Antrim senior ladies made the journey to Ballerin on Saturday to play Derry in the opening round of the ulster junior championship and came away with a 4-12 to 1-5 victory.
Antrim had the ball in the Derry net after just 14 seconds when Theresa Mellon broke clear and planted the ball into the bottom corner.
Maria O Neill then hit the first of her tally of five points with Aoife Kelly following up a minute later with a superb point from a tight angle.
Then on the fourth minute Antrim scored their second goal when the lively Maria O’Neill danced past two defenders and made no mistake from close range.
Captain Bronagh Devlin then put a 30 metre free over the bar to leave Antrim nine to the good with only 8 minutes on the clock.
The impressive Theresa Mellon then got her second goal when she finished high to the net after great approach play between Ana Mulholland and Sarah O Neill.
Derry then hit 3 unanswered points on the bounce before Maria O Neill and Nicole Jones raised white flags for the Antrim girls.
Antrim were dominating the game again and Aoife Kelly, Theresa Mellon and Laura Agnew all registered one pointers just before the half time whistle.
The first ten minutes of the second half saw Antrim dominating the ball as they did in the first but they just couldn’t register a score.
Derry then punished them for their misses when they hit an unanswered 1-2 and Antrim were struggling to find the flair they had played with in the first half.
But again this Antrim team showed character and resilience and Ciara Brown was instrumental in setting up points each for the hard working Olivia Todd and Maria O Neill.
Maria then scored a free and with two minutes to go Blaithin Ni Cahill sent Laura Agnew through and she found the net to put the gloss on a good performance from the Antrim girls.
The Antrim management team of Micky and Chris were delighted to get their championship campaign of to a good start. The men said after the game.
“We controlled the game for the biggest part of the 60 minutes… created and took some great scores but most off all the players worked really hard and deserved their victory today.
We now go next week again against the unknown of London in Tir na nOg Randlestown next Saturday with a 1 pm throw in”
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Trailing 1-14-1-05 in the early stages of the second half, Lámh Dhearg fought back and hit 10-unanswered points in their 2-16-2-15 win over Dunloy 2nds at Dunloy on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors made the trip to North Antrim in search of their first league win, having lost their first two and picked out a point at home to Rasharkin last time out, whilst Dunloy were unbeaten in their first three encounters.
Dunloy started much brighter with Gabriel McTaggart and Ryan McFarline clipping over early points.
The Lámhs hit back in the form of a Declan Lynch point, but playing against the breeze in the opening half- their chances would be few and far between.
Oisin McCamphill landed three of his side’s next four scores, converting two frees and landing a fine point from range, with midfield partner Jack Martin also chipping in with a score.
The game’s opening goal would fall to Lámh Dhearg, Adam Murray’s shot was parried by Caolan McFerran, but Murray followed in and forced the ball home to make it 0-6-1-1.
In response McFarline doubled his account, Oisin McErlean floated a shot over and Oisin Elliott converted a free.
Lynch landed his second of the half and Donal Martin pointed from Conor McConville’s lay-off in-between a second Elliott free as Lámh Dhearg were beginning to get to grips with things.
The hosts would extend their lead before the break though as Barry McCloskey and Oisin McErlean popped over points.
On the 26th minute Gabriel McTaggart got underneath Sean Og Blaney’s high ball and steered a shot home to make it 1-12-1-03.
Paddy Mervyn dropped over a point in reply before the interval but his side faced a tough task in the second period.
The sides largely matched each other out in the early stages of the second half, points were traded after the restart through Jack Martin and Ryan Diamond, Conor Mort added a second point for his side and then Gabriel McTaggart and Adam Murray stroked over frees in reply.
Lámh Dhearg boosted their chances of a comeback within 10-minutes of the restart. Declan Lynch picked out Ryan Diamond with a crossfield pass and Diamond’s low diagonal shot clipped the post and in went in to make it 1-15-2-06.
Their joy was short lived though as Dunloy hit back almost instantly at the other end, a scramble ensued as the Lámhs tried to clear their lines but Gabriel McTaggart blasted a rocket of a shot past Paddy-Joe Herron from close range to open up a 2-15-2-06 lead.
McTaggart’s goal would be the last of his sides scores as the visitor’s began to chip away at the deficit,
Adam Murray stroked over two further frees with Donal Martin doubling his personal tally to close the gap to six.
Martin landed two further efforts from range and a further Murray conversion had slashed the gap to three (2-15-2-12) with plenty of time still remaining.
Murray shot over a further placed ball from range, Declan Lynch conjured his third score of proceedings and turned provider for Donal Martin to level things up with his fifth of the afternoon.
