St Brigid’s made a bright start in Ballymena on Sunday when they faced All Saints with James Kelly pointing them into an early two point lead before Dan Kelly hit back with an opening score for All Saints.
Points were traded in a tightly contested first half with Kelly adding to his total and Magill, Gillan and McGuigan keeping the scoreboard ticking at the other end. A mix up in the All Saints defence let Conor McElhatton in for the first goal of the game restoring his sides lead.
Saints finished the half well as a strong run from McGuigan saw him finish to the net before Dan Kelly turned his marker and raised a green flag moments later giving his side a 2-07 to 1-09 lead at the half time whistle.
The second half started with both sides trading scores before two quick fire goals from St Brigids gave them a lead they wouldn’t surrender. John McGuckian pulling on a loose ball and Fintan Cleary doing the same moments later.
The Ballymena men hit a purple patch and a string of points from Magill, Kelly and Dan Gray had them back within touch but Kelly added to his tally and the Belfast men held on for a two point win
All Saints: (1) Ciaran Cassley (2) Kevin Brady (3) Dwayne McKee (4) Finn Connon (5) Dan Gray (0-1) (6) Eoin McAllister (7) Archie McGreevey ( Harry Connon (9) Jack Magill (10) Eoin McGuigan (1-3) (11) Jack McAlister (12) Niall Savage (13) Damian Gillan (0-7 0-5 frees) (14) Cormac Magill (0-2 0-1 free) (15) Dan Kelly (1-2)
Subs: Vinney Esler Michael Connolly Dan McCoy Diarmuid Casey Luke Walsh
St. Brigid’s (1) Michael Burke (2) Dara Sidebottom (3) Chris Lundy (4) Ollie Leggett (5) Jake Massingham (6) Tiorealach Brolly (7) Jack Pardy ( Michael Kerr (0-1) (9) Peter Heaney (10) James Kelly (0-10 6 frees) (11) John McGuckian (1-0) (12) Phelim Lennon (13) Conor MacElhatton (1-0) (14) Pearse Hamill (15) David Prenter (0-1)
Subs: Fintan Cleary (1-2 0-2 frees) for Pearse Hamill Cuan Polley for Dara Sidebottom Oisin McDonnell for John McGuckian
Division 4 Round Up
In the other games played on Sunday Loch Mor Dal gCais recorded a fine 3-23 to 4-8 win over St. Paul’s 2nd’s, Belfast Saints had a goal to spare in a tight 2-11 to 1-11 win over Ardoyne while Rossa’s second string defeated Glenarm 2nd’s 5-18 to 3-6
St. James Aldergrove 4-13 Casement’s Portglenone 0-13
St. James’ Aldergrove’s good start to the season continued on Sunday when they entertained last year’s league winners, Casement’s, Portgtlenone in Crumlin.
Last week St. James’ travelled to Whitehill and got their 2025 camkpaign up and running with a win over Tir na nOg and that good form continued when they recorded an impressive win over the Bann-siders.
Not for the first time, Seamus McGarry led the way and he would top score on the day with an impressive 1-10 to his credit and he was ably assisted by Ronan Hanna who rattled the visitors net twice over the hour.
Seamus McGarry who scored 1-10 in Aldergrove’s win over Portglenone
The fourth goal came from Cormac McGarry with McGarry, Hanna and Ryan McCarthy weighing in with Aldergrove’s other three points.
Portglenone were short a few regulars for this one with Ronan Kelly top scoring with 0-4 for the visitors and Caolan Tierney, Ruairi Hagan, Michael Hagan and Oisin Doherty their best on view on the day.
Aidan Irvine, Brian McQuillan, Sean Fay, Conor Browning, Oisin Graham and James Trowlen were others who impressed in a strong all round St. James’ side and, while its early days, the Crumlin men look capable of matching it with the best of them in the coming season.
Portglenone: Kevin Mullan, Paddy Graffin, Kevin O’Kane, Ronan Delargy, Caolan Tierney 0-3, Ruairi Hagan 0-1, Ryan Mckeever, Stephen Kelly, Ciaran Lynch, Ronan Kelly 0-4, Michael Hagan 0-2, Michael Kelly, Ciaran McAleese, Oisin Doherty 0-1, Sean Byrne
St. Marys CBGS advanced to the final of the Gallagher Cup after seeing off St Louis’ Ballymena in their semi-final clash at Colaiste Feirste on Monday afternoon.
Louis’ hit the front within a minute through a converted Lorcan Martin free, but Padraig Kelly restored parity and thereafter St. Mary’s settled into their stride.
