Antrim Hurling League – Division 2
Oisins 3-22 Loughgiel 2nds 2-10
IN a game of twists and turns Glenariffe ended up beating Loughgiel 2nds by 3-22 to 2-10 at Waterfoot on Sunday in Division 2 of the Antrim Hurling League. When Glenariffe hit 2-1 to 0-1 in the first five minutes of the game it looked as if it was going to be one way traffic, but Loughgiel came back strongly and were just a point in arrears by the end of the opening quarter. There was little between the teams during the second quarter, and when the Oisins went in at the break with just three points to spare it was hard to predict just how the game would go. When the Shamrocks got the first point of the second half to leave just two between them it looked like we were in for a close contest, but incredibly the visitors only added one more point in the 29 minutes that remained, and it came in the final minute.
Man of the match Seanie McIntosh and centre forward, Oliver Kearney grabbed goals for the Oisins in the first five minutes, and with ‘Tosh’ adding two points they were 2-2 to 0-1 in front after seven minutes. Loughgiel hit back when Roan McGarry fired the ball to the Oisins net on eight minutes and when Ronan ‘Rosie’ Fitzgerald got goal number two they were right back in contention. The remainder of the opening half was closely fought with Oliver Kearney, Seanie ‘Tosh’ and substitute Orrin O’Connor hitting two points apiece for the Oisins and Damian Quinn, Rosie Fitzgerald, Ryan Hill, Ronan Casey and Roan McGarry all getting on the scoreboard for the Shamrocks and at the break just three points separated the teams. Oisins 2-11 Loughgiel 2-8.
When Odhran McGrath cut the gap back to two three minutes into the second half it looked like it would again be close, but the scoring dried up for the visitors and Glenariffe took over. They hit nine points without reply during that second half, Tosh getting four of them, while Oran Gillan, Niall Magee, Oliver Kearney and Brogan O’Connor got the others. Substitute Niall McFadden ended the Shamrocks drought with a point from a free before Orrin O’Connor ended it all with the only goal of the second half in the final minute.