The comeback was complete in added time when Sean-Paul Gibson fizzed a crossfield ball into the path of Evan Stanley and he floated over the winning score as the Hannahstown side claimed their first league win of the campaign.
Dunloy: C McFerran, M Traynor, K O’Kane, Cathair McCloskey, J Magee, B O’Kane, S Og Blaney, O McCamphill (0-3, 0-2f), J Martin (0-2), B McCloskey (0-1), G McTaggart (2-2,0-1f), R McFarline (0-2), O McErlean (0-2), O Elliott (0-2f), C Mort (0-1). Subs: J McKeever for C Mort (48), C Cunning for O McErlean (48).
Lámh Dhearg: PJ Herron, C Camlin, C Rafferty, T McKenna, M Finnegan, P Mervyn (0-1), SP Gibson, C Boyd, C McConville, E Stanley (0-1), D Lynch (0-3), O Waldron, D Martin (0-5), R Diamond (1-1), A Murray (0-5f). Subs: F Clenaghan for C McConville (HT), M McGarry for C Rafferty (55).
Armagh City Hotel Ulster Senior Camogie Championship semi-finals
Antrim 0-15 Down 0-13
Antrim Camogs were pushed to the pin of their collars before squeezing past Down in an entertaining Ulster Senior Camogie semi-final at Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel on Sunday. Leading by two points going into injury time the Down supporters must have felt their team were set to snatch victory when Beth Fitzpatrick got on the end of a long delivery into the Antrim danger area, but to the great relief of the home crowd the Saffrons shot stopper Catriona Graham produced a brilliant save when she dived full length to turn Fitzpatrick’s shot away and seal the win for her side.
When the team’s met earlier in the season in the league Antrim had run out convincing winners, but it was clear from the start that Domnhal Nugent’s charges were not going to be a push-over this time around. Playing with the breeze at their backs in the opening half the visitors fell behind to early scores from Antrim’s Evanne Martin and Cassie McArthur, but with the brilliant Paul O’Hagan leading the line the Down girls hit the next six points on the bounce to lead 0-06 to 0-02. Antrim were in a spot of bother but they fought back well and two pointed frees from Roisin McCormick and one each from play by Katie Molloy and Maeve Kelly cut the gap back to a single point by half time.
Beth Fitzpatrick increased Down’s lead in the early stages of the new half before Roisin McCormick hauled the visitors back in with three points from frees, but O’Hagan pulled one back to tie the scores at 0-09 apiece by the 42st minute. Maeve Kelly produced a couple of moments of magic to send over two quick points, and although they Saffrons now had the upper hand they could not add to that score, which kept the home fans on the edge of their seats. As the game went deep into injury time it looked like they had done enough to clinch the title, but there was late drama when Fitzpatrick shot sped towards the corner of the Antrim net, before Graham’s brilliant heroics saved the day and booked her team’s place against Derry in the Ulster final in two week’s times.
SCORERS
Antrim R McCormick 0-8 (0-7f), M Kelly 0-3, K Molloy 0-2, E Martin & C McArthur 0-1 each
Down P O’Hagan 0-10 (0-7f), B Fitzpatrick 0-2, A McAleenan 0-1
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All Ireland Minor A Shield Antrim v Laois 27th April 2025
Match report and photos from Antrim County PRO Michael Corcoran at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny
Antrim 1-27 Laois 2-09
For the most part of Sunday’s Shield final, the sun shone down on Nowlan Park and particularly on Antrim’s minors. A faultless breeze-assisted second half wore their opponents, Laois, down and pegged Laois’ second half scoring to just five points compared to Antrim’s significant tally of eighteen points. But the game started out with promise for Laois, with two terrific goals, stemming from mistakes in the back line, and four points to walk in only two points behind Antrim at the short whistle. No one could have predicted that Antrim would pull away in the second half with such a display of strength, hunger, tenacity and skill.
The official for the match, Cathal McAllister from Cork, had his ‘steps’ clocked up in what was a lively game, at times end to end. No sooner had McAllister blew at the throw in, than an audacious set play from Antrim’s Eobha McAllister (no relation as the great RTE GAA commentator Míchéal Ó Muircheartaigh would have said) to a running Eva McNeill finding the catch net over Laois’ bar in under ten seconds.
Antrim pressed hard into the southerly breeze as Laois won the toss and elected to play with the elements and points favoured Antrim from Eva McNeill, Kady Mcneill and Eimear McCaughan before Laois replied with a classy point on a shortened stick from an unmarked Lara Culleton, just after teammate Eimear Murphy’s point from a free.
