Antrim minor hurlers secured a place in the final of the Under 17 Hurling Cup when they beat Down in Sunday’s game at Ballycran.
After last week’s runaway win over Derry at Dunsilly the Saffrons showed a good few changes in Sunday’s team as they cast their eye over the strength within the panel. Down who were led by right half forward Daire Puci, proved to be much stiffer opposition than Derry as scores proved much harder to come by. The home team opened the score with a Puci free but Antrim took the lead soon afterwards with the goal from right half forward Ciaran McCann and followed it with points rom Jay McAlonan and Nicholas McLaughlin. Two by Puci and one from Ronan Breen kept the home team in touch and though Antrim kept pushing ahead Down always had an answer and were only two points behind at half time, 0-08 to 1-07.
Antrim started to pull away when they turned around with the wind in their favour and after four unanswered points they got their second goal through substitute Cadhan Crawford, star of last week’s win over Derry. A third goal followed from Dylan McNaughton, and though Eoin Murray pulled one back for Down two more by Crawford put the game beyond the home team’s grasp, though Down hit two of their own through Eoin Murray and Daire Puci.
ANTRIM
Laim Magee, Dylan Donnelly, Liam Smyth, Eunan Harvey, Aaron Quinn, Conor McCann, Liam McGarry, Anthony Cochrane, Ronan Taylor, Oisin Boyle, James McDonnell, Ciaran McCann, Nicholas McLaughlin, Jay McAlonan, Caolan McCollum
Antrim made it four wins out of four in Division 4 of the LGFA League when they beat Longford in Sunday’s game at Dunsilly. Leading by 1-04 to 0-3 at the end of a scrappy first half Antrim hit their stride in the second period when backed by the strong breeze and three well taken goals, two of them by Theresa Mellon and one by Anna Mulholland saw them pull away to win convincingly in the end.
Antrim started strongly with two early points from Devlin and Mulholland it looked like they were totally in charge, but they missed a succession of easy scoring opportunities and when Longford began to settle they looked a better team than they had one in the early minutes. The Leinster girls drew level with points from centre forward Katie Crawford in the seventh and thirteenth minutes and with a bit of luck could have had a good few more, hitting the woodwork on four occasions in the first half.
Antrim did edge ahead with another point but just two minutes from half that was all that separated the sides until Lara Dahunsi was on the end of a good move to palm the ball to the net to give her team a 1-04 to 0-3 lead at the interval.
With the breeze at their backs in the second half Antrim began to edge away from the visitors Tow points from Maria O’Neill, in reply to one from Crawford for Longford put them four ahead, but a superbly take goal from a narrow angle by Naomh Brigid’s Theresa Mellon proved a significant score. Points followed from Bronagh Devlin and Lara Dahunsi before Mellon got in again to fire home another left footed score and it was clear the league point were in the bank.
Anna Mulholland grabbed her team’s fourth goal as the game entered the last quarter and the management took the opportunity of emptying their bench. To their credit Longford kept battling to the end and the grabbed a late goal from a penalty by corner forward Lauren McGuire, but Antrim were home and dry by this stage and kept their unbeaten record intact with an eleven point win.
ANTRIM
Aine Devlin, Niamh McIntosh, Maeve Blaney, Carla McKenna, Sarah O’Neill, Ciara Brown, Orla Ni Corra, Aoife Kelly, Anna Mulholland, Theresa Mellon, Lara Dahunsi, Laura Agnew, Bronagh Devlin, Nicole Jones, Maria O’Neill.
Subs – Isla Anett, Aine Lynch, Emily Kearns, Aine Kelly, Nicole Munce
Main picture – Antrim’s Paddy McBride in action against Offaly’s L Pearson and C Egan during Sunday’s National Football League Division 3 game in Tullamore
Allianz National Football League, Division 3
Offaly 4-19-0-15 Antrim
Kevin Herron reports from Glenisk O’Connor Park
Two red cards in the space of six-minutes at the beginning of the second half hamstrung Antrim in their heavy 4-19-0-15 defeat to Offaly at Glenisk O’Connor Park on Sunday afternoon.
Having initially rallied at the end of the opening period following goals from Shane Tierney and Cillian Bourke- Conor Stewart and Conor Hand both saw reds within eight minutes of the restart and Offaly ran amok with their numerical advantage as Keith O’Neill added two further goals to the numerous points they accumulated by the conclusion.
Antrim went into the encounter looking to recover from defeat to Fermanagh last time out and there was a late alteration before throw-in as Ryan McQuillan replaced Fionn Nagle in wing half forward.
Paddy McBride got Antrim off to a perfect start with a two-pointed score and that kept the visitors ahead until the 11th minute.
