Author / thesaffrongael

Posts by thesaffrongael

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

McLaughlin the hero as Ruairi’s progress to Ulster final

Leadon Timber Frame Ulster Minor Club Hurling Cup Semi Final

Ruairi Og, Cushendall 1-14 Kevin Lynch’s, Dungiven 2-8

Sunday 21 December

Brendan McTaggart reports from Páirc an Shéamus Mhic an Fhailí, Baile na Scríne

When the clock ticked into the second minute of injury time and Fiontan Bradley knocked over his sixth free of this contest, all thoughts were turning to extra time.  Cushendall were on the backfoot for the majority of the second half and looked to have weathered the storm coming their way from a gallant Kevin Lynch’s side.

Nicholas McLaughlin had other ideas.

Taking aim, 60 yards from goal.  McLaughlin’s effort dipped wickedly and deceived Caomhan Irwin between the sticks for the Dungiven men, dropping into the back of the net.  It was a cruel end to the game for the Lynch’s who were magnificent in the second half.  Were it not for the brilliance of Shane Coulter in goals for the Ruairi’s, the Lynch’s would have been out of sight going down the stretch.  The Cushendall ‘keeper put on a masterclass for his side with a series of saves and bravery in the face of a Kevin Lynch barrage to deny the Derry men.

A semi final that was a tale of two keepers.  Both were outstanding on the day but it was Cushendall who did enough to progress.  Just.

On the shortest day of the year, the top pitch at Páirc an Shéamus Mhic an Fhailí was used.  A dull, cold and gloomy day with the threat of heavy weather overhead, the floodlights were to the rescue of the crowd in attendance and it was the Ruairi’s who got out of the blocks quickest.  Thomas McLaughlin with the opening score of the game with the very first attack while Connlaodh McNaughton followed that up moments later.

The Dungiven men were taking a while to get to the speed of the game but were back on terms through a free from Cormac Og McCloskey while Ultan McCloskey split the uprights moments later.

With the conditions far from conducive for flowing hurling, the middle third became a war of attrition.  Cushendall were edging those exchanges and a run of three unanswered points inside four minutes from Shane McQuillan and Fiontan Bradley (two frees) had the Ruairi’s on the front foot.

The Lynch’s responded with McCloskey’s second free of the contest but another brace of points from brothers Nicholas and Thomas McLaughlin put four between the sides with 10 minutes of the half remaining.  Thomas McLaughlin point a highlight of the opening half, selling a delightful dummy before firing over from distance.

Lynch’s were thrown a lifeline when they scored the opening goal of the game with the next attack.  Kevin Barry Mullan with the initial chance but Coulter was equal to his effort.  With the Cushendall defence failing to deal with the danger, Cormac Og McCloskey pounced and pulled to the back of the net.

With the contest starting to get tetchy, referee Barry Winters did well to maintain control.  Tackles were flying in as both lived on the edge looking to gain the momentum and the Ruairi’s responded to that Lynch’s goal with a brace of points from Bradley to leave Cushendall three points ahead with a little over three minutes of the half remaining.

Incredibly, neither team were to record another score with Lynch’s going close to a second goal on two occasions.  Ryan McGilligan with the first effort but Coulter was equal to his shot while Mullan was also denied by Coulter with the next attack.

Lynch’s and Coulter weren’t finished, it wasn’t a save but more an outstanding take of the sliotar under pressure.  Fintan McKillop sending the sliotar into the danger area from distance and despite being under pressure, Coulter took the dropping ball well before clearing on the stroke of half time.

Cushendall needed half time.  A chance to reorganise and break the momentum Kevin Lynch’s were building.  The Dungiven side didn’t convert that pressure into points on the board though and when they spurned another two goal chances in the opening exchanges of the second half, it looked like the writing was on the wall for them.  Pádraig O’Kane, Peader Pio Peoples and Pádraig Haran all going close in a scramble that saw heroic defending from the Cushendall defence and brilliant goal keeping from Coulter while Pádraig O’Kane brought the best out of Coulter also in a separate attack.

The north Derry men scored the opening point of the second half through a Cormac Og McCloskey free but Cushendall looked to take an element of control once again with Connlaodh McNaughton and Bradley (free) pointing either side of a superb save from Caomhan Irwin.  The Lynch’s netminder denying Connlaodh McNaughton after a strong run from the Cushendall forward.

