Author / thesaffrongael

Posts by thesaffrongael

Photographer and GAA writer who has been covering hurling, football and camogie for almost forty years
by thesaffrongael

Antrim win Under 14 Bronze final in extra time

All Ireland FoF u14 Bronze Final

Emyvale CLG, Monaghan

Aontroim 2-9 (15) An Cabhan 2-7 (13)

After Extra Time

With the good stretch of weather coming to an end today Antrim ventured to Monaghan to meet Cavan in the All Ireland Bronze Final. In the approach to the game we knew that Cavan would be stiff opposition having dumped favourites Clare out in the other half of the draw.

After a small adventure on a country lane way with our very luxurious bus, the girls walked the final half mile to the ground to settle in, fuelled by our Fruitonic smoothies.

Having gone through the warm up and chat in the changing room, spirits were high taking the field and we felt well prepared. The ground was firm but a soaking of rain from early morning meant the handling for both teams was slick to say the least.

The first half was nervy and physical. Cavan settled well and were 1-1 up before we hit the net in response through Effie Walsh. Losing our captain on 15 mins meant a quick reshuffle and our opponents went into half-time with a 1-3 to 1-1 lead having kept themselves in front for the 30 mins.

With the lack of a time machine in the half-time break, we asked the girls to relax a bit, move the ball more & pressure the opponent. A good start to level the game was quickly wiped out by a fortuitous second Cavan goal, but undeterred the Saffrons took the game back as we smashed a second goal from the boot of Mae McKinlay to the roof of the net to level again.

In the final quarter we couldn’t press home our advantage and Cavan kicked over two frees to lead with five minutes to go. As Cavan tried to hold possession, Antrim pressed hard, forced the errors from stout defence and broke quickly to hit two late scores through Iona Maguire and level the game to take it into extra time.

Coming back into the changing room at the end of the game, the Antrim Coaches spoke of the need to reset and how disappointed our opponents would be to have to take the field again.

The first half of extra time was end to end but Cavan edged Antrim out to lead 2-7 to 2-6 going into the break. Testament to the resilience of the girls, it was nothing but pure grit & fitness that allowed us to steal a march in the final period. The leveller came from a clean strike by Nina McBride before a double strike by Iona Maguire put Antrim in front for the first time in the game.

For what seemed like an eternity, Cavan ran the ball deep into the heart of the Antrim defence as our girls threw themselves into tackles and interceptions to push their forwards back. So it was nothing but joy and relief when the ref blew the final whistle & we took the Bronze All Ireland title.

Finals never run to the script, it’s all about what happens on the day, and despite beating Cavan well in our previous two ties this year, they played superb football and were well worth their value as finalists. The game was played in great spirits & the support from the stands for both teams was first class.

A huge thank you to Emyvale GAA for hosting us, J&K for transporting us (most of the way), The Felons Club for feeding us so well after the game & the parent group for all of your help. 

The coaching group also want to thank the girls for the beautiful cards and gifts they gave the management team at the end of the game. Very thoughtful and considerate, not necessary at all, but very gratefully received. GRMA

We finish the season as Ulster & All Ireland Bronze Champions and couldn’t be more proud of this group of players.

We will have a Presentation Night in the coming weeks to give the girls their playing jerseys and their Ulster & All Ireland medals, but at least for today, the spoils of war belong to us.

Scorers – Antrim: M McKinlay 1-1, S O’Hanlon 0-4 (4fs), E Walsh 1-0, I
Maguire 0-3, N McBride 0-1.

Cavan: N Carolan 1-5, A Barr 1-1, L Hill 0-1.

CAVAN: P Callery-Tracey; E Lynch, F McSeain, M Keaney; Z Clarke, A
McAloon, N McIntyre; L Hill, E Clarke; A Barr, B Smith, É McManus; C
Mulhall, N Carolan, M Mills. Subs: E Browne, S McNulty, A Burns, Z Hogan, K Kivlehan, L Carville, L McCann, M Connolly, N Clarke.

ANTRIM: O McLaughlin; R Sanni, G Adeniyi, E Ginley; M O’Boyle, Ú
McCavana, M Maguire; G Kerr, N McBride; I Maguire, S O’Hanlon, K
Cassidy; A Largey, E Walsh, M McKinlay. Subs: G Gallagher, C Campbell, S Nig Aoidh, R O’Donnell, T Mullin, N Fitzimons.

