Antrim Hurling League Division 1

Glenariffe Oisins 2-22 (28) – 3-19 (28) Ballygalget

Glenariffe and Ballygalget battled to a pulsating, high-scoring draw in the Antrim Hurling League Division 1, with both sides walking away with a crucial point in their respective fights to stave off relegation. In a game marked by sweeping momentum changes, five goals, and a pair of red cards before the break, a final scoreline of 2-22 to 3-19 was a fitting end to a gripping contest.

The home side exploded out of the blocks in the opening exchanges. After an opening free from Ballygalget’s Fergal Gilmore, Calum McIlwaine leveled matters before Oisin Gillan rattled the net for Glenariffe with a goal from play just three minutes in. Michael O’Boyle swiftly followed up with a point to put the Oisins firmly in the driver’s seat.

Alex O’Boyle kept the scoreboard ticking over for Glenariffe with pinpoint accuracy from placed balls and open play. However, Ballygalget weathered the early storm and launched a devastating counter-assault late in the half. In a chaotic two-minute spell, the Ardsmen turned the game on its head. Tim Prenter crashed home a goal in the 21st minute, and Shea Pucci followed suit with another major just a minute later, suddenly propelling the visitors into the lead.

The intensity boiled over as the half drew to a close. Glenariffe were reduced to fourteen men in the 29th minute when Michael O’Boyle picked up a second yellow card. Ballygalget’s numerical advantage lasted barely a minute, as full-back Ciaran Watson also received his marching orders for a second bookable offense.

At the short whistle, Ballygalget held a slender one-point advantage, 2-9 to 1-1

Ballygalget came out firing upon the restart. Just one minute into the second half, Shea Pucci found the net for his second goal of the afternoon, extending the visitors’ lead and threatening to pull away. They followed up with quick points from Prenter and Jordan Doran, forcing Glenariffe to dig deep.

The Oisins, showing immense character, methodically chipped away at the deficit. Alex O’Boyle was flawless from frees, while Canice McIntosh and Brogan O’Connor registered vital points from play to keep the home side within striking distance.

The defining moment of the second half arrived in the 22nd minute when Oisin Gillan struck for his second goal of the match, an intervention that fully erased Ballygalget’s hard-earned cushion and set up a grandstand finish.

The final ten minutes were a tense, point-for-point shootout. Alex O’Boyle slotted crucial frees under pressure, while Daniel Kearney stepped up with a massive point from play in the 32nd minute to edge Glenariffe forward. Ballygalget pressed hard in the dying moments, with Daniel Toner converting crucial frees to ensure the Ardsmen didn’t leave empty-handed.

When the final whistle blew, the teams were deadlocked at 28 points apiece, a result that ensures the battle for Division 1 survival goes down to the wire.

Team Line-Outs

Glenariffe Oisins

1. Paul McMullan
2. Odhran Gillan
3. Michael Haughey
4. Donal Kearney
5. Connor Patterson
6. Daniel Kearney
7. James Kearney
8. Calum McIlwaine
9. Niall Magee
10. Canice McIntosh
11. Colla Ward
12. Brogan O’Connor
13. Michael O’Boyle
14. Alex O’Boyle
15. Oisin Gillan

Ballygalget

1. Eoin Clarke
2. Michael Toner
3. Ciaran Watson
4. Conaire Monan
5. Ben Teggart
6. Marc Fisher
7. John McManus
8. Cormac Coulter
9. Tim Prenter
10. Dara Pucci
11. Jordan Doran
12. Cathal Coulter
13. Daniel Toner
14. Shea Pucci
15. Fergal Gilmore