Eva McNeill breaks away during Sunday’s Minor All Ireland game in Nowlan Park, Kilkenny
It took only eight minutes before Antrim’s midfielder Eobha McAllister would prove her authority on the sliotar, with a smart hand pass to a running Aimee Ferris. Ferris sailed a high sliotar into the breeze, but it dipped dangerously and caught out Laois’ goalkeeper, Grace Foxe for the game’s first goal. Laois weren’t phased by Antrim’s green flag and demonstrated their abundant skills when Emma Jane Cuddy fought hard for a well won ball and on the turn sailed that over Antrim’s bar to bring scores to Antrim 1-04 Laois 0-03.
Antrim were equally capable of demonstrating pace and scoring as Eobha McAllister crossed a ball into Eimear McCaughan, lifting, turning and losing her marker with some ease for a classy score. Although Laois would raise their first green flag of two inside ten minutes from a super pick pocket by Laois’ Eimear Murphy as Antrim’s Laura Black waited on the sliotar to come back onto her stick, McCaughan would perform a damage limitation exercise with two straight points in rapid succession and a nifty pass from Eva McNeill onto Amy McAlister would find the catch net over the bar and Antrim had neutralised the first green flag.
That situation wouldn’t last, as a Laois long puck out down the stand side would find the competent stick of Eimear Murphy, quickly offering the sliotar to Emma Jane Cuddy and a drifting Lara Culleton from her marker found her shot at Antrim’s net for their second goal of the game.
It’s all over, Antrim are Minor A Shield All Ireland champions!
A loose swing from Antrim’s Eobha McAlister would attract scrutiny from the match official for a yellow card and Laois’ Eimear Murphy wasted no time in dispatching that free over Antrim’s bar. The game would lapse into the scoring doldrums for upwards of ten minutes as both sides blocked, hooked and chased every ball until Aimee Ferris set up Mary McArthur for a simple point on the turn. As the short whistle blew for half time, the sides walked in with the large scoreboard announcing Antrim 1-09 Laois 2-04, just two points the difference.
Antrim’s fortunes were about to take a significant turn for the good in the second half as they worked the sliotar long and deep to take their scores. Laois would float five points over Antrim’s bar during the entire second half and had a goal opportunity, around the forty-five-minute mark that had to be pushed over for a point to salvage something from Laois’ presence in Antrim’s box, compared to Antrim’s haul of eighteen points.
Antrim showed determination, tenacity and accuracy that coalesced into points running up on the Nowlan Park scoreboard, leaving Laois a long way back and as Antrim showed no letup in their pace and energy, Laois would be locked out of a comeback.
With approximately fifteen minutes of normal time left on the clock, both sides brought fresh legs onto the field, Laois rotating three times compared to Antrim’s five.
As the final whistle blew around the hallowed turf of Kilkenny, Antrim finished on what they had come to do, win another minor All Ireland. The Nowlan Park scoreboard registered Antrim 1-27 Laois 2-09.
The Electric Ireland streaming team selected Antrim’s Eva McNeill as player of the match with a magnificent clutch of eight points, five of those from play and an impactful player covering a lot of the field, setting up scores for other players.
Antrim’s Eva McNeill picked up player of the match
Another Antrim player that caught the lens’ around the park worthy of note was Amy McAlister, with a tidy haul of seven points from play, six of those in the second half that turbo charged Antrim’s drive for the line along with Eva McNeill’s second half six points.
This was an impressive show of camogie from both teams, but success came to Antrim on this occasion and deservedly so, given their performance on the day.
Camogie president, Brian Molloy, presents the A Shield to Antrim captain, Kady McNeill
Antrim panel and scorers
Orlaith Johnston, Rhianna Black, Eva Lee, Leona Gillan, Maeve Devlin, Casey Crawford, Laura Black 0-01, Eobha McAllister 0-01, Eva McNeill 0-08 (1×45, 2f), Cara Delaney, Aimee Ferris 1-02, Mary McArthur 0-02, Amy McAlister 0-07, Kady McNeill 0-02, Eimear McCaughan 0-04, Laoise Stone, Cara Lynch, Niamh Mullan, Sarah Louise Kearns, Aoife Fitzsimmons, Sarah Flavin, Erinmae Mitchell, Amelie Annett, Órlaith Gould, Mary-Angela Nic Carthaigh, Louise McBride
Substitutions
Aoife Fitzsimmons for Cara Delaney, Amelie Annett for Mary McArthur, Órlaith Gould for Eimear McCaughan, Laoise Stone for Rhianna Black, Sarah Louise Kearns for Leona Gillan
Laois panel and scorers
Grace Foxe, Emer Conroy, Julie Ann Bennett, Chloe Troy, Sive Ó Reilly, Ella Phelan, Katie Lyons, Erin Walsh, Kaylah O Mara, Eimear Murphy 1-05 (4f), Aoife Kirby, Aoibheann Stynes, Lara Culleton 1-01, Emma Jane Cuddy 0-01, Katie Kavanagh 0-02, Amy Daly, Lucy Donoghue, Alison Curran, Niamh O’Shea, Muireann Bennett, Kayleigh Dunne, Ruby Doyle, Aoife Morris, Annie Dunne
Substitutions
Aoibheann Stynes for Kaylah O Mara, Ruby Doyle for Amy Daly, Lucy Donoghue for Lara Culleton, Aoife Morris for Chloe Troy
You can enjoy all the photos from Sunday’s final by following the link here…
In the end it was a one sided affair with eighteen points separating the sides but the Antrim fans will care to remember the second quarter of the game when Saffrons came from 0-8 to 0-1 behind to lead by 2-08 to 0-13 at half time.