The Ruairi’s wouldn’t register another score for 10 minutes though as the Lynch’s turned the screw.  Seán O’Kane with a superb score from distance that raised the voices of the Dungiven support in attendance  while Cormac Og McCloskey took his tally to 1-5 for the match with another free moments later to reduce the Cushendall lead to two points with a quarter of the game remaining.

With the Lynch’s in the ascendancy, the Cushendall defence were being overworked.  They conceded the second goal of the game in the 47th minute, Ryan McGilligan with super movement and composed finish to give his side the lead for the first time in the match.

Dungiven’s Ryan McGilligan celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal

That seemed to spur Cushendall back to life as Nicholas McLaughlin and Bradley (free) edged them ahead once again.

The Derry men hit back with McGilligan restoring parity before Cormac Og McCloskey’s first point from open play edged them ahead in the last minute of the hour.  It was looking grim for Cushendall with the Lynch’s looking the more likely at that stage but the Ruairi’s finished strongly.

Bradley fired over his sixth free and seventh point overall before Nicholas McLaughlin took centre stage.  There’s no doubting he was taking aim for a point, that will matter little to the Ruairi’s at this stage.  The sliotar went high and seemed to take an age coming down.  Caomhan Irwin, so assured all game, got his angles wrong and the sliotar dropped in behind him.  The Lynch’s support, so raucous all game, fell silent.  A hammer blow and a gutting way to lose the game but lady luck shone on Cushendall at the death.

They progress to a meeting with Ballybofey side Sean Mac Cumhaill next Sunday after they defeated Ballygalget 0-15 to 2-7 in the opening semi-final.

TEAMS

CUSHENDALL: Shane Coulter; Paddy Morgan, Conor McCann, Brian McNeill; Alex McCambridge, Fintan McKillop, Diarmuid McManus; Aodhán Campbell, Thomas McLaughlin; Nicholas McLaughlin, Callagh Mooney, Shane McQuillan; Cahir McCambridge, Fiontan Bradley, Connlaodh McNaughton

Subs: Dáire Higgins for F McKillop (32); Calum Quinn for B McNeill (36)

Scorers: F Bradley 0-7 (6fs); N McLaughlin 1-2; T McLaughlin 0-2; C McNaughton 0-2; S McQuillan 0-1

KEVIN LYNCH’S:  Caomhan Irwin; Declan Kelly, Ultan McCloskey, Padraig McAreavy; Darragh O’Neill, Emmet Og McKeever, Cailean Gallagher; Daithi McCloskey, Seán O’Kane; Pádraig Hargan, Pádraig O’Kane, Kevin Barry Mullan; Peader Pio Peoples, Ryan McGilligan, Cormac Og McCloskey

Subs: Kevin McCaul for PP Peoples (41); Michael McCusker for P Hargan (54)

Scorers: C Og McCloskey 1-5 (4fs); R McGilligan 1-1; U McCloskey 0-1; S O’Kane 0-1

Referee: Barry Winters (Tyrone)

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by thesaffrongael

Clontibret roar back in second period to book a place in New Years Day decider 

St Pauls FonaCAB Ulster Minor Football Tournament, semi-final 

Bredagh 3-8-0-21 Clontibret 

Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Naomh Pol 

DESPITE conceding 3-2 in a five-minute period in the first half, Clontibret fought back and booked their place in the final of the  St Pauls FonaCAB Ulster Minor Tournament with a 0-21-3-8 victory over Bredagh on the Shaws Road on Sunday afternoon. 

Midway through the first half, Tiernan Conway shot home and gave Bredagh the lead for the first time and it coincided with a five minute period of dominance and two further goals from Jack McConville which had their side in front at the break. 

However, the Belfast side went over 30-minutes without a score and Clontibret pressed on after hitting the front midway through the second half as they booked their return to the Shaws Road for the New Year’s Day decider. 

It was four weeks since both sides were in action on the opening day of the tournament, Clontibret having easily accounted for Derrygonnelly with Bredagh needing a penalty shoot-out to see off Southern Gaels on the Saturday evening. 

Clontibret were first off the mark when Evan Treanor shot the opening point, but after a patient move Jack Watson squeezed a high shot from a tight angle between the posts to level. 

The Monaghan Champions forged back in front when Treanor took an offload from team-mate Oliver Kelly and pointed, with a Daniel Boylan free following in the aftermath. 

