Glenariffe held off a late rally by visitors Ballygalget in the high-scoring game in Glenariffe on Sunday. The Oisins led by ten points at halftime and appeared to be comfortable, but the men from the Ards Peninsula staged a late comeback. Though their third goal came deep in injury time, there were still a few anxious moments for the home fans to suffer before match referee Tarlach Conway sounded the final whistle. The win brings their points tally to six and all but secures their place in the Division next season.
In the first half, Glenariffe opened the scoring with a point from play by Brogan O’Connor, but Ballygalget responded with a free of their own from Eoin Pucci. Glenariffe built momentum with multiple points from play, including scores by Oliver Kearney, Alex O’Boyle, and Seanie McIntosh. A well-worked team point by Glenariffe’s Oisín Gillan further extended their lead. Although Ballygalget struggled to keep in touch, they managed key scores from Eoin Pucci via a free and Owen McDermott from play. The Ballygalget goalkeeper made a crucial save at 25 minutes to deny Glenariffe’s Oisín Gillan what seemed a certain goal. However, Glenariffe secured a great goal from play by Alex O’Boyle in first-half injury time, giving his team a commanding ten-point lead at the break. ( Glenariffe Oisins 2-15, Ballygalget 0-11)
Ballygalget started the second half strong with a point from Fergal Gilmore and they could have had more but for the Glenariffe goalkeeper Paul McMullan who responded with a brilliant save from a 20-metre free to maintain his team’s advantage. Ballygalget worked to narrow the gap with points from a sixty-five by Marc Fisher and frees by Eoin Pucci but Glenariffe responded with points from Alex O’Boyle—who scored from a sideline cut and from frees, plus a team point from Seanie McIntosh. Ballygalget showed resilience during this stretch, landing a goal from a 20-metre free by Marc Fisher, a goal from play by Tim Prenter on 32 minutes, and an additional point from Dara Pucci. Glenariffe quickly responded with another goal from play by Oisín Gillan. Late points from frees by Alex O’Boyle helped Glenariffe secure the lead, despite a final goal for Ballygalget from an unknown scorer.1
Glenariffe Oisins: 1 Paul McMullan, 2 Donall Kearney, 3 Colla Ward, 4 Odhran Gillan, 5 Canice Mcintosh, 6 Daniel Kearney, 7 James Kearney, 8 Calum McIlwaine, 9 Niall Magee, 10 Brogan O’Connor, 11 Oliver Kearney, 12 Orrin O Connor, 13 Alex O’Boyle, 14 Seanie McIntosh, 15 Oisín Gillan.
Ballygalget: 1 Eoin Clarke, 2 Michael Toner, 3 Ben Teggart, 4 Caolan Coulter, 5 Jon Fisher, 6 Marc Fisher, 7 Cian Clarke, 8 Tim Prenter, 9 Eoin Pucci, 10 Oisin Coulter, 11 Shea Pucci, 12 Owen McDermott, 13 Daniel Toner, 14 Michael Dorrian, 15 John McManus.
Referee – Tarlach Conway
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Cloney Gaels held off a fierce late onslaught from Carey Faughs to secure a hard-fought three-point victory in a high-scoring Antrim Hurling League Division 2 clash. A spectacular injury-time save from Cloney goalkeeper Aidan Graham proved decisive, denying Carey a dramatic late equalizer in the dying seconds of the game.
The game started at a blistering pace with Fionnbar O’Neill opening the scoring for Cloney, quickly answered by a Carey point from Connor McBride. Colla McDonnell then restored Cloney’s lead, but Carey struck the first major blow when Ryan McQuaide fired a superb goal to the Cloney net.
McDonnell and James O’Connell hit back with quick points for Cloney. Donal Graham and McDonnell extended the visitors’ advantage before Eoin Hill and Caolan McCaughan responded for Carey to keep the side’s neck-and-neck.
