Month / May 2024

by thesaffrongael

Ferris goal sets up All Saints win

ACFL Division 1

St. Brigid’s 0-12 All Saints 1-14

In a weekend punctuated by surprise results in the ACFL Division 1, perhaps the one that occurred at Musgrave Park where All Saints beat previously unbeaten St. Brigid’s ranked highly amongst those shocks.

It was a victory fully merited however and right from the moment when Patrick Ferris broke forward for an All Saints early goal it was obvious that Liam Bradley’s side had not made the trip to Belfast just to fulfil a fixture.

Saints who had started the league off with 4 wins and a draw from 7, have recently suffered two losses on the bounce against Cargin and St. Enda’s and went into this one with some new faces in the squad and players in unfamiliar positions who all performed well on the day.

St. Brigid’s went into an early 2 point lead with points from Jack Dowling and James Smith but the visitors replied with a point from Connnell Lemon and an excellent goal from Patrick Ferris to give them a lead they would not relinquish.

The goal came as Ryan Stewart found Connell Lemon with his kick-out and Lemon broke the ball perfectly into the path of the on-running wing half back. Ferris’ speed took him past a static home defence and he finished superbly to the top corner of the net.

Both sides traded points in the run up to half time with Sean McVeigh, Sean O’Callaghan, Michael McCarry and Joe Rafferty on target for the Ballymena side and Smith, Dowling and King keeping St. Brigid’s in touch.

The home side drew level from a ‘45’ on the restart as Jack Dowling for St. Brigid’s and Emmet Killough for All Saints battled for supremacy in mid-field and both sides pushing up on their opponents kick-outs.

The extremely versatile Cal O’Brien had moved from his customary half back birth to fill in at Full-back for All Saints and made the transition seamlessly and he and Joe Rafferty were starting to carry the game to the opposition.

Their runs from deep in defence created space and Connell Lemon, Mattie Downey and Sean McVeigh took advantage as they added to the visitor’s total.

Moving into the final quarter St. Brigid’s began to pump a number of high balls into the All Saints defence but Keeper Ryan Stewart was up to the task as the visitors withstood the late pressure.

Sean McVeigh would finish the evening with 0-3 to his name while Michael McCarry 0-3 and Connell Lemon 0-3 kept the score board ticking.

Sean O’Callaghan played a real captain’s part at mid-field and contributed 0-2 to his side’s total while Ronan McKillop, Joe Rafferty and Mattie Downey were all on target for a superb All Saints.

Cal O’Brien, Charlie Metrustry, Mattie Downey, Rian Tom and Michael Read all worked hard in unfamiliar positions for the Slemish Park side and played their part in getting them over the line.

This win moves All Saints onto 11 points from 10 starts and into a healthy 7th place in the table while St. Brigid’s can take some consolation from the fact that their nearest challengers for the title, Cargin and Portglenone both lost at the weekend

All Saints: Ryan Stewart Rian Tom, Cal O’Brien, James Gillan Paddy Ferris Michael Reid Charlie Metrusty Emmet killough Shaun O’Callaghan Connell Lemon Michael McCarry Joe Rafferty Ronan McKillop Sean McVeigh Mattie Downey

by thesaffrongael

Eamon Og hat-trick drives Tir na nOg to decisive victory

ACFL Division 1

Glenravel 0-8 Tir na nOg 4-10

Eamon Og McAllister scored a first half hat trick as Tir na nOg continued their impressive run in division 1 of the ACFL Division 1 with a comprehensive win over Con Magee’s Glenravel at Fr Maginn Park on Sunday.

Eamon Og fired home his first in the 13th minute with the side tied at 0-3 each and up to this point the Con Magee’s had given as good as they got with Peadar McDonnell looking dangerous in attack as he hit two of Glenravel’s three points.

Con Magees Peadar McDonnell got two of his teams early points.

McAllister changed all that and points from Oliver McAtamney, Darragh Fagan and McAllister moved them further ahead before ‘Oggie’ fired home his second goal in the 25th minute as gaps began to appear in the home defence,

There was not stopping the impressive McAllister at this stage and he would drive through the heart of the Glenravel defence to complete his hat-trick with three minutes remaining to the break and a Darragh Fagan converted ‘Mark’ put the visitors 3-7 to 0-3 ahead and even at this stage it looked all over.

Glenravel did start the second half well with Conor McNeill 0-2 and Sean McKay raising white flags on the restart and for a time they matched the visitors point for point with McNeill carrying the greatest threat.