Spirits were high as the teams went to the changing rooms at and for the first ten minutes of the second half they showed well, but the concession of two quick goals turned the game on its head as they appeared to knock the stuffing out of the home side.
Kilkenny goalkeeper Eoin Murphy gets past the challenge of Antrim’s Conor Johnston
Kilkenny flew from the traps at the start of the game and after Stephen Donnelly hit the first score inside a minute Martin Keoghan, John Donnelly, Fionán Macakessy and Paddy Deegan all picked off points as star-struck Antrim were left chasing shadows. James McNaughton settled things a little with a pointed free but the Leinster champions stretched the lead to 0-8 to 0-01, despite playing against the stiff breeze.
Antrim couldn’t get their hands on the ball but three quick points from James McNaughton, Keelan Molloy and Conall Bohill settled them into the game and suddenly the tide began to turn.
A great pass from Conor Johnston sent James McNaughton away in the left corner and the Shamrocks speedster showed the Cats defence a clean pair of heels before firing past Eoin Murphy in the Kilkenny goal and suddenly the sides were level.
McNaughton seemed set for a second goal soon afterwards but his shot came back of the butt of the post and Murphy got it clear, but Keelan Molloy showed great skill just before the break to squeeze the ball home to complete an eight point turnaround and send the Saffrons in with a one point advantage. (2-08 to 0-13)
Keelan Molloy wheels away in celebration after scoring Antrim’s second goal just before half time
Three Eoin Cody points in reply to one by McNaughton early in the second half saw the visitors open a two point gap. Antrim looked set to take the lead again when Nigel Elliott made a brilliant run from midfield, but Murphy was equal to the shot as he turned it over the bar for a point which tied the scores yet again. The blow that started the Kilkenny avalanche of scores came on 52 minutes when Kilkenny Martin Keoghan disposed ad Antrim defender who was soloing up the field, Keoghan the racing through to fire past the helpless Ryan Elliott in the Antrim goal.
Suddenly from being in a very competitive position it appeared that the rug had been pulled from under the Antrim team and incredibly they went on to add a further 1-13 to a single Antrim point. The Saffrons introduced four of their Under 20 team who had run Dublin close during the week, but to be honest they never really saw the ball as the Kilkenny midfield and half-back line totally dominated possession and with man of the match Eoin Cody leading the charge the Cats pulled away to win by 18 in the end.
Kilkenny corner forward Eoin Cody who gave a great scoring exhibition, ending up with 1-13 to his name
ANTRIM: R Elliott; S Rooney, N O’Connor, P Burke; C Boyd, J Maskey, C Bohill (0-1); E Campbell, G Walsh; K Molloy (1-1), N Elliott (0-1), S Walsh; R McCambridge, J McNaughton (1-9, 0-9f), C Johnston.
Subs: C McKeown for C Johnston (HT), S McKay for R McCambridge (52), J McLaughlin for S Walsh (55), E O’Neill for E Campbell (69), A McGarry for G Walsh (69).
KILKENNY: E Murphy; M Butler (0-1), H Lawlor, T Walsh (0-1); M Carey, R Reid, P Deegan; C Kenny (0-2), J Molloy (0-2); F Mackessy (0-1f), J Donnelly (0-1), B Ryan (0-1); S Donnelly (0-3), M Keoghan (1-2), E Cody (1-13, 1-9f).
Subs: H Shine (0-1) for F Mackessy (40), L Hogan for S Donnelly (64), B Drennan (0-1) for J Donnelly (67), K Doyle for M Carey (67), E Lyng for C Kenny (70).
REFEREE: S Hynes (Galway)
Antrim corner fowrard Ryan McCambridge in action against Kilkenny’s Paddy Deegan
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