Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

Ballycastle 2-18 Ballygalget 1-10

Ballycastle got their first league points on the board at Pairc MacUílin when they beat visitors Ballygalget by 2-18 to 1-10 in game that was played in a mixture of sunshine and driving rain.

Playing against a stiff wind Ballycastle made a great start and following points from Críostaí McAuley and Ciaran Butler, Orran Donnelly set Butler up for an excellent goal. Eoin Puccie pulled a couple back for the Ards men but two from Neal McAuley, another from Butler and one from Rambo McCarry helped stretch the lead to 1-7 to 0-6 by half time, Ben Teggart chipping in a point to those by Pucci for Ballygalget.

With the elements at their back at the start of the second half the town hit the first four points through Orran Donnelly, Neil McAuley (2) and Ronan McCarry to stretch the lead out to nine. As a second heavy shower made conditions even more difficult Ballygallget looked like might sing without trace, but to their credit they played their best hurling of the game as the Pucci brothers Eoin and Shae sent over points and midfielder Fergal Gilmore grabbed a goal and suddenly the gap was back to six.

The Down men must have felt they were still in with a chance of salvaging something from the game but their hopes were dealt a bad blow when Ballycastle’s Rambo McCarry soloed through and his in a shot at goal from the right. The shot didn’t appear to carry any real danger, but the wet ball skidded off the hand of the visitors goalkeeper and ended in the net.

There was no way back now for the men in green as Ballycastle finished with a flourish with points from Ryan McCooke, Críostaí McAuley, Orran Donnelly and Lorcan Donnelly to end up eleven clear at the final whistle.