Conor Hastings in action for Tir na nOg

At the other end Aaron McNeilly and Barry McCormick added Tir na nOg points before Ciaran O’Neill got in for the Whitehill men’s fourth goal with 16 minutes of the second half gone.

Two late points from Conor McNeill brought the Con Magee’s total for the evening to 0-8 as Fagan extended the visitors total to 4-10 and that was how it finished.

Following a superb win over Rossa on Wednesday night, this victory moves Tir na nOg onto 14 points, just two behind the leading quartet of Cargin, Portglenone, St. Brigid’s and Creggan who are all on 16 points following Sunday’s round of games.

Once again their football was fast and decisive with Eamon Og McAllister leading the way and on this form they will prove a match for anyone in the run in to the title.

Tir na nÓg’s Sean McKeown solos out of defence
by thesaffrongael

Lowe goal the difference as Lámhs edge out Rossa

O’Neill’s ACFL Division One

Rossa 0-10-1-10 Lámh Dhearg

Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Rossa

Mark Lowe’s 47th minute goal was the difference at Pairc Rossa as Lámh Dhearg ran out 1-10-0-10 winners over Rossa on the Shaws Road on Sunday evening.

Both sides went into the clash level on points just shy of mid-table and in need of two points.

It was the visitors who began fastest as Donal Martin fed Declan Smyth to drop over the opener.

Eoin McKeown doubled his sides advantage after a strong run forward by Terry McCrudden and Conor Murray blasted over a third score in succession.

Rossa were up and running a minute shy of the midway point in the half through a converted Colm Fleming free and they almost hit the front less than 60-seconds later.

Goalkeeper Michael McEnhill came forward to take a 45’ and his effort crashed off the underside of the post and crossbar – and thankfully for the visitors, out to safety.

The sides cancelled each other out for most of the half’s remainder.  Ben Rice clipped over to restore his sides three-point lead, only for Conal Shannon to shoot high inside the posts in response.

Daniel Murray then turned over a kick-out and found the run of Eoin McKeown- who doubled his tally with a fine score, though Oisin McVicker combined with James Augey to sling over at the other end.

The Lámhs finished the half strongly and held a 0-07-0-03 lead at the break. Conor Murray kicked a close range free and after Declan Smyth got hands on Diarmaid Rogan’s dropping shot- he charged forward and slipped the ball to Eoin McKeown who kicked his third of the half with the last action of play.

Rossa made a bright opening to the second half and closed to within a single point following three successive scores.

Diarmaid Rogan was clipped on a break forward and Conal Shannon converted the resulting free.

Oisin McVicker then popped over from play before Conal Shannon added a second placed ball within a few minutes.

The host’s momentum was briefly halted when Conor Murray picked out Ben Rice from a cross-field pass and Rice conjured up a fine point.

With little over a quarter of an hour remaining another free from Shannon had Rossa a point in arrears once more.

The game’s only goal would prove decisive and arrived on the 47th minute. Conor Murray recycled possession to Fionn Mervyn, and his shot dropped and was bundled home via the fist of Mark Lowe to give the Lámhs a 1-08-0-07 lead.

Conal Shannon responded with his fourth free of the half and he would later add a fifth in reply to Conor Murray slinging over an advanced mark from a fine Declan Smyth pass.

Murray would grab the insurance score on the hour mark after substitute Niall McGarry stopped a Rossa surge and found Eoin McKeown and he flighted a perfect pass to Murray- who claimed the mark and converted.

Time was against the hosts and a late Patrick Moyes point proved in vein as Lámh Dhearg held out for a hard fought win on the Shaws Road.

Rossa: M McEnhill, S McDonald, P Moyes (0-01), N Crossan, R Grant, R Gowdy, F McDonald, C Shannon (0-06, 0-05f), O McVicker (0-01), S Flynn, D Rogan, R Murray, J Augey (0-01), C O’Neill, C Fleming (0-01f). Subs: E Flavin for J Augey (54), C Canavan for C O’Neill (54).

Lámh Dhearg: G Smyth, R Murray, A McAufield, F Mervyn, D Smith (0-01), B Rice (0-02), D Martin, C Boyd, M Lowe (1-00), R Diamond, E McKeown (0-03), D Murray, T McCrudden, C Murray (0-04, 0-01f, 0-02m), A Murray. Subs: S McManus for R Diamond (30), N McGarry for A Murray (44), P Fitzsimons for C Boyd (44).

