ACHL Division 2

Shane Uí Neílls 3-14

St. Pauls             2-13

A brace of goals from Sean O Boyle and one from Aidan Scullion helped Glenarm to a hard fought win against St. Pauls in the ACHL Division 2 at Feystown on Saturday.

It didn’t take long for the scoring to start, as both teams came out of the starting blocks like a scalded cat.

Glenarm’s Niall McGarel, back from County duty, was first to raise a white flag with a nicely weighted effort over the visitors bar.

Caolan Crossan hit back immediately with a goal, striking the sliotar beyond Michael Abram.

Daire Stevenson pointed for the visitors to extend their lead to 3 points and at this stage of the game the ‘Hoops’ were calling the shots.

Glenarm replied however with a similar score and Sean O Boyle working at wing forward won a loose ball and rifled it into the top corner to level this game.

The impressive Caolan Crossan added to his tally with two more points, one from play and a converted free.

O Boyle for the hosts sent another well drilled ball over the bar, before Niall McGarel collected the sliotar deep in defence and pointed a mighty effort from over 70 yards.

Sean Munce for the West Belfast club pointed next, before McGarel hit a speculative effort from distance over the bar.

Back came St. Paul’s and  Caolan Crossan for the Shaw’s Rd club pointed another free before the excellent Niall McGarel replied with two at the other end, the latter effort from a “65”

St. Pauls were starting to enjoy a bit of success and took the lead when Sean Munce sent over and Crossan followed from a converted “65”

This game flowed from end to end as another brace from Niall McGarel and a great solo effort from Dylan McLaughlin gave the hosts a two point cushion.

The visitors finished the half on the front foot and Caolan Crossan pointed another free as the half time whistle sounded with the game very much in the balance.

H.T.Shane Uí Neills 1-09       St Pauls  1-08

Glenarm’s Dylan McLaughlin pointed early in the second half to extend the Feystown side’s lead to two but back came St Pauls to take the lead with the excellent Crossan leading by example and firing home another goal, and he followed immediately with a point.

Glenarm looked in a spot of trouble but from an awkward angle, on the 13 yard line and out near the sideline McGarel sent the ball with purpose right over the bar, much to the delight of the home support.  

Crossan was proving a real handful for the home side and he  again pointed for the red and white’s before Sean Og McLaren converted a free to keep this intriguing contest very much in the balance.

Back came the home side again and half time substitute, Ciaran Magill, evaded a couple of tackles and pointed but McLaren replied immediately with a point at the other end.

Things became a bit heated as the intensity of the game increased and on 51 minute’s a melee ensued at midfield, resulting in the referee brandishing two red cards, one for each team.

When things calmed down Glenarm were awarded a free and up stepped Aidan Scullion whose high dropping ball evaded the St Paul’s keeper and nestled nicely in the corner of the net, much to the delight of the home support.

Scullion’s fortuitous goal levelled the contest for the fourth time and set the scene for an exciting finish with the points still very much up for grabs.

St Pauls McLaren hit the next point to restore the visitors lead on 56 minutes and the points looked to be heading back to Shaw’s Road but this turned out to be their last score of the game.

Ciaran Magill brought it all square again with another fine point, before Sean O’Boyle burst forward and received the ball before raising his second green flag of the evening to give his side a three point lead with 2 minutes remaining. 

The last score in this fiercely contested encounter fell to the impressive Niall McGarel who split the uprights from 40 yards with referee Terence Masterson called for the ball on the puck out.

For the visitors Caolan Crossan had a great game and registered 2-07 on the day, but will feel disappointed to end on the losing side, and leaving empty handed.

Glenarm Niall McGarel slotted over 9 points, (1 ‘65’, 1 free) and his return to action for the Feystown side has proved a major boost.

Mc Laughlin and Magill were others to impress in attack while the rear guard led by Barry Hamill, Joshua Quinn and young Ciaran McLoughlin battled hard and dominated their positions.

After this win, Shane Uí Neill have jumped 4 places in this tight League Table sharing 4 points each with five clubs all playing 4 games each.

Antrim Hurling League Division 1

Ballycastle 4-20 Portaferry 4-16

Ballycastle held off a second half rally by Portaferry at Pairc MacUilin on Saturday evening to win the league points in a high scoring game.

Eleven points up at the break (2-13 to 0-08) after playing with the aid of a stiff breeze it appeared to be plain sailing for the home side, but when man of the match Cahal Coleman hit back with a goal and two points in the first five minutes of the second half it was clear they were still very much in contention. Darragh Donnelly came back with a goal for Town to ease the pressure but when eighteen year old Coleman completed his hat-trick with goals in the 41^st and 43^rd minute the Ulster champions appeared to be on their way to the win.

However Ballycastle never gave up the fight and a goal by Darragh Donnelly, following great work by Seamus McAuley and Tiernan Smyth, gave them the breathing space to get them over the line.

Coleman made his mark early with two quick points, but a goal by Arden Kelly helped Ballycastle to a 1-03 to 0-02 lead after five minutes and a second goal on fifteen minutes by Conor Donnelly put them 2-06 to 0-05 in front. Coleman kept the Down men in touch with three of the next four points three points in two minutes in first half injury time from Conor Donnelly (2) and Darragh Donnelly sent them in at the break with a 2-13 to 0-08 lead.