Referee: Henri Clifford (Meath).

by thesaffrongael

Cushendall beat St. John’s with dominant League display

County League Division One

Cushendall 4-22 | St. John’s 1-16

The last time these two sides met, St. John’s caused a massive upset in the Antrim Senior Hurling semi-final, sending Ruairí Óg packing before marching on to capture the county title. Cushendall clearly had a long memory of that afternoon, as they delivered a ruthless and clinical performance to beat the reigning champions.

Right from the throw-in, Cushendall showed superior accuracy and a hunger. Scott Walsh opened their account inside ten seconds, setting the tempo for a blistering Ruairí Óg attack. St. John’s responded quickly with an Oisin MacManus free to level it up, but it wasn’t long before the Cushendall forwards began to find their rhythm. Thomas McLaughlin, Darach Bradley, and Edward McQuillan all raised white flags in quick succession to establish an early foothold.

St. John’s battled hard to stay in touch during the opening quarter, largely relying on the dead-ball accuracy of MacManus and a massive free from inside his own half by goalkeeper Domhnall Nugent. Further points from James Wilson, Donall Carson, and a long-range effort from Aaron Bradley kept the Belfast men ticking over.

However, Cushendall’s attacking unit was operating on another level. Joseph McLaughlin fired over a pair of fine scores, while Fiontan Bradley proved absolutely deadly, punishing any St. John’s indiscretions with a string of flawless frees and adding from play. Just as the half drew to a close, Ruairí Óg struck a decisive blow when Callagh Mooney found the back of the net, sending Cushendall into the break with a commanding 2-12 to 0-9 lead.

If St. John’s were hoping for a second-half reprieve, they didn’t get one. Mooney picked up exactly where he left off with a point straight from the restart. While Oisin MacManus continued his reliable work on the frees for the visitors, the Cushendall onslaught was relentless.

The game was effectively put to bed when Thomas McLaughlin carved through the St. John’s defence for a superb individual goal. From there, Cushendall began to showcase their shooting range. Ryan McCambridge took control around the middle third, effortlessly splitting the posts with three majestic long-range efforts within five minutes. Not to be outdone, Francis McCurry brought the crowd to life with an unbelievable strike from deep inside his own half.

St. John’s showed resilience despite the mounting deficit. Ruairi Galbraith managed a great individual point, and Adrian Downey added his name to the scoresheet, but they simply couldn’t match the intensity and precision of the home side. Fiontan Bradley added further gloss to the Cushendall tally by blasting a free to the net on the 48-minute mark.

Late scores from Darach Bradley and Thomas McLaughlin capped off a magnificent display of shooting. Cushendall were exceptional from distance and clinical in front of goal, laying down a serious marker for the rest of the season with a 4-22 to 1-16 victory.

Cushendall: 1. Conor McAlister, 2. Conor McCann, 3. Liam Gillan, 4. Francis McCurry, 5. Scott Walsh, 6. Ryan McCambridge, 7. Austin Birt, 8. Callagh Mooney, 9. Charlie McAuley, 10. Edward McQuillan, 11. Joseph McLaughlin, 12. Darach Bradley, 13. Oisin Woodhouse, 14. Thomas McLaughlin, 15. Fiontan Bradley.

St. John’s: 1. Domhnall Nugent, 2. Michael Darragh, 3. Conall Morgan, 4. Lorcan McCallin, 5. Ryan McNulty, 6. Enda McGurk, 7. Ronan Donnelly, 8. Caoimhin Hanna, 9. Aaron Bradley, 10. James Wilson, 11. Shea Shannon, 12. Oisin Donnelly, 13. Donall Carson, 14. Oisin MacManus, 15. Ruairi Galbraith.

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/xsBC94mxxPm7Js/?invite=5b24c1a6-2385-47cd-b308-0ac74fe665f9

by thesaffrongael

Superb Antrim comeback denies Wicklow

Antrim 1-17 Wicklow 3-11

Electric Ireland Tier 3 Minor Football Championship Final
Venue: Grattan GAC, Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan
Saturday, 30th May

Antrim staged an unbelievable second-half comeback to defeat Wicklow by a single point and claim the Electric Ireland Tier 3 Minor Football Championship title in an absolute thriller at Inniskeen. Trailing by 11 points early in the second period, the Saffrons produced a storming finish, capped off by an injury-time winner from Joey Griffin, to break Wicklow hearts in a dramatic 1-18 to 3-11 victory.