In between times Shane Tierney notched up two-points, the first coming from a converted free and the second a fisted point under pressure with Ruairi McCann (mark) and Dominic McEnhill replying on each occasion.
Dylan Hyland restored parity with a two-pointed free from outside the arc and Antrim faltered in the aftermath.
The subsequent kick-out from Hylands score went astray and led to a goal chance for Jack Bryant that was partially blocked, but Shane Tierney made no mistake and netted at the second time of asking to give his side a 1-04-0-04 lead.
Bryant dropped over a point with a further three unanswered giving the hosts a comfortable advantage.
Two of the three fell to Hyland, kicking a 45′ and a magnificent angled point with Jack Bryant adding a mark in-between.
Offalys Cillian Burke in action with Antrim’s Marc Jordan and Ronan Boyle in Sunday’s Allianz National Football League Div 3 game at Tullamore
After going 15-minutes without a score Conor Hand dropped over a two-pointer from McEnhill’s lay-off, though the Saffrons found themselves further in arrears on the 26th minute.
Offaly keeper Paddy Dunican lined up a two-pointed shot that dropped and Mick Byrne was unable to clear as Cillian Bourke slammed home to make it 2-08-0-06.
Bryne prevented Cormac Egan adding a third two minutes later, but the pendulum swung before the interval as Antrim finished strongly.
Marc Jordan popped over with his back to goal and Dermot McAleese added his sides third two-pointer of the half.
A Conor Hand point followed with Dominic McEnhill converting successive frees before the whistle to leave the score 2-08-0-12 at the break.
Any chance of an Antrim fightback was ended within a six-minute period at the beginning of the second period.
Conor Stewart was dismissed for a high challenge on John Furlong off the ball and in the aftermath of Dylan Hyland swinging over a two-pointer, midfield partner Conor Hand was shown red for an off the ball incident involving Hyland.
The hosts would make great use of their numerical advantage as the game stretched but initially the Saffrons did well to remain in proceedings.
Keith O’Neill swung over a free in the aftermath of the second dismissal with Dominic McEnhill replying from the same scenario.
Antrim almost had a goal back when the ball broke to Marc Jordan and his close-range shot was blocked off the line at the expense of a 45′ by John Furlong with Byrne landing the resulting 45′.
Antrim’s Marc Jordan in action with Offalys Rory Egan Sunday’s Allianz National Football League Div 3 game at Tullamore
Offaly kicked the next 2-06 without reply as Stewart and Hands absence was felt. Substitute Nigel Dunne helped himself to three points in the aftermath of replacing Dylan Hyland.
Keith O’Neill lined up a point and then slotted into the empty net within 60-seconds after Mick Byrne was caught up field and a long ball was played into Dunne and laid off to O’Neill.
Jordan Hayes, John Furlong, Shane Tierney and Jack Bryant all pointed before O’Neill claimed his second of the half.
Credit must go to Cathal Flynn who dribbled the ball towards goal and picked out O’Neill.
Antrim claimed a consolation point through Marc Jordan with Nigel Dunne twice pointing afterwards to seal a comfortable victory for Micky Harte’s charges.
OFFALY: P Dunican, L Pearson, K Higgins, R Egan, A Bracken, J Hayes (0-1), C Egan, J McEvoy,C Bourke (1-0), J Furlong (0-1), C Flynn, K O’Neill (2-1), D Hyland (0-6, 0-2f, 0-1 45′), J Bryant (0-3,0-1m), S Tierney (1-3, 0-1f). Subs: N Dunne (0-3, 0-1f) for D Hyland (53), C Donoghue for C Bourke (66), S O’Toole-Green for C Egan (67), D McDaid for L Pearson (68), R Gallagher for S Tierney (70+2).
ANTRIM: M Byrne (0-1 45′), J McDonnell, E Walsh, J McAuley, R Boyle, J Finnegan, D McAleese (0-2), C Stewart, C Hand (0-3), P Finnegan, M Jordan (0-2), R McQuillan, P McBride (0-2), R McCann (0-1m), D McEnhill (0-4,0-1f). Subs: F Nagle for R McQullian (25), P Ferris for J Finnegan (31), J Morgan for R Boyle (62), R Murray for D McEnhill (62), C Higgins for P McBride (69).
REFEREE: David Murnane (Cork)
FOR MORE PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Very Camogie League Div 1B Antrim v Wexford 15th February 2025
Antrim 0-14 Wexford 2-07
Match report and photos from Antrim County PRO Michael Corcoran in St. Mary’s GAA Club, Ahoghill
A six-pointer breeze would be Antrim’s captain, Amy Boyle’s card up her sleeve in Saturday’s Division 1B opener against Wexford at Ahoghill. Winning the toss, Boyle opted to grind the first half towards the Ballymena end of Fr. McGuigan Park, and what a strategic gamble that proved to be successful.
