Antrim Hurling League – Division 2
Carey 3-19 Glenarm 1-23
Pics and report by Pete Hyndman
Carey secured a hard-fought victory on Sunday after a fiercely competitive battle against north Antrim rivals Shane Uí Neills, Glenarm at St. Patricks Park, Ballyvoy. Played under a bright early afternoon sun with a light breeze sweeping across the pitch, this Division 2 clash was an entertaining spectacle from start to finish. The visitors arrived with a shuffled lineup, missing several senior players due to overseas work commitments, but they still contributed to a thrilling contest. Ultimately, the hosts had their lethal finishing to thank, with Connor McBride demonstrating incredible accuracy to knock over nine frees in a personal tally of 1-09, while John McBride proved a constant threat by bagging two crucial goals over the hour. For Glenarm, star forward Niall McGarel was a joy to watch, showcasing superb stickwork to slot ten points, including three from dead balls.
Carey exploded out of the starting blocks in buoyant form, raising the white flag in the very first minute through Conall McGlynn. Their early dominance continued moments later when a well-placed cross-field ball was collected by John McBride, who ruthlessly drove the sliotar into the Glenarm net. John McBride and Connor McBride quickly followed up with a point apiece, demanding a swift response from the visitors. Glenarm found their rhythm right from the resulting puck-out, with Niall McGarel winning possession and slotting over the bar. The nippy forward began to show immense early promise, rolling a tackle to launch a speculative effort over Carey goalkeeper Conlaith McKinley, and subsequently lofting over another brilliant solo point. Aidan Scullion also made his presence felt around the middle third, gathering a broken ball to split the posts from 55 yards. McGarel continued to torment the defense, robbing his opponent for a distance score before Scullion drilled over another, remarkably turning an early deficit into a two-point lead for the visitors.
The match developed into a tight, tit-for-tat tussle. Carey leveled the game in the 18th minute with converted frees from Connor McBride and James Black. The boys in blue edged ahead once more through a Ben O Boyle point and a McGarel dead ball, though James Black was quick to reply for the hosts. Glenarm then struck for a major of their own; a high, dropping ball into the Carey box was allowed to bounce, and Sean O Hare reacted fastest to overhead-bat the sliotar past the keeper into the net. Unfazed, Connor McBride kept the scoreboard ticking for Carey by punishing two needless Glenarm fouls before adding a green flag of his own, winning a scrappy ball and forcing it beyond Liam Mulvenna. As the halftime whistle approached, the intensity peaked. Scullion and McGarel landed excellent scores for Glenarm, but Connor McBride’s accuracy from frees and a massive second goal from John McBride ensured Carey took a 3-10 to 1-12 advantage into the break.
The second half resumed with the same competitive edge. Carey punished early indiscipline from Glenarm with another Connor McBride free, but Ben O Boyle and Niall McGarel quickly answered with a point each from play. Conall McGlynn continued to show great promise for the hosts, driving the ball over the Glenarm bar twice to maintain the pressure. At the other end, Scullion won vital early possession and expertly worked the space to shoot a fantastic point from 70 yards out. The teams traded further scores, with a Carey free and a Brendan McQuaid effort answered by Darren Hamill on the 38th minute. However, the game’s dynamic threatened to shift entirely on the 40th minute when a Carey player was shown a red card.
Despite being reduced to fourteen men, Carey responded to the setback with remarkable composure. McGlynn and Connor McBride converted three crucial frees to keep their opponents at arm’s length. Playing catch-up, Glenarm desperately needed a lift and found one through Darren Hamill, who sparked a revival with a free and a brilliant point from distance, accompanied by a score from Sean O Hare. Hamill added two more frees to reel in the hosts as the game moved into added time. In a fitting end to an epic battle, Niall McGarel floated over one final effort for Glenarm, but the relentless Connor McBride had the last word, pointing for the hosts just as the referee called time to seal a memorable Carey victory.
Carey Faughs
Conlith Mc Kinley, Eoin Mc Carry, Michael Mc Veigh, Daniel Mc Kinley, Shea Hunter, Sean Mc Bride, Peadar Mc Veigh, Conall Mc Glynn (0-05 3f), Cathair Brogan, James Black(0-02 1f), John Mc Bride(2-01),
Patrick, Butler, Connor Mc Bride( 1-09 09f), Fiachra Mc Veigh, Brendan Mc Quaid (0-02).
Subs. Caolan Mc Caughan, Eoin Mc Kinley, Ryan Mc Quaid, Oisin Healey.
Shane Uí Neills.
Liam Mulvenna, Liam Mc Loughlin, Barry Hamill, John Scullion, Kieran O Boyle, Ciaran Magill, Michael Fury, Conal Ward, Aidan Scullion(0-04), Sean Mc Dermott, Niall Mc Garel(0-10 3f), Ben O Boyle ()-02), Paddy Mc Auley, Darren Hamill(0_05 2f), Sean O Hare(1-02 1f).
Subs. Rory Mulvenna for Conal Ward 42 mins. Aidan O Neill, Gerard Burns, Ryan Mc Loughlin, Declan Mc Dermott.