The opening exchanges saw Antrim draw first blood when Conor McArt slotted over a fine point in the 8th minute. However, Wicklow responded instantly, unleashing a devastating offensive onslaught. Joe Keeshan levelled proceedings in the 9th minute before Wicklow captain Harry Butler struck the game’s opening goal just a minute later, looping a dipped effort over the Saffron goalkeeper.

Oscar Nolan quickly added another point, and when Sam Goodbody struck a magnificent two-pointer in the 12th minute, Wicklow were firmly in the driving seat. Antrim attempted to stem the tide with points from Dara Campbell (19 mins) and a Tom Convery free (20 mins), quickly followed by a neat score from Colm Kane to momentarily narrow the deficit.

Wicklow’s relentless pressure could not be contained. Joe Keeshan turned tormentor-in-chief, firing over a point in the 22nd minute before raising another white flag with a clever fisted effort sixty seconds later. In the 25th minute, Sam Goodbody dealt Antrim a massive blow, reactively fisting a dropping ball into the back of the net for Wicklow’s second goal. Despite a late Tom Convery free for the Saffrons, another fisted point from the clinical Keeshan in injury time ensured Wicklow led comfortably by 2-9 to 0-5 at the interval.

Any hopes of an immediate Antrim revival seemed dead in the water within seconds of the restart. Antrim attacked from the throw in and a good move saw Tom Convery in the clear in a one on one with Jack Peter Nolan but the Wicklow keeper advanced to make a good blocking save. To make matters worse Wicklow counter from the kick out and skipper Harry Butler swung over a fine point to stretch the lead to a seemingly insurmountable 11 points.

However, the Saffrons refused to surrender. Ten minutes into the second half, Rasharkin’s Shea McFerran ignited the comeback spark by converting a crucial two-pointer. Moments later, McFerran was at the heart of the action again; his powerful shot shattered back off the upright, only to be inadvertently diverted into the net by a tracking Wicklow defender.

With the gap suddenly closing, Dara Campbell and Sionan McCormack raised successive white flags to trim the deficit to just three points. Just as Antrim looked to have all the momentum, they were rocked to the core. A swift Wicklow counter-attack cut through the Saffron defence, allowing Enda Lacey to palm home their third goal of the afternoon and restore a six-point cushion.

Undeterred by the setback, Antrim threw caution to the wind. Driven forward by captain Shea McLernon, they pressed Wicklow relentlessly up the pitch. The superb Sionan McCormack, alongside Conall Wilson and the talismanic McFerran, hit a string of unanswered points to cut the deficit right back down to three by the 24th minute of the half.

The grandstand finish belonged entirely to Antrim. As the clock ticked towards the red, Dara Campbell stepped up to strike a magnificent two-pointer, following it up almost immediately with a sensational equalising point to level the scores.

With the game on a knife-edge and edging into time added on, it was Joey Griffin who wrote his name into Antrim GAA folklore. Gathering possession under intense pressure, Griffin coolly slotted over the winning point to seal an unforgettable, historic championship victory for the Saffrons.

Griffin was ultimately named Man of the Match for his late heroics, though selectors were spoiled for choice with his Moneyglass clubmate Sionan McCormack, captain Shea McLernon, Dara Campbell, Colm Kane, and Shea McFerran all putting in monumental displays to secure the silverware.

ANTRIM – 1 Niall Quinn St Ergnats Moneyglass, 2 Cillian McKenna Roger Casements Portglenone, 3 Shea McLernon Kickhams Creggan, 4 Bradan O’Donnell St Ergnats Moneyglass, 5 Thomas Douthart Roger Casements Portglenone, 6 Conor McArt St James Aldergrove, 7 Sionan McCormack St Ergnats Moneyglass, 8 Dara Campbell Roger Casements Portglenone, 9 Tom Convery Roger Casements Portglenone, 10 Conall Wilson Kickhams Creggan, 11 Joey Griffin St Ergnats Moneyglass, 12 Sean McPeake Erin’s Own Cargin, 13 Colm Kane St Endas, 14 Shea McFerran St Marys Rasharkin, 15 Tiernan Lee Lamh Dhearg. SUBS – 17. Daire Thornbury (Naomh Pól) 18. Seán McMullan (Con Magee’s Glenravel) 19. Ruairí O’Connell Scullion (Naomh Éanna) 20. Nathan Burns (Naomh Éanna) 21. Cillian McDonnell (Roger Casements Portglenone) 22. Eoin Nelson (St Joseph’s Glenavy)