Midway through the half the opening goal arrived and it fell to the locals from Bredagh. A neat interchange between Jack Watson and Valo Marttila saw their side make inroads, Dara McCabe then saw possession and spotted Tiernan Conway unmarked to slip a low shot past Conal Thornton in the Clontibret goal. 

Things got better two minutes later when hero from the quarter-final shoot-out Jack McConville shot in a second goal, but their purple patch was far from over. 

Watson fisted over a point and when Gavin Farry’s attempted score dropped invitingly to McConville he gleefully shot low past Thornton for his side’s third goal in the space of four minutes. 

A further fisted point from Harry O’Neill had the Down outfit 3-3-0-3 ahead by the 20th minute. 

Clontribret steadied things through a Malachy Treanor score and tagged on another two without reply, Shane Byrne swept over and then turned provider for Daniel Boylan to double his tally.

Jack Watson added to his individual tally after combining with Valo Marttila and swinging over, but Clontibret narrowed the deficit in the closing minutes of the half. 

Boylan dropped over his third score and on the stroke of half time a free from outside the arc was converted by Charlie Mone as Bredagh’s nine-point advantage ten minutes earlier had eroded to four (3-4-0-9) at the interval. 

An early Shane Byrne angled score had Clontibret on the front foot after the restart with Darragh Keenan adding a further point 60-seconds later. 

The bare minimum separated the sides following a floated Oliver Kelly point and by the 42nd minute the Monaghan men were back on terms after Keenan’s long range attempt dropped short and Jack Brady fisted over the equaliser (0-13-3-4). 

Clontibret were ahead for the first time since the 15th minute midway through the second half after Charlie Mone switched the play to Evan Treanor to pop over. 

Treanor brought his tally to three for the afternoon and his side’s lead further extended in the aftermath. 

Having already hit six-unanswered points Darragh Keenan fisted over from close range, Mone and Treanor clipped and a further Daniel Boylan point in the 57th minute had their side 0-19-3-4 to the good. 

It looked as though Bredagh might have ended the second period without a response – without a score since the 27th minute, however Gavin Farry converted a close range free. 

They gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Colm McDonald awarded a free for a breach and captain Luke Doran opted for a two-pointed attempt that sailed over. 

Scores were traded in injury time as Evan Treanor’s point was cancelled out by a Jack McConville score deep into the three added minutes. 

Bredagh would have hoped for a further chance to get a goal that would have forced extra time, but they were caught out with a breach of their own and it allowed Boylan to score the resulting free with the last kick of the game as Clontibret celebrated a return for the Ulster Minor decider for the first time since 2002, when they defeated Armagh Harps. 

BREDAGH: J McIntyre, M Tohill, L McMahon, J Skelton, L Doran (0-2,1×0-2ptf), P Cooke, C McKee, J McEvoy, H O’Neill (0-1), J McConville (2-1), J Watson (0-3), V Marttila, G Farry (0-1f), T Conway (1-0), D McCabe. SUBS: C Hutson for V Marttila (45), J McQuillan for D McCabe (56). 

CLONTIBRET: C Thornton, N Fanthorpe, J Sullivan, M McNamee, A Windrum, O Kelly (0-1), O Boylan, J Brady (0-1), S Hamill, D Boylan (0-5, 0-2f), E Treanor (0-6), S Byrne (0-2), M Treanor (0-1), C Mone (0-3, 1×0-2ptf), D Keenan (0-2). 
REFEREE: Colm McDonald (St Galls)

by thesaffrongael

Bredagh regrouped in four weeks ahead of up coming Clontibret clash 

By Kevin Herron 

BREDAGH coach Paul O’Reilly insists that his side have regrouped since their penalty shoot-out victory over Southern Gaels in the quarter-final of the FonaCAB Ulster Minor Tournament at St Pauls. 

It’s been four weeks since the Belfast club and their semi-final opponents Clontibret of Monaghan tasted victory in their respective last-eight encounters on the 22nd of November when the tournament began at Colaiste Feirste. 

The duo will lock horns on the Shaws Road tomorrow afternoon looking to be the first team to book their place in the annual New Years Day decider. 

O’Reilly got to cast an eye over their semi-final opponents hours before his side went into battle, but admits his players didn’t as they wanted to avoid any distractions ahead of their evening encounter. 

“We tried to get down to watch Clontibret, but we didn’t want the guys to get too ahead or distracted with our game in the evening” he admitted. 

