ACHL Division 1

Dunloy 2-18 Ballycastle 0-17

Wednesday 29 May

Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy

Second half goals from Aodhan McGarry and Ryan Mort helped Dunloy to a seven point win over Ballycastle on Wednesday evening and take the league points on offer.  The visitors led at half time by two points after an entertaining opening 30 minutes but the home side dominated the second half with the elements at their back and plying their brand of precision hurling, were comfortable winners by the full time whistle.

The Cuchullains had 10 different scorers on the evening with 1-4 of their final tally coming from placed ball.  They did hit double figures in the wides tally which will be cause for concern within their ranks but the range of scorers and passages of play will certainly have pleased Gregory O’Kane and his backroom team.

The Town were a match for Dunloy in that opening 30 minutes with the long puck out of Charlie McGarry a major source of attacking threat that yielded plenty of scores.  Ciaran Butler chipped in with three points from play in that opening half, giving the Cuchullains their fill of it while Tiernan Smyth top scored with six of his seven points coming from placed ball.

Trying to play more precise ball into their forwards in the second half, Ballycastle were getting little to no joy from a Dunloy strong Dunloy defence.  Aaron Crawford, Oran Quinn and Ronan Molloy were outstanding while the industry of Aodhan McGarry and Eoin McFerran excelled.

This one didn’t exactly start like a steam train with both sides hitting a couple of wides.  There was nothing between the sides with the scores tied at six points apiece with nine minutes of the first half remaining when the Town hit back-to-back scores for the first time in the game to eek out a half time lead.  Smyth and Butler the scorers while Rambo McCarry and Eoin McAlonan also on target.

Dunloy started the second half sharply and despite Smyth opening the scoring to extend Ballycastle’s lead to three, the Cuchullains scored four points in just three minutes with Nicky McKeague firing over a couple of frees along with a massive point from his brother Kevin and a tidy individual point from Aodhan McGarry.

The visitors stayed in touch and there was an element of luck with the home sides first goal.  Aodhan McGarry’s long free had the accuracy but not the legs to reach the target, it dropped wickedly on the edge of the square with substitute Ryan Mort giving the Ballycastle defence something to think about but the sliotar deceived Charlie in goals for the Town.

The lead remained at three as the clock ticked into injury time when Mort grabbed the Cuchuallins second major.  The home side worked the ball out of ruck and into the path of Nicky McKeague.  In front of the posts and 60 yards from goal, he would have been forgiven for taking a point but McKeague delivered a low ball into the path of Mort who made no mistake from 25 yards out with a drilled effort.

A seven point winning margin to give the Cuchullains their fifth league win out of eight this year.  They travel to Cushendall on Sunday ahead of the league split while Ballycastle host Rossa with all teams not guaranteed a top half finish.

TEAMS

Dunloy: Eoghan Richmond; Phelim Duffin, Karl O’Kane, Oran Quinn; Kevin McKeague, Conor McKinley, Ronan Molloy; Aaron Crawford, Ciaran Elliott; Eoin McFerran, Gabriel McTaggart, Aodhan McGarry; Anton McGrath, Barry Scott, Nicky McKeague

Subs: Ryan Mort for B Scott (40); Eamon Smyth for C McKinley (45); Conor Kinsella for R Molloy (53); Ciaran McQuillan for C Elliott (55); Conal Kelly for N McKeague (inj)

Scorers: A McGarry 1-2 (1-1 free); A Crawford 0-3; A McGrath 0-3; N McKeague 0-3 (3 frees); R Mort 1-00; E McFerran 0-2; G McTaggart 0-2; K McKeague 0-1; R Molloy 0-1; B Scott 0-1

Ballycastle: Ryan McGarry; Oran Kearney, James McLister, Jack McGowan; Oran Donnelly, Dermot Donnelly, Eoin McAlonan; Ronan McCarry, Ryan McCook; Joseph McToal, James McShane, Ciaran Butler; Tiernan Smyth, Lorcan Donnelly, Darrgh Kelly

Subs: Mark McClean for R McCook (34); Diarmuid McShane for C Butler (51); Reuben McClean for L Donnelly (51); Criostai McAuley for D McShane (57); Cian Baudant for O Kearney (inj)

Scorers: T Smyth 0-7 (6 frees); C Butler 0-3; R McCarry 0-2; J McToal 0-2; O Donnelly 0-1; E McAlonan 0-1; D Kelly 0-1

Referee: Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel)