins (0-3), Nathan Mullen, Patrick O’Connor (0-3), Paul Kilcoyne, Alan McLoughlin, Donal Conlon, Cian Lally (1-0), Pat Spillane (0-1), Sean Carrabine (0-2, 1f), Niall Murphy (c) (0-8, 4f, 2 ‘mark’)
Subs used: Lee Deignan (0-1) for Pat Spillane, h-t; Luke Towey (0-2) for Donal Conlon, 46; Eoghan Smith for Alan McLoughlin, 62; Mikey Gordon for Sean Carrabine, 68; David Quinn for Cian Lally, 68
Antrim: Michael Byrne (0-1, 1f), Ronan Boyle, Eunan Walsh, Kavan Keenan, Marc Jordan, Joseph Finnegan, Dermot McAleese (c) (0-1), Colm McLarnon (0-1), Patrick McAleer, Cormac McGettigan, Patrick McBride (0-6), Ruairi McCann (0-2, 1 ‘mark’, 1f), Declan Lynch (0-1), Niall Burns (0-1, 1f), Dominic McEnhill
Subs used: Eoghan McCabe for Kavan Keenan, 39; Eoin Hynes for Cormac McGettigan, 45; Conor Hand for Dominic McEnhill, 53; Ryan McQuillan for Patrick McAleer, 63; Jack Dowling for Colm McLarnon, 63
Referee: Margaret Farrelly (Cavan)
Goal! The umpire signals a goal as Ronan Boyle gets his hand to a Ruairi McCann free to give Antrim an early lead
Allianz Hurling League Division 1B game at Corrigan Park.
Antrim 1-13 Galway 2-35
Galway came to Corrigan Park on Sunday and gave Antrim’s inexperienced team a hurling lesson as they swept to a 25 point victory with a devastating display of fast and accurate play. The tribesmen were simply on a different level in every aspect of the game, their first touch, their score taking ability from all distances and angles, and most of all their ability win the ball.
Antrim gave it everything they got but they were on the back foot for long parts of the game. They recovered from a horrible start, when they conceded a goal in the opening minute following a defensive mistake, but they fought back and got themselves back in the game with some well taken points and a goal from full forward Joseph McLaughlin. They were never really going to trouble Galway, but their first half showing was more than respectable.
Thomas McLaughlin celebrates after scoing Antrim’s goal, while Niall McKenna, who set up the score, shows his delight
However after the break Galway, came out and blew the home side away, scoring at will to stretch their lead by the minute as they recorded their second win in the division.
The home team had no answer to Galway’s play and that ability they had of winning prime possession gave them time and space to pick out the target. Flynn grabbed his team’s second goal soon after the restart and they set displaying their wide range of skills with scores from all over the field. Evan Niland ended the day with 0-13 to his name, ten of them from play while Flynn grabbed 2-1 Tom Monaghan 0-6, Conor Cooney 0-4 and Seán Linnane 0-3.
The games top scorer, Galway corner forward Evan Niland wore 13 on his back and scored 13 points
Antrim goalscorer Thomas McLaughlin came close to grabbing a second major when he lobbed the ball over the advancing Galway goalkeeper, but the ball rebounded off the crossbar. Corner back Paddy Burke loves to get forward and have a pop at the posts, and he did it again today, grabbing two points, and fellow defender Niall O’Connor did the same, but it wasn’t to be a day for the forwards, who largely struggled, though Niall McKenna worked his socks off from beginning to end.
The Fibrus Antrim player of the match award went to full back Rory McCloskey who did well to hold Galway full forward Conor Whelan to just two points. Overall it was a day to forget the men in Saffron, and their fans and the thoughts must turn to Mullingar and a basement battle with Westmeath.
Antrim’s Niall McKenna and Galway’s Ciaran Fahy battle it out below the dropping ball
Scorers – Galway: E Niland 0-13 (10f), J Flynn 2-1, T Monaghan 0-6, C Cooney 0-4, S Linnane 0-3, C Fahy 0-2, C Whelan 0-2, J Ryan 0-2, G Lee 0-1, J Cooney 0-1.
Antrim: J McLaughlin 1-0, E Campbell 0-2, P Burke 0-2, C Cunning 0-2 (1f), C McCann 0-2, R McMullan 0-1, N O’Connor 0-1, R McGary 0-1, N McKenna 0-1, C McGarry 0-1.
ANTRIM: T Smyth; P Duffin, R McCloskey, P Burke; N O’Connor, R McGarry, S Walsh; R McAteer, E Campbell; R McMullan, A O’Brien, N McKenna; C Cunning, J McLaughlin, F McCurry Subs: E Trainor for R McAteer (45), E Og McGarry for E Campbell (45), C McCann for F McCurry (45), C McGarry for A O’Brien (56), A Bradley for J McLaughlin (63)
GALWAY: D Fahy; D Morrissey, F Burke, P Mannion; A Tuohey, C Fahy, Daithí Burke; David Burke, S Linnane; G Lee, T Monaghan, C Cooney; E Niland, C Whelan, J Flynn. Subs: R Glennon for G Lee (52), J Ryan for C Whelan (52), D O’Shea for David Burke (54), C Mahoney for Daithí Burke (57), J Cooney for C Cooney (58)
It may not have been the result we hoped for but Sunday’s game against Galway was a very special day for one Antrim fan. Eleven year old Seancasey Quinn, from Creggan, who has just completed his treatment for cancer at the Christie NHS Foundation in Manchester, was the Antrim team mascot for the day, meeting the Antrim team and management, leading out the Saffrons with his dad Fran and team captain Eoghan Campbell, (above) He accompanied Eoghan when he took the toss with match referee Thomas Gleeson from Dublin (below) and Galway team captain Conor Whelan. We all take our hurling very seriously, probably a bit too serious to be honest, but meeting Seancasey and hearing about the battle he has gone through gives us a bit of perspective in life. You were a star today Seancasey and we all wish you the very best of luck in the future. PHOTOS by SEAMUS LOUGHRANSeancasey Quinn has his photo taken with the Antrim team before the gameAntrim’s Conor McCann with young Creggan fans who attended Sunday’s game. Antrim full back Rory McCloskey who received the Fibrus Antrim Player of the match award from Fibrus and team mascot Seancasey QuinnGalway manager Henry Shefflin was signing autographs and having his photo taken with fans long after the game.
The Antrim team to play Sligo in Sunday’s Allianz National League division 3 game at Markievicz Park has been announced and shows one change from the side who started against Down at Corrigan last week.
Lamh Dhearg’s Declan Lynch comes in for Eoin Hynds of Glenravel and is named at corner-forward but is likely to operate further out the field while Niall Burns is named at full-forward after lining out in the number 11 shirt last week.