The momentum continued to shift rapidly. Cloney found the back of the net through Colla McDonnell to boost their tally, while Ronan Graham and Patrick Graham pointed for the visitors. Carey hit a purple patch before the break, with Connor McBride putting on a masterclass, slotting four crucial points alongside a score from James Black. However, late first-half points from Owen Neeson, McDonnell, and O’Connell ensured Cloney held a narrow two-point lead at the interval.
The second half began with both sides continuing to exchange scores. Conor Crossey pointed early for Cloney, but Carey responded instantly through McCaughan and Conal McGlynn. McCaughan struck again to keep Carey within striking distance, but Cloney’s forward line began to assert dominance. O’Connell, McDonnell (2), and Neeson fired over consecutive points to stretch Cloney’s lead.
McBride kept Carey alive with two more pressure points. Cloney looked to have sealed the win with further scores from McDonnell, Dan O’Neill, and O’Connell opening up a gap.
Carey refused to go quietly. James “Rocket” Black ignited a late revival by blasting a brilliant goal to the net, setting up a grandstand finish. Neeson responded with a point for Cloney, but the final five minutes belonged entirely to Carey.
The home side piled on immense pressure in search of a game-saving goal. The Cloney rear-guard stood resolute, forcing rushed shots under intense pressure. In the game’s final attack, Carey carved open one last clear-cut goal opportunity, only for goalkeeper Aidan Graham to pull off a sensational match-winning save, tipping the ball out for a ’65’ to secure the points for Cloney.
Carey Faughs: 1 Conlith McKinley, 2 Peadar McVeigh, 3 Patrick Butler, 4 Eoin McCarry, 5 Patrick Gillan, 6 Sean McBride, 7 Eoin Hill, 8 Oisin Healey, 9 Conall McGlynn, 10 James Black, 11 John McBride, 12 Fiachra McVeigh, 13 Connor McBride, 14 Caolan McCaughan, 15 Ryan McQuaide, 17 Donal McKinley, 18 Brendan McQuaide, 19 Eoin McKinley, 20 Conall McCarry, 21 James McNeill, 22 Colum Cane, 23 Jimmy John Burns
Cloney Gaels: 1 Aiden Graham, 2 Shea Neeson, 3 Patrick Dougan, 4 Bernard Graham, 5 Fionnbar O’Neill, 6 Ronan Graham, 7 Eoin Graham, 8 Eamonn Brady, 9 Daniel O’Neill, 10 Donal Graham, 11 James O’Connell, 12 Patrick Graham, 13 Colla McDonnell, 14 Owen Neeson, 15 Paul Crossey, 18 Noah Friel, 19 Ryan martin, 20 Jack McFall, 21 Conall Walls
Tír na nÓg withstood a ferocious second-half fightback from St. Gall’s to claim a vital 1-16 to 0-14 victory at Milltown on Sunday, with Caleb Smith’s first-half goal ultimately proving to be the difference.
St. Gall’s exploded out of the blocks, with corner-forward Dara Delaney splitting the posts just 30 seconds after the throw-in. The Belfast side nearly doubled their advantage moments later, but Tír na nÓg goalkeeper Matthew Dimphinall pulled off a spectacular, crucial save to deny Patrick Friel.
Spurred on by that defensive stand, Tír na nÓg found their rhythm. Emmet Murray levelled the scoring three minutes in, before midfielder Sean Duffin hit two quick-fire points from play. Tomas O’Ciarain hit back for St. Gall’s in the 9th minute, but Joe McCormick immediately responded for the visitors to make it 0-4 to 0-2 at the 10-minute mark.
St. Gall’s rallied dynamically over the next five minutes. Points from Ronan Crossan and Dubhaltach MacLiam dragged the home side back on level terms at 0-4 apiece by the quarter-hour mark.
From that point on, Tír na nÓg completely took over the midfield battle. Tiarnan Bonnes restored their lead with a well-struck free, followed quickly by another white flag. Sean McKinley then punishing a misplaced St. Gall’s puck-out to register a point. The Randalstown surge continued with unanswered points from Emmet Murray and Sean McKinley.