The early goal from Coleman and two quick points showed that Portaferry were still in contention and Darrgh Donnelly’s goal from the home side helped settle the home side. However whenever Coleman came back with two more points before the three-quarter mark the gap was down to eight. Portaferry’s fourth goal by substitute Noah Rodgers was followed two more Coleman points and there was just four between the sides.

The visitors must have fancied their chances of taking both points at his stage, but Darragh Donnelly’s goal, gave the Town the upper hand again and they held on to win by four.

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ACHL Division 3

Rasharkin 1-14 Armoy 2-19

Last year’s Junior Championship finalists, St. Mary’s Rasharkin and Glen Rovers Armoy met in the division 3 league at Dreen on Saturday with the men from the Glen gaining a bit of revenge for that loss to today’s opponents, St. Mary’s in last year’s final.

Glen Rovers started with a stiff breeze at their backs and had the sliothar in the Rasharkin net within two minutes. Brian Og O’Neill in the Rasharkin goals made a good catch and raced from his goals but his clearance only found Thomas Burns and his long delivery was diverted to the net by Joseph McFetridge.

Jack Quinn replied immediately with a point at the other end but the visitors were looking the sharper and PJ McBride fired over at the other end.

Conr McKeever closed the gap to a goal once more but Glen Rovers were starting to take control and Tarlach McBride, PJ McBride and Ciaran McCormick hit three on the bounce to move them 6 ahead before Jack Quinn replied with a point for St. Mary’s.

Both sides were fiercely contesting every ball but the Armoy press was more sustained and their short passing game was working a treat while too many attempted passes for the home side were going astray or being intercepted.

Conor McKeever raised his second white flag of the afternoon from a free in the 15^th minute but Tarlach McBride replied with a monster score for the visitors before Brian Og O’Neill in the Rasharkin goals pulled of an excellent save to deny Timothy Burns.

The Glen Rovers high press and team work was starting to tell as they added a point from a ‘65’ from Tarlach McBride and the same player added another from a free before Emmet O’Hara struck a fine point from play to move the visitors nine ahead.

Conor Christie then hit a sweet over the shoulder point with Tarlach McBride adding another fine score and O’Hara’s late point for the visitors in response tothe Conor McKeever’s third of the half from a 45 meter free, left it 1-12 to 0-4 for Armoy at the break.

Just what influence the strong breeze would have in the second half was what most people would have been asking and given its strength, that 11 point half time lead certainly didn’t look insurmountable.

Timmy Burns put a spanner in the Rasharkin works in the opening minute however as he pulled first time on the ground to beat Brian Og O’Neill from close range to increase that lead to 14 and it looked a long way back for the reigning Junior Champions.

They refused to concede however and Conor McKeever got them going again from a free in the 3d minute but Emmet O’Hara replied with a point at the other end.

Back came the home side and Conor McFerran gave them a glimmer of hope when he deflected a long delivery past Conor Devlin and points from McKeever and Thomas McMullan had it back to nine after 13 minutes.

Substitute, Trevor Linton briefly relieved the pressure and Conor McKeever and Tarlach McBride exchanged further points to keep significant distance between the sides.

Another point from Ciaran McKenna stretched the Armoy lead to 12 with 10 minutes remaining to affectively kill of the game as a contest but St. Mary’s battled all the way to the final whistle.

Conor McKeever, who was their top scorer, sent two sublimely struck side-line cuts between the uprights and added another from a ‘65’ and Tiernan O’Boyle hit a fine point in reply to one from the excellent Tarlach McBride to conclude the scoring.

This win moves Glen Rovers to the top of the league on 6 points after 3 rounds but Rasharkin are handily placed in joint second on five points with Gort na Mona and Dunloy’s second string.

The home side were missing a number of key players due to injury and will be confident of getting back to winning ways when they become available while Armoy look capable of being challengers for the title on Saturday’s performance.

Rasharkin: 1 Brian Og O’Neill, 2 Connor Higgins, 3 Daniel Doherty, 4 Daniel Hasson, 5 Connaire Doherty, 6 Aidan McKeever, 7 Tiernan O’Boyle, 8 Cathair Henderson, 9 Conor McFerran, 10 Declan McKay, 11 Thomas McMullan, 12 Jason McGregor, 13 Conor McKeever, 14 Terry McGregor, 15 Jack Quinn.

Subs: Oisin Doherty for Jason McGregor, Brendan Kelly for Jack Quinn

Armoy: 1 Conor Devlin, 2 Calum Coyles, 3 Shane Devlin, 4 Conor Watterson, 5 Kieran McToal, 6 Thomas Burns, 7 Arthur Devlin, 8 Ciaran McCormick-McKenna, 9 Conor Christie, 10 Emmet O’Hara, 11 Tarlach McBride, 12 PJ McBride, 13 Timothy Burns, 14 Colin Lordan, 15 Joseph McFetridge

Subs: John O’Kane for Joe McFetridge, Frank McCaughan for Kieran McToal

Referee: Sean O’Connell (Ahoghill)

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