Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

Ballycastle 2-21 Loughgiel 1-07

Ballycastle bounced back from last week’s defeat to Rossa when they beat Loughgiel in Sunday’s league game at Pairc MacUilin. Leading by o-13 too 1-06 at half time they maintained their dominance throughout the second half and in the end had seventeen points to spare as new manager Cian Waldron collected his first league win.

Full forward Neal McAuley opened the scoring when he caught a high ball on three minutes and sent it between the post and five minutes later they went two up when Ciaran Butler was sent clear by Cathair Donnelly to add a point. Loughgiel opened their account on nine minutes with a point from Shan McGrath before Mark McClean sent over from distance, but once again Loughgiel came back with a point, this time from a free on thirteen minutes.

A strong run from left half forward Darragh Donnelly ended with a well taken point midway through the first half and Seamus McAuley added one from a free on nineteen minutes to open the gap to three, and they stretched their advantage to five when centre forward Ciaran Butler added points in the twenty-first and twenty-second minutes, the second one coming after good work by half-back Ardan Kelly.

The Shamrocks brought the gap back to four when Shan McGrath sent over another free but Seamus McAuley pointed from midfield for the home side after good work from Oran Kearney and in a strong spell Cathair Donnelly, Conor Donnelly and Neal McAuley all found the target.

Loughgiel bounced back with a brilliantly taken goal by Rian McMullan who lobbed the Ballycastle goalkeeper but just on half time Seamus McAuely sent over a 65 to give his team a four point lead at the interval. (0-13 to 1-06)

A Conor Donnelly goal early in the second half really lifted the home side and they pushed on as Donnelly hit three in a row to stretch the lead to ten, before they stretched their advantage even further when Seamus McAuley and Darragh Donnelly split the Loughgiel posts. Midway through the second half Neal McAuley delivered the killer blow when Tiernan Smyth picked him out with a pass and while Rian McMullan came back with a point for the Shamrocks it was to prove their only score of the half. Ballycastle finished strong and they added a few more points before the end, the stand out one coming from Rambo McCarry in the final minute.

BALLYCASTLE

1 Eamonn Elliott 2. Oran Kearney 3. Dermot Donnelly 4. Ryan McCook 5. Mark McClean 6. Ronan Laverty 7. Ardan Kelly 8. Seamus McAuley 9. Cathair Donnelly 10. Ronan McCarry 11. Cíaran Butler 12. Darragh Donnelly 13. Connor Donnelly 14. Neal McAuley 15. Tiarnan Smyth

Subs made in second half

Conal Colgan for Dermot Donnelly, Cathal Connor for Darragh Donnelly, Gavin McToal for Connor Donnelly, Reuben McClean for Cathair Donnelly, Callum Campbell for Ciaran Butler

LOUGHGIEL

1 Shea McDonnell

2 Connor Dickson

3 Enda og McGarry

4 Cahir Connelly

5 Caolan Blair

6 Nickolas McNaughton

7 Conal McCloskey

8 Ryan McKee

9 Patrick Laverty

10 Rian McMullan

11 Eoin McCarry (replaced by Tiernan Coyle 50min)

12 Shan McGrath (off injured at ht replaced by Conor O’Mullan )

13 Charlie O’Hagan (Replaced by Danny McAuley 40mins)

14 Ronan McCollum ( replaced by John F Connelly 40mins)

15 Dan McCloskey