Referee: Colm McDonald (St Galls)

by thesaffrongael

Shamrocks too strong for Ballygalget

Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

Ballygalget 0-9 Loughgiel 4-24

Match report and photos by Michael Corcoran

Saturday’s Antrim ACHL senior Division 1 game between Ballygalget and Loughgiel was the result of a rescheduled match originally due to an unplayable Mitchel Park. After hollow tining and an application of top-level sand, recent dry weather has re-established a good playing turf, albeit dusty in the wind due to the dry sand.

Match referee, Hugh Torney, concluded the coin toss with a quick update on the Down U20B Croke Park success and threw in the sliotar promptly at 5pm, where Ballygalget had the southerly breeze on their backs for the first half of the game.

As Loughgiel’s Declan McCloskey attempted to pick up the sliotar from a back pass out of the throw-in, Torney called for a chop and McCloskey dispatched the sliotar over Ballygalget’s bar to register the first point in today’s game.

Not long back from his travels in Australia, Loughgiel’s Shan McGrath picked up a ball fed into the full forward line and offloaded to a waiting Jack McCloskey on the edge of the square, finishing off with the first goal of the evening’s game.

Cormac Coulter would set the ‘Galgets’ running on the scoreboard from a free just around the midfield position. Both sides would regret a number of early wides from frees and play but once the game got going, points and frees started to flow freely up to the short break and the large scoreboard registered Galget 0-07 Away 1-11.

The second half will be remembered for a show of bad tempers boiling over in various areas of the field, keeping referee Torney busy establishing order. That will take something away from the game, as there were spells of entertaining hurling from both sides to please the supporters.

During one of those spells of play, Loughgiel’s Dan McCloskey worked hard along the half forward line, picking up a loose ball and offloading to a running Shan McGrath. McGrath would solo the sliotar to within firing range of Aaron Crowe’s net and at short range, fired to find Crowe getting his stick to the ball, but it was rapidly turned around and into the net for the Shamrock’s second goal. McCloskey would quickly be rewarded for his persistence and a short pass onto his stick seen him solo in a pattern similar to McGrath’s and the Shamrock’s now had their third goal of the game in quick succession.

Loughgiel nudged up their points largely due to three frees, taken successfully by Declan McCloskey and two from Jack McCloskey. Dan McCloskey would find Jack McCloskey deep on the left-hand side of the pitch and a quick move off his marker would give him enough space to deliver the sliotar over the bar to bring the scoreline up to Ballygalget 0-07 Loughgiel 3-16 before Ballygalget’s David Johnson cleanly pointed into the strong breeze.

On resumption from play due to another ‘dust-up’ that swept players up into the reception area of the fitness suite, Loughgiel settled quickly and a delicate pass off the stick from Jack McCloskey found Dan McCloskey running off his shoulder towards Crowe’s nets. McCloskey reached his destination after a solo run from outside the 20m line, delivering the sliotar into the net for his second goal of the game.

Loughgiel would accumulate four more points, two from play and two from frees before Ballygalget’s John McManus soared a towering ball over Loughgiel’s bar.

The closing point of the game would go to the man that opened up the scoring, namely Declan McCloskey. Crowe’s puck out landed short in the wind and McCloskey turned it around prompting Torney to blow the long whistle after approx. five minutes of extra time. The large, sponsored scoreboard would read Galget 0-09 Away 4-24.

Saturday evening’s result would leave Loughgiel within three points of top of the table, currently held by St. John’s. With all teams having three matches to play, the league is shaping up for an interesting race to the finish.

Photos from this afternoon’s game can be found in the album here…

https://myalbum.com/album/PMLFKeP9Hftqsc/?invite=13ec422a-166f-4a7a-85d8-9fe1608c16e3

by thesaffrongael

Mount St Michael’s Retain Crown

Allianz Ireland South West Cumann na mBunsol Hurling 7-a-side

    

Mount St Michael’s Randalstown have retained their Allianz Ireland South West Antrim Cumann na Mbunscoil 7 a side hurling crown.

The rearrange date meant that only four schools could attend the event in Tir na Nog, namely, Mount St Michael’s, Mary Queen of Peace Glenravel, St Brigid’s Ballymena and Millquarter.

Conditions on the day were not conducive to flowing hurling with a gale force wind blowing through the Randalstown venue, but the boys competing paid little attention to it and played on. 

The initial group stages led to a cup and shield final.

In the shield Millquarter PS recovered from an earlier defeat to St Brigid’s Ballymena to claim the spoils.

The final of the cup was a tight, tense affair that saw the boys from Mt St Michael’s overcome Mary Queen of Peace to progress to represent the South West at the upcoming county finals day. A huge congratulations to all involved.