WICKLOW – 1 Jack Peter Nolan Kiltegan, 2 Chris Kehoe Dunlavin, 3 Sean O’Brien St Patricks, 4 Enda Leacy An Tochar, 5 Oscar Kelly Kilcoole, 6 Conor Fitzgerald Blessington, 7 Sean Byrne Kiltegan, 8 Oscar Nolan An Tochar, 9 Joe Keeshan An Tochar, 10 Josh Furlong Kiltegan, 11 Odhran Cullen AGB, 12 Lucas Reid Avoca, 13 Harry Butler (C) Rathnew, 14 Sean Corrigan Hollywood, 15 Sam Goodbody St Patricks.

Antrim Scorers: Shea McFerran (1-3, inc 2-pt), Dara Campbell (0-6, inc one 2-pt), Tom Convery (0-2, 2f), Conor McArt (0-1), Colm Kane (0-2), Sionan McCormack, Conall Wilson 0-1, Joey Griffin (0-2).

Wicklow Scorers: Sam Goodbody (1-2, inc one 2-pt), Harry Butler (1-1), Joe Keeshan (0-4, 2 fisted), Enda Lacey (1-0), Oscar Nolan (0-2). Josh Furlong 0-1, Sean Byrne

TO SEE MORE OF DYLAN’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/ye3nB3oFiepjBX

TO VIEW PADDY’S ALBUM FROM SATURDAY’S TIER 3 FINAL CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/RNQLWuvsZzpdZy

by thesaffrongael

First half goals set Dunloy up for the win

North Antrim Minor Hurling – Darragh Cup preliminary round

Dunloy 2-17 St Endas 0-14

Paul McLean reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy

A pair of goals at each end of the first half were key for Dunloy to give them the platform to win this first round knock out tie in the Darragh Cup.

One for PJ Molloy after four mins and then another on the stroke of half time by Jay McAlonan give Dunloy the momentum at key stages of the game to go on and win.

Shae Bell put on a master show of free taking for St Endas with 0-12 from placed balls but it was the visitors lack of scoring from play that cost them at the end up.

Played in perfect conditions it took four minutes into the game before St Endas opened the scoring through Christopher Roberts. But no sooner had the score board showed the visitors score been marked up, PJ Molloy had the green flag raised for Dunloy.

It was a lead that the home side wouldn’t lose for the remainder of the game.

If anything the opening fifteen minutes of this game were nip and tuck between the sides as they traded scores. Cormac McCann & Jay McAlonan had their own mini scoring contest for the next four minutes of the game as both sides gave as good to each other.

Dunloy stretched their lead with a run of four scores in sucession with the pick of the lot a long range score from Olly McClements.

St Endas were guilty of a lot of wides in this period of game, of which they probably cost them going into half time.

Shae Bell kept them in touch with three well taken frees but coming up to half time it was the second Dunloy goal that killed any momentum St Endas had. An awkward ball in to the box, just at the crossbar and post, left keeper Tomas Curran with little choice other than to force the ball back out.

He made a good stop from the resultant shot but it fell nicely to Jay McAlonan who had the shot in front of goal to send the home side in leading by ten points.

The second half was much better for St Endas as they outscored Dunloy seven points to six but again it was the lack of scores from play that left them struggling to make real inroads to the home sides lead.

Shae Bell contributed all 0-07 himself from frees with the reason being the Dunloy back line really closed down any, and all, chances the visitors had for the next half hour.

Eanna McGuckian, Daire Elliott, Jay McAlonan and a super long range point from Anthony Cochrane kept Dunloy always ticking away and ensuring they weren’t going to lose their lead.

Overall a good game and very competitive between both sides but it is Dunloy who advance to the semi final to take on Cushendall.

