Antrim Hurling League Division 3

Ballycastle 2nds 2-17 Dunloy 2nds 1-14

Ballycastle reserves wrapped up the Division 3 Hurling League title when they beat their nearest challengers Dunloy in Wednesday evening’s game at Pairc MacUillin. The win puts them two clear of the Cuchullains with both teams having one game each still to play. If the McQuillan’s men were to lose their final game against Gort na Móna and Dunloy win their the following week then they would be level on points, but Ballycastle would come out on top on the head to head between the two.

Despite falling behind to an early Gabriel McTaggart goal Ballycastle bounced back with three on the trot from James Bakewell, Lorcan Donnelly and Cathal Conor to draw level before Anthony Mullan gave them the lead with a well taken goal. Oisin McCamphill, who was to be the outstanding player on the night, pulled one back with his first point of the game, but Ballycastle were on top and a point from a Croisti McAuley  free was followed by a Lorcan Donnelly goal, following a long delivery from inside his own half by Oisin McAuley.

The rest of the half became a bit of a shoot-out between McAuley and McCallin, McAuley hitting four of his team seven points and McCallin hitting all seven for his side, in a superb display. However the most significant moment of the half came five minutes from time McCallin got in behind the Ballycastle defence and appeared to have a clear run on goal. However just as the left half forward was about to ‘pull the trigger’ Ballycastle full back Cormac Donnelly somehow managed to block the shot to deny what looked a certain goal.

McCallin ( who was to end the night on 12 points) got the first score of the second half to cut the gap back to four, but that was as close as they would get and three in a row from McAuley, Oisin Donnelly and Niall McClean pushed the lead out to seven. That was the biggest it was to be and each time McCallin reduced the gap McAuley was there to claw back the deficit. The deficit was down to just four with time almost up but late points from Croisti McAuley and substitute Conor Donnelly sealed the win for the Town.

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