Kelly doubled his account from a free to edge his side ahead momentarily, with Martin landing his second free in response.
A Jude Gamble point from play restored his sides lead and Padraig Kelly landed his second placed ball.
The Glen Road side extended their lead through a Gerard Delaney shot that split the posts and after Cristoir McCabe’s low shot was scrambled behind, Jude Gamble dropped the resulting 65’ between the posts.
Gamble conjured up his second score from play to open up a 0-7-0-2 lead, though St Louis’ would cut the deficit with the games opening goal on the 19th minute.
Harry McKey’s long puckout was gathered by Joe Casey and he took off towards goal and sent a low shot past Dylan Hand-McCallion.
A further Jude Gamble point before the break had St. Mary’s ahead 0-8-1-2 at the break with the game very much up for grabs in the second period.
St. Mary’s began the second half brightly with Cristoir McCabe dropping a shot over and talisman Jude Gamble then rocketed a shot to the net to open up a 1-9-1-2 advantage.
A further point followed from Matthew O’Neill but St Louis’ hit back through Lorcan Martin who went low from a free and rifled to the net to make it 1-10-2-02.
Points were traded between O’Neill and Martin with Martin adding his second point of the half in the aftermath.
With ten-minutes remaining St Louis closed to within a single point with their third goal of the afternoon.
Joseph O’Hara got to the St. Mary’s puckout and headed towards goal, popped the ball off and shot home after an untidy scramble to make it 1-11-3-04.
St. Mary’s were in need of some inspiration and it arrived in the form of a Cristoir McCabe goal after he soloed from deep and showed a composed finish to flick the ball over McKey and into the net.
Matthew O’Neill (free) and Lorcan Martin exchanged points and goalscorer O’Hara added a point to his tally as St Louis’ had closed into with three with five minutes remaining (2-12-3-06).
Ballymena were unable to make any further inroads and St. Mary’s finished strong with Matthew O’Neill helping himself to three further points between a Joe Casey point in reply and a score from substitute Anton Corr as St. Mary’s progress to meet Cross and Passion in the decider.
ST. MARY’S CBGS scorers: Matthew O’Neill (0-6, 0-2f), Jude Gamble (1-4, 0-1f, 0-1 65’) (Padraig Kelly (0-3, 0-2f), Cristoir McCabe (1-1), Gerard Delaney (0-1), Anton Corr (0-1).
ST LOUIS’ BALLYMENA scorers: Lorcan Martin (1-5, 1-4f), Joe Casey (1-1), Joseph O’Hara (1-1). REFEREE: Colm McDonald (ST GALLS)
St John’s and Antrim legend Andy McCallin watches his grandson play for St Mary’s at Colaiste Feirste
TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Cross and Passion, Ballycastle 2-18-2-18 St Mary’s CBGS, Belfast 2-18
(AET, Cross and Passion win 3-1 on penalties)
Cross and Passion Ballycastle added the Foresters Cup to their collection of trophies this season when they beat St Mary’s in a penalty shoot-out at the end of a cracking game at Slemish Park, Ballymena on Monday afternoon. The game had ended at 1-13 to 0-16 at the end of normal time and 2-18 apiece after extra-time and so penalties were required for the first time in a Foresters Cup decider.
CPC players race to congratulate goalkeeper Paidi O’Kane at the end of the penalty shoot-out
Cormac McCann gave St Mary’s and early lead but points by Daire Elliott and Logan McConville gave Cross and Passion the lead for the first time. The game remained close as each time CPC edged ahead St Mary’s found a reply and midway through the half, St Marys hit the front again when Keelan McCann fire over and a pointed free by Jake Ward put them two clear.
Points by Charlie McAuley and Cahir McCaughan tied things up once again but CPC moved ahead when a McCaughan penalty was saved by St Mary’s goalkeeper Fionn Smyth, but the ball rebounded into the path of CPC’s Matthew Donnelly who blasted to the net.
St Mary’s responded well with Jake Ward sending over from a 65′ which was followed by one from play by Conal Dempsey and another from Cormac McCann which sent the teams in level at the break on1-6 to 0-9.
CPC corner forward Cormac McCann celebrates after scoring his team’s opening goal
Four in a row at the star of the second half saw Ballycastle take a grip of the game again but St Mary’s kept battling away and were rewarded when point from Darren Delander and Cormac McCann free got them back in contention.
Ten minutes from time McCann added his fifth point of the game one-point to leave just a point in it, but Cross and Passion stretched their lead on three occasions, as Darragh Kinney and Logan McConville found the target.