Sean Duffin then extended the lead further by drilling a monster 70-metre free over the bar. A 20-metre free from Dubhaltach MacLiam briefly halted the bleeding for St. Gall’s, but Tír na nÓg hit back through McKinley and another long-range 70-metre free from Sean Duffin on the 30-minute mark.
The decisive blow arrived in the 31st minute. A slick attacking move found corner-forward Caleb Smith on the right side of the square. Smith made no mistake, unleashing a powerful drive across Kurtis McGreevey into the keeper’s right-hand corner to leave Tír na nÓg firmly in the driving seat at the break.
Half-Time Score: St. Gall’s 0-05 Tír na nÓg 1-11
The Belfast men threw everything at the Randalstown side in the second period, inspired by a brilliant performance from substitute Anto Healey (20), but the visitors held their nerve in injury time to secure the two points.
St. Gall’s introduced Anto Healey at the break, and the tactical switch paid immediate dividends. Just 30 seconds into the half, Ronan Crossan blasted over his second point of the day. Tír na nÓg replied instantly when midfielder Sean Duffin showcased his accuracy again, converting a 60-metre free. Crossan responded for the hosts to cut the deficit, but both sides then endured a frustrating, tense period where the woodwork denied clear scoring opportunities, with shots from both teams rattling back off the posts.
Tiarnan Bonnes settled Tír na nÓg with a well-taken free, but Healey then took centre stage for St. Gall’s. The substitute hit a fine point from play, and after Dubhaltach MacLiam converted a free, Healey struck again to leave the scoreboard reading 1-14 to 0-10.
The momentum was firmly with the home side. Wing-back Aaron Mackle surged forward to hit a point, narrowing the gap to six. Tír na nÓg substitute Ciaran McCamphill temporarily halted the charge with a vital response, but St. Gall’s kept pressing. In the 21st minute, Ronan Crossan hit a spectacular point from play, before a MacLiam free in the 26th minute left just four points between the teams.
When the unstoppable Healey struck his third point of the half on the 30-minute mark, a grandstand finish looked guaranteed with St. Gall’s trailing by just three. However, Tír na nÓg showed great composure in injury time. Tiarnan Bonnes won a crucial free and expertly slotted it over in the 31st minute, killing off the comeback and ensuring a five-point victory for the visitors.
St. Gall’s: 1 Kurtis McGreevey, 2 Daniel Churchill, 3 Gairech MacAdhaim, 4 Eoghan McCurdy, 5 Aaron Mackle, 6 Gregory McGreevey, 7 Tom Ghee, 8 Oran McIlhatton, 9 Patrick Friel, 10 Ethan Walsh, 11 Ronan Crossan, 12 Tomas O’Ciarain, 13 Dubhaltach MacLiam, 14 Niall Fallon, 15 Dara Delaney, 20 Anto Healey, 19 Joshua Southern,
Tir na nOg: 1 Matthew Dimphinall 2 Dara Martin 3 Brandon Mclarnon 4 Manus Smith 5 Ryan O’Neill 6 Caoimhin Duffin 7 Ciaran O’Neill 8 Sean Duffin 9 Connor McCamphill 10 Sean McKinley 11 Emmet Murray 12 Tiarnan Bonnes 13 Joe McCormick 14 Ciaran Logan 15 Caleb Smith 17 Conor O’Neill 18 Jude Storie 19 Kevin Sheerin 20 Ciaran McCamphill 21 Conlith Martin 22 Declan Mallon
Referee: Niall Clifford
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Sunday’s Antrim Hurling League Division 3 game saw Glenravel and Gort na Móna clash in ideal conditions at Fr Maginn Park, Glenravel.