Dunloy

D McMahon, S McMullan, J Doherty, J McMullan, R Blaney, E Curry, J McQuillan, O McClements (0-02), A Doherty, J McGarry, D Elliott (0-02), E Boyle, PJ Molloy (1-02), J McAlonan (1-06), A Og Cochrane (0-03) – E McGuckian (0-01)

St Enda’s

T Curran, N Lemon, J Mackian, R O’Connell Scullion, J Joseph McAllister, A Quinn, O Mathews, T Mooney, L Cunnie, H Feeney, B McGrath, C Roberts (0-01), D Quinn, C McCann (0-02), S Bell (0-11)

Referee – Declan McGarry (Loughgiel)

by thesaffrongael

Shamrock beat Ballycastle in Darragh Cup opener

North Antrim Minor Hurling – Darragh Cup

Loughgiel Shamrocks 2-22 Ballycastle McQuillan’s 0-10

Last year’s beaten finalists Loughgiel Shamrocks delivered a commanding performance to defeat Ballycastle McQuillan’s by 2-22 to 0-10 in the Darragh Cup Minor Hurling preliminary round, played in excellent conditions at Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel on Friday evening. The Shamrocks dictated the tempo for the vast majority of the contest, driven by standout performances from Joe Deery, Liam McGarry, and Cian Higgins. Ballycastle struggled for consistency early on and looked out of sorts in the opening half, ultimately leaving themselves with too steep a mountain to climb against a sharp home outfit.

Loughgiel opened the game brightly with a string of early scores to put the visitors on the back foot. Ballycastle eventually settled into the contest and managed to reduce the deficit to a single point by the 12th minute. However, the Shamrocks responded emphatically when Joe Deery found the net for their first goal. Cian Higgins compounded Ballycastle’s troubles by striking for another goal in the 17th minute, though Ballycastle goalkeeper Ruairi McShane did exceptionally well to pull off a strong save shortly after to prevent a third. Loughgiel kept the pressure firmly applied, with Deery pointing a free in the 18th minute and Higgins following up with another score to stretch their lead to 1-7 to 0-4. Deery added another free on 20 minutes, and Liam McGarry struck a fine point from play right before the whistle, sending Loughgiel into the half-time break with a comfortable 1-9 to 0-4 advantage.

The second half began with Ballycastle attempting to mount a comeback as Peter Laverty pointed an early free. Loughgiel, however, easily absorbed the pressure and quickly reasserted their dominance. Dylan O’Boyle registered a point on 37 minutes, and Deery converted another free shortly after to make it 1-11 to 0-5. Ballycastle showed a glimpse of resistance when Liam McGee scored from play, followed immediately by another point from Laverty. Any lingering hopes of a Ballycastle revival were swiftly extinguished by the hosts. McGarry answered with a free and Caolan McCollum fired over an excellent point in the to keep the scoreboard moving.

As the game entered its closing stages, substitute Joe Casey struck a crucial blow, raising a green flag in the 58th minute to effectively kill the tie and push the lead out further. The Shamrocks kept their foot on the pedal until the very end. McGarry tapped over a free in the 59th minute, which was quickly followed by a beautifully worked team point. Higgins then showcased his striking ability with a massive long-range point, and McGarry converted yet another free on 64 minutes. While Laverty managed one final late consolation free for Ballycastle, Higgins fittingly had the last word, clipping over a final point to cap off a comprehensive victory for Loughgiel.

Loughgiel: 1 Cody McGarry, 2 JJ McGarry, 3 Eunan Johnston, 4 Padraig McNulty, 5 Liam Smyth, 6 Domhnall McKay, 7 Corin McCullough, 8 Liam McGarry, 9 Joe McFadden, 10 Joe Deery, 11 Logan McConville, 12 Conor McCann, 13 Caolan McCollum, 14 Dylan OBoyle, 15 Cian Higgins.

Ballycastle: 1 Ruairi McShane, 2 Cillian O’Connor, 3 Oran Baudant, 4 Peter Campbell, 5 Ruairi Laverty, 6 Oisin Donnelly, 7 Ronan McBride, 8 Peter Laverty, 9 Cormac Scanlon, 10 Sean McHenry, 11 Luke Connolly, 12 Cormac McGhee, 13 Ben Woodhouse, 14 Liam McGee, 15 Patrick McCaughan.

Referee – Deaglan Carey (Con Magees)

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/nHiri8pFZr6T97