St Mary appeared to be in deep trouble but Cormac McCann sent over a close-range free but Damian McMahon replied to leave a goal between the sides with time almost up.
St Mary’s refused to panic however and the excellent McCann added a further two frees to leave the bare minimum between the sides as the game went into over time. The tension was high at this stage and chances were squandered by both sides but St Mary’s won a free with time almost up and Jake Ward split the CPC uprights to tie it all up at the final whistle.
Paidi O’Kane saves and celebrates during the penalty shoot-out
CPC ahead again in front again early in the first period of extra time with a Charlie McAuley point and when Daire Elliott got his team’s second goal there seemed no way back for the Belfast boys.
and looked to have dealt St Mary’s a hammer blow when Cahir McCaughan passed the ball across and Daire Elliott slammed a shot to the net to give his side a 2-14 to 0-16 lead.
Within two minutes St Mary’s bounced back however, when Cormac McCann broke through and rifled the ball to the net before celebrating in style. It all appeared to be in vein however when CPC stretched the gap out to three again with just seconds remaining.
We all thought it was done and dusted but St Mary’s refused to give up, and their efforts were were rewarded when right half back Aaron Kennedy’s fired a shot to the top corner of the CPC net to bring the game to penalties.
The St Mary’s corner back clears from defence
Penalties was probably something that neither side wanted but that is the way it had to be. Stand in goalkeeper Paidi O’Kane, who was drafted in at the eleventh hour when regular goalkeeper was injured during the week became the hero of the hour when he saved the first St Mary’s penalty which left the Glen Road boys up against it. The CPC boys struck their penalties clean and accurate with Charlie McAuley and Daire Elliott making no mistake. St Mary’s got off the mark through a successful Matthew Murray strike, but Cahir McCaughan made it three-from-three for Cross and Passion and when the next St Mary’s penalty was also missed the celebrations got underway in the CPC camp.
Cross and Passion scorers: Damian McMahon (0-5, 0-3f), Logan McConville (0-4, 0-3f), Darragh Kinney (0-3), Daire Elliott (1-2), Matthew Donnelly (1-0), Charlie McAuley (0-2), Caolan Christie (0-1), Cahir McCaughan (0-1f).
Second half goals from Ronan Graham and Colla McDonnell sealed an opening day victory for Cloney Gaels over St. Gall’s at the Bog Meadow on Sunday. The visitors edged a well contested opening half to lead by three at the break and Graham’s goal in the 11th minute steadied the ship after the hosts had threatened to stage a comeback.
Colla McDonnell second for the visitors put a bit of daylight between the sides after St. Gall’s had replied with a goal of their own but they were forced to defend in numbers as the Milltown Row men staged a strong finish but ultimately came up short.
Cloney Gaels travelled to Belfast on Sunday without their talisman forward, James O’Connell but over the hour they proved they are far from being a one man show as each player played their part in gaining victory in what is always a difficult fixture.
Goal scorers, Colla McDonnell and Ronan Graham (Feature Image) in Cloney Gaels win over St. Gall’s on Sunday
It was the Graham clan, Patrick and Ronan who got the ball rolling with Ronan hitting a second and Donal Graham edging the visitors 0-4 to 0-3 ahead after 8 minutes.
St. Gall’s would add only two more points before the break as the Graham’s continued to add to the Ahoghill total with Eoin Graham and Ronan 0-2 before Colla McDonnell broke the sequence with the visitors final point of the half.
Once again the name Graham continued to dominate the visitors score sheet in the second half with Eoin 0-2 and Ronan on target and Ronan adding to a great personal performance with the game’s opening goal and Colla McDonnell getting their second.
A good win for Cloney Gaels who have been going through a transition over the last couple of years with Shea Neeson, Paddy Dougan and Harry O’Donnell improving game by game in a new look full-back line and Noah Friel, Adam Mullan, Ryan Martin and Michael martin all seeing game time on Milltown Row.
Cloney Gaels: 1. Aiden Graham 2. Shea Neeson 3. Paddy Dougan 4. Harry O’Donnell 5. Charlie McCloskey 6. Bobby Magee 7. Dan O’Neill 8. Eamonn Brady 9. Conor Crossey 10. Patrick Graham 11. Ronan Graham 12. Eoin Graham 13. Donal Graham 14. Colla McDonnell 15. Noah Friel
Subs: Adam Mullan for Harry O’Donnell (half time). Ryan Martin for Crossey about (45mins) Ben Friel for (Eoin Graham 50mins) Michael Martin for Noah Friel (55minutes)