The home team started strong, registering the first three points of the match. Cormac McKeown contributed two of these, while Conleth O’Loan added a third from a free. Gort na Móna responded through their number eight, Neil Henry, who slotted over a free and then converted another after gaining an advantage, closing the gap to 3-2. Conleth O’Loan kept the scoreboard ticking for the home side with another free at the 16-minute mark and three minutes later, Declan Traynor hit the score of the day when he sent over from a sideline ‘cut’ from out in front of the pavilion. In a low scoring game Gort na Móna found an equaliser on 20 minutes when Neil Henry fired the ball to the Glenravel net for a brilliantly taken goal. Another free from Henry a minute later gave the Gorts the advantage, as they finished the first half leading 1-06 to 0-08.
Joseph McKay initiated Glenravel’s second-half scoring with a series of excellent frees and James Duffin was another key contributor for Glenravel, making a great defensive break and scoring a notable point from a 45-meter strike. Gort na Móna’s Neil Henry continued his dominant performance, scoring a great free from inside his own half and when a defensive error by the Glenravelfull-back line presented the Gort na Móna’s full forward with a great goal scoring opportunity and ‘Diesel’ snapped it up right away as he gave Glenravel goalkeeper Chrissy Quinn no chance from point blank range
Despite the setback, Glenravel hit back almost immediately and within thirty seconds, Conleth O’Loan cut in from the right corner and fired home for a crucial Glenravel goal. That score was to prove vital and McKay’s score taking ability from frees saw him extend their lead through a series of excellent points to secure a much-needed two league points in what has been a tough league campaign so far.
Glenravel: 1. Chrissy Quinn, 2. Ronan McCormick, 3. James Duffin, 4. Brian O’Neill, 5. Michael McDonnell, 6. Rian Lennon, 7. Caolan Lennon, 8. Luke Loughlin, 9. Eoin McCusker, 10. Conleth O’Loan, 11. Ciaran Laverty, 12. Cormac McKeown, 13. Joseph McKay, 14. Declan Traynor, 15. Conor Duffin.
Gort na Móna: 1. Caolan McCrory, 2. Conor Healy, 3. Conor Connolly, 4. Tiarnán Ó Cadhlaigh, 5. Niall Healy, 6. Mark Rea, 7. Nathan Gibson, 8. Neil Henry, 9. Patrick McCaffrey, 10. Padraig Fryers, 11. Thomas McCaffrey, 12. Declan Hughes, 14. Darron Boyd, 15. Manus McMullan.
Referee – Shane McDonnell (Oisins)
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Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Dunloy recorded a narrow victory on Sunday evening as Portaferry left Pearse Park empty handed. In a hugely entertaining game, it took the second half cameo performance from Conal Cunning to get the Cuchullains over the line.
Playing in a Dunloy shirt for a league match for the first time since June 2024, Coby’s accuracy from placed ball and overall attacking play gave the home side a much needed edge with Portaferry looking like they were poised to take the league points.
Trailing by four points at half time, the Down side were excellent in the second half with the sharp shooting of Cathal Coleman exemplary. He would finish with 13 points beside his name while the direct running and trickery of Daithi Sands meant they always had a threat. Niall Mulligan and substitute Tom McGrattan also shone but Dunloy did enough.
Cunning would top score for the Cuchullains but with 13 players recording scores and all starting six forwards on the scoresheet by half time, the home side were well worthy of their half time lead.
Playing with a wind at their back in the opening 30 minutes, Ryan Elliott’s bullet like puck outs were a top attacking threat for Dunloy while their movement in the middle third meant there was always space to exploit. The battle between full forward Luke McFerran and Darragh Mallon a fascinating sub plot to the game with the Portaferry man penalised on three occasions for off the ball infringements throughout the contest.
After an even opening 10 minutes, Portaferry had a one point lead. Scores coming from Sands (2), Finn Turpin, Coleman and Deaglan Mallon came in response to points from Francis McMullan, Aaron Crawford, Luke McFerran and Nicky McKeague (free).
Dunloy would wrestle some early momentum by firing over four points unanswered in the space of just four minutes. Nigel Elliott and Chrissy McMahon raising white flags while they converted frees from McKeague and goal keeper Ryan Elliott to take a three point lead after the opening quarter.
