Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

Glenariffe Oisin 1-10 Portaferry 3-21

Portaferry delivered a devastating second-half performance to secure a comprehensive 6-21 to 1-10 victory over local side Glenariffe in their ACHL Division 1 clash at Waterfoot on Wednesday evening. While the home team held their own for much of the opening half, the Ards Peninsula men took total control after the break, spearheaded by a brilliant man-of-the-match display from their half-forward, Cathal Coleman.

The game began with both sides exchanging early scores. Glenariffe’s Oisin Gillan opened his team’s account in the very first minute, only for Portaferry’s Cathal Coleman to immediately respond. Glenariffe showed excellent early resolve, highlighted by a spectacular point from Conor Patterson inside his own half in the fifth minute. As the half progressed, the visitors relied heavily on Coleman’s accuracy from both play and placed balls, while Glenariffe found their rhythm through Brogan O’Connor and the reliable free-taking of Alex O’Boyle. O’Boyle was instrumental in keeping the home side ticking over, slotting multiple frees to push Glenariffe into a 0-07 to 0-05 lead by the twentieth minute. Portaferry kept the pressure on, with Coleman firing over three consecutive points to reel the hosts back in. Following a point by Portaferry’s Daithi Sands, Glenariffe’s Niall Magee fired over a fantastic score in the twenty-ninth minute to level the match at 0-09 apiece. However, the turning point arrived on the stroke of half-time when Tomas McCracken raced through the Glenariffe defence to raise the game’s first green flag, sending Portaferry into the break with a 1-10 to 0-09 cushion.

The visitors came out flying in the second half. Daithi Sands struck a great point early on, and despite Brogan O’Connor pulling one back from play for Glenariffe, the momentum had definitively shifted. Coleman immediately cancelled out O’Connor’s effort, followed by a long-range free to stretch the lead. The floodgates opened in the thirty-fifth minute when Niall Milligan found the back of the net for Portaferry’s second goal. With their tails up, the visitors dominated possession and the scoreboard. Shane Conlan and Fionn Turpin added to the tally with massive long-range scores. In the forty-first minute, Cathal Coleman capped off his stellar performance with the score of the game, followed shortly by another point from a ’65. Glenariffe briefly interrupted the onslaught when Conor Patterson broke through the lines to fire home a great goal in the forty-fourth minute, but unfortunately for the home side, it would be their final score of the contest. Portaferry’s relentless attack continued as Fionn Turpin and Tomas McCracken kept the scoreboard ticking over. Coleman deservedly got his goal in the forty-seventh minute with a brilliant finish, extinguishing any lingering hopes of a Glenariffe comeback. Further points from Turpin and McCracken closed out the game, reflecting a dominant final quarter that saw Portaferry run out emphatic 6-21 to 1-10 winners.

Glenariffe: 1 Seanan McToal, 2 Odhran Gillan, 3 Colla Ward, 4 Donall Kearney, 5 Conor Patterson, 6 Daniel Kearney, 7 James Kearney, 8 Calum McIlwaine, 9 Niall Magee, 10 Canice McIntosh, 11 Oliver Kearney, 12 Brogan Oconnor, 13 Ronan Leech, 14 Alex O’Boyle, 15 Oisin Gillan.

Portaferry: 1 Pearce Smyth, 2 Darragh Mallon, 3 Caolan Taggart, 4 Ronan Smyth, 5 Tom Murray, 6 Matthew Conlan, 7 Ciaran Milligan, 8 Fionn Turpin, 9 Shane Conlan, 10 Conor Fay, 11 Tom McCracken, 12 Cathal Coleman, 13 Daithi Sands, 14 Niall Milligan, 15 Sean Milligan.

Referee – Fiontan McCotter