Senior Hurling League

Division One

Dunloy 1-25 Portaferry 1-23

Sunday 31 May

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…..

https://myalbum.com/album/L4sXsmBdiGXsxg/?invite=602249ec-6176-4006-bc60-467db024ae2e