A brace of points from Coleman (one free) were answered by points from Ciaran Elliott and Aodhan McGarry before Elliott would score the opening goal of the game. Turning his man with one dip of his shoulder, ‘Cat’ had one thought on his mind and made no mistake despite the best efforts of Conor Kelly between the sticks for Portaferry. McKeague added another free, his third of the contest before Portaferry struck back. Points from Coleman (’65), Matthew Conlon and Turpin reduced the Dunloy lead to four points with a little over six minutes remaining of the first half.Dunloy would maintain that deficit with scores coming from McKeague (free), Paul Shiels and McMahon while Portaferry had the accuracy of Coleman from placed ball to thank as the teams went into the half time break with the scoreline 1-14 to 0-13 in Dunloy’s favour.
That four point lead soon changed to five when Francis McMullan converted a free at the start of the half but it was Portaferry who wrestled the early momentum. Another brace of points from Coleman (one free) came before Neal Rogers fired to the back of the Dunloy net. Daithi Sands with the initial break but his shot was saved superbly by Ryan Elliott. Rogers was first to the rebound however with his major restoring parity to the scoreline.
The home side responded by hitting three of the next four points, frees apiece from Francis McMullan and Conal Cunning either side of Nigel Elliott’s second of the match while Coleman’s third white flag of the half was the solitary response for Portaferry.
With both sides playing a similar style of hurling, there was a danger of them cancelling each other out. Those fears were soon allayed though with both players playing at a top level and not a bad stroke placed. Both attacks were to the fore in the final quarter with substitute Tom McGrattan, Deaghlan Mallon and Coleman (free) scoring in response to a brace of points from Conal Cunning and Keelan Molloy.
Further scores from Conal Cunning and fellow substitute Reece Cunning looked to have given the home side a bit of breathing space, the gap three points with six minutes remaining only for three unanswered scores from Sands and Coleman (two) to tie the sides going into injury time.
Dunloy and Conal Cunning finished superbly though with the ace marksman splitting the uprights on three occasions from placed ball in the time that remained with Niall Milligan the solitary response for the visitors.
The home side are tied at the top of the league table going into the ‘split’ with Cushendall while the Ports remaining in the bottom half.
TEAMS
Dunloy Starting XV: Ryan Elliott; Sean Og Blaney, Daire McMullan, Oran Quinn; Eamon Smyth, Eoin McFerran, Aodhan McGarry; Aaron Crawford, Nicky McKeague; Nigel Elliott, Paul Shiels, Francis McMullan; Chrissy McMahon, Luke McFerran, Ciaran Elliott
Subs: Keelan Molloy for N McKeague (38), Conal Cunning for C McMahon (38), Reece Cunning for P Shiels (48), Oisin McCamphill for F McMullan (54), Ben O’Kane for D McMullan (59)
Scorers: C Cunning 0-6 (5fs), N McKeague 0-4 (4fs), C Elliott 1-1, F McMullan 0-3 (2fs). N Elliott 0-2, C McMahon 0-2, A McGarry 0-1, A Crawford 0-1, P Shiels 0-1, L McFerran 0-1, R Elliott 0-1 (1f), K Molloy 0-1, R Cunning 0-1
Portaferry Starting XV: Conor Kelly; Ryan Convery, Darragh Mallon, Ronan Smyth; Conor O’Neill, Caolan Taggart, Tom Murray; Matthew Conlon, Finn Turpin; Conor Fay, Deaglan Mallon, Niall Milligan; Neal Rogers, Cathal Coleman, Daithi Sands
Subs: Sean Milligan for N Rogers (37), Tom McGrattan for C Fay (38), Conor Milligan for R Convery (42), Rossa Byers for D Mallon (54)
Scorers: C Coleman 0-13 (10fs, 1’65), D Sands 0-3, N Rogers 1-00, F Turpin 0-2, D Mallon 0-2, M Conlon 0-1, N Milligan 0-1, T McGrattan 0-1
Referee: Declan McGarry (Loughgiel)
To see more of Brendan’s photos from the game, click on the link below…..