Wexford were hypnotised into scoring below the bar as two goals topped the scoreboard before the short whistle and failed to use the airborne route to amass a wind assisted advantage. It would be Antrim who would fly the sliotar high and between Wexford’s posts to carve out a win from a match heavily punctuated by endless fouls ranging from throw balls, pickups, pushes and beating the crossbar with the stick.
Antrim midfielder Nicole McAtamney wins the ball during Saturday’s National Camogie League win over Wexford at Fr McGuigan Park, Ahoghill. Pic by Michael Corcoran
A change of referee had Eamon Cassidy taking charge and at the top of the hour at two o’clock, the sliotar bounced its way into the centre of the pitch. It would take all of four minutes and four frees that amounted to nothing, before Antrim had a real chance to grab the first score as Erin Coulter found Nicole McAtamney but as the midfielder floated a high ball, the wind pushed it wide of the mark. It was Wexford that took the opportunity to post the first score, albeit from a free, as Chloe Cashe pointed after five minutes.
McAtamney though would quickly make amends, and after seven minutes, took full advantage of an over carry infringement for Antrim’s first point of the game.
Both sides would add another two points to their scores at three apiece, but Antrim’s Janey McIntosh’s point from an Eavanne Martin pass was worthy of noting as the acute angle seemed impossible to score from, given the strength of the breeze, willing to push it wide.
A sign of change in the game would arrive twenty minutes into the first half as Wexford’s Joanne Dillon couldn’t convert a real goal chance into bounty but the sliotar would make its way back to Antrim’s square in less than a minute, as Jessie Morrissey placed the sliotar wide of goalkeeper Caitriona Graham and in off the right hand post for the first of Wexford’s goals.
The Model County now had a taste for goals and when Caoimhe Byrne found Meadbh Wickam running in at close range, Antrim’s keeper had little chance and Wexford were now two goals better and three points at the twenty-five-minute mark to Antrim’s three points.
Wexford’s Chloe Cashe in action during Saturday’s league game wit Antrim at Ahoghill. Pic by Michael Corcoran
Wexford added a further two points to go 2-05 to 0-03 before Antrim’s Dervla Cosgrove drew her free wide of the upright, however referee Cassidy was not allowing a bang of the bar with the hurl to go unnoticed and asked Cosgrove to retake the free and that put Antrim one point the better as the whistle blew for half time.
The second half was where Antrim tipped the game in their favour, with the breeze on their backs. A differential of scores had Antrim amassing ten points to Wexford’s two and those came from frees, amidst a plethora of fouls that had the game in a stop-start mode.
This second half would see a big input from Dervla Cosgrove as she weaved her way into a firing position for three of her seven points, floating four free points in succession over Laura Brenna’s bar. To the many Saffron supporters lining the pitch, it felt like Antrim were able to take the game at least to the visitors if not from them.
For the first time in forty-five minutes or so of play, Katie Molloy brought sides level from an accurate tap over the bar from the centre of the field, but Wexford would reply with one of their frees from a tripping infringement.
Wexford’s sideline team were pacing the cage looking for any advantage, but Antrim were quick to shut down runners and walled up against any advances around Graham’s danger zone.
That tenacity and physicality would pay off as Eavanne Martin levelled sides again with an excellent finish and despite Wexford’s Chloe Cashe finding the ball net at twenty-eight minutes to level Lucia McNaughton’s score from a clever pass from Katie Molloy, Cosgrove, who landed a superb point from play in the closing stages, had the honour of pitching the sliotar over the bar from a free resulting from a throw ball and that was enough to give Antrim the points as the long whistle sounded around Fr. McGuigan Park.
Antrim have got off to a great start in their league campaign and will be pleased with today’s result and should look forward to enjoying the return of several absentees that will add additional fire power to the Saffron side.
Antrim full forward Katie Molloy wins possesion during Saturday’s league win over Wexford in Ahoghill. Pic by Michael Corcoran
The Antrim team to face Offaly in Tullamore tomorrow (Sunday) has been announced and shows a couple of changes from the one who lost narrowly to Fermanagh in Ederney two week’s ago.
All Saints James McDonnell makes his first start of the season at right-back, replacing John Morgan of St. Brigid’s while James McAuley of St. Enda’s comes in for All Saints Kavan Keenan in the other corner.
Aghagallon’s Ruairi McCann, who made an immediate impact when he was introduced as a substitute last day out against the Erne County starts at full-forward with Fionn Nagle of St. Enda’s moving out to wing half forward and Patrick McBride named in the corner with Paul McQuillan dropping to the bench.
