ACHL Division 3
All Saints 0-9 Glen Rovers 1-17
Glen Rovers, Armoy travelled to Ballymena on Saturday and got their campaign up and running when they recorded an 11 point win over an inexperienced home side.
A fine exhibition of free taking by Tarlach McBride saw the visitors move into a 0-9 to 0-5 half time lead with the wing half back accounting for 0-5 of his side’s first half total.
Sean McDermott had given All Saints an early lead and Eoin McGuigan brought matters level after Ronan Lavelle and McBride edged the visitors ahead.
Two more from Tarlach McBride frees and points from Conor Waterson and Emmet O’Hara moved the visitors four ahead but a young All Saints were showing plenty of fighting spirit.
They responded with points from Darach Bradley and two pointed frees from Eoin McGuigan to close the gap to one but Armoy finished the half strongly with scores from Tarlach McBride (0-2 f’s) and Emmet O’Hara to lead by four at the halfway stage.
An Armoy goal from Eoin O’Boyle early in the second half put a bit of distance between the sides and when Trevor Linton and Conor Watterson tagged on points the Glen Rovers lead was out to nine.
Darach Bradley, one of a number of youngsters making their senior debut pulled one back for All Saints but the momentum was now with a bigger and more experienced Glen Rovers.
They replied with five on the bounce from Ciaran Coyles 0-2, Tarlach McBride and Eoin O’Boyle 0-2 and it was all over at this stage.
To their credit All Saints kept going to the end and recorded three in reply through Cormac Magill, Darach Bradley and Eoin McGuigan but by this stage it was all over and Emmet O’Hara concluded the scoring with a point for the visitors.
Glen Rovers, with a number of new faces in their line-up should be one of the challengers for the division 3 title this year after coming mighty close last term.
For All Saints, who have again lost players to other clubs, it’s a rebuilding job and consolidation in the higher grade would be regarded as success this season.
Ciaran McQuillan, Harry Connon, Darach Bradley and Fintan Bradley all made impressive debuts for the Ballymena side and there appears to be a good spirit about the team despite those recent setbacks.
All Saints: 1. Ciaran McQuillan 2. Dwayne McKee 3. Eoin McAllister 4. Harry Connon 5. Padhraig Magill (c) 6. Jack Magill 7. Daniel Gray 8. Sean McDermott 9. Vincent Esler 10. Cormac Magill 11. Eoin McGuigan 12. Darach Bradley 13. Daniel Kelly 14. Niall Savage 15. Fintan Brady
Subs used: Conor O’Hara for Daniel Kelly Sean O’ Rawe for Niall Savage Cathaoir Cunning for Fintan Brady Niall Savage for Cormac Magill
Glen Rovers: 1 Conor Devlin, 2 Calum Coyles, 3 Arthur Devlin, 4 Joseph McFetridge, 5 Tarlach McBride, 6 Thomas Burns, 7 Hugh O’Kane, 8 Ronan Lavelle, 9 Ciaran McCormick-McKenna, 17 Conor Watterson, 11 Emmet O’Hara, 12 Ciaran Coyles, , 18 Timothy Burns, 14 Eoin O’Boyle, 15 Conor Christie,
Subs: 13 Trevor Linton, 19 PJ McBride, 20 Daniel Connolly, 21 John O’Kane, 22 Kieran McToal