“We‘ve regrouped. We’ve had four weeks since the quarter-final. We’ve regrouped, watched videos, talked and we’ve got back out training and we’ll go for it on Sunday”. 

Reflecting on their dramatic shoot-out victory, O’Reilly believes the group showed their character that they’ve displayed as far back as Feile back in U-13. 

“It was a titanic game and two good teams that left everything out there on the pitch” he reflected. 

“It’s a pity it goes to penalties but I can see why it goes to penalties on the night. We were just delighted to get over the line. 

“We’ve shown character all along. In the semi-final in Down against Carryduff it was level, they looked like they might come across and win it and we got the winning point right at the very end. 

“We know the boys have had the character, they have always had that character from Feile right from U-13 and they showed it in the quarter-final. They are a great crowd of guys”. 

by thesaffrongael

Aquinas beat St Genevieve’s in Rosina McManus semi-final

Rosina McManus Cup semi-final:

Aquinas Grammar 6-6 St Genevieve’s 4-5

THE all-Belfast semi-final in the Rosina McManus Cup went right to the wire in Cherryvale on Tuesday afternoon with late goals from Honora Sands and Maisie Quilton seeing last year’s Shield champions Aquinas Grammar overcome St Geneieve’s.

The Ravenhill Road school led for almost the entire match, but St Genevieve’s kept clipping at the heels with midfielder Aimee Ferris the star performer and Rhea Hanna, Eliana Grant and Cady Brennan solid at the back with Autumn Connolly-Wallace and Ella Cavanagh catching the eye up front.

Aimee Ferris who starred for St Genevieve’s

For the winners Mary Angela Nic Cárthaigh and hat-trick heroine Maisie Quilton stood out with solid performances from Veronica Boyle and Sophia Little.

Quilton’s goal 12 minutes in put Aquinas 1-3 to 0-2 ahead and Anna McArdle also goaled before Aimee Ferris got the first of her three goals. She bagged another just before the break to leave Aquinas with a single point advantage, 2-3 to 2-2.

Quilton scored her second goal on the re-start. But Niamh Curry hit back with a goal and when Ferris completed her hat-trick 13 minutes into the second half, the girls from west Belfast had edged ahead by 4-2 to 3-4.

That lead last just four minutes with Nic Cárthaigh finding the net for Aquinas. Points were traded over the next ten minutes and with 55 minutes gone it was very much in the melting pot at 4-5 to 4-3.

However Aquinas finished strongly with a point from Katie Christie followed by goals each from Honora Sands and Quilton to see them through to the final.

The second semi-final, between St Joseph’s Donaghmore and St Joseph’s Crossmaglen, has been postponed until January 5th with the decider pencilled in for a week later.

Aquinas: M Quilton 3-0, MA Nic Cárthaigh 1-1, A McArdle and H Sands 1-0 each, E Bagnall and K Christie 0-2 each, G Engman and M Lawn 0-1 each

by thesaffrongael

First St. Paul’s/fonaCAB semi-final on Sunday

Bredagh (Down) v Clontibret (Monaghan)

St. Paul’s-Sunday 1.pm

The first of the St. Paul’s/fonaCAB Ulster Minor Football club semi-finals is scheduled for this Sunday, 21st December when Down champions, Bredagh take on Clontibret O’Neill’s from Monaghan.

A Charlie Mone inspired Clontibret O’Neill’s of Monaghan swept aside the challenge of Derrygonnelly from Fermanagh in the first quarter-final of the St. Paul’s-fona/cab Ulster Minor Football club championship at Colaiste Feirste.

The Monaghan side led 1-7 to 1-3 at the break with their goal coming from Evan Treanor after 11 minutes and Darragh Keenan, Malachy Treanor, Charlie Mone, Jack Brady, Daniel Boylan and Odhran Boylan all weighing in with points.

The second half was less than a minute old when Odhran Boylan fired home Clontibret’s second goal and even then it looked as good as over and the Monaghan champions would push on to rake up an impressive second half tally.

Darragh Keenan, Charlie Mone, Jack Sullivan, Daniel Boylan, Jack Brady and Shane Connolly gave an exhibition of point taking as Clontibret romped home winners by 19 point to set up a semi-final meeting with Bredagh of Down.

Charlie Mone led his line superbly and caused endless problems for Derrygonnelly up front while Darragh Keenan, Odhran Boylan, Evan Treanor and Shane Connolly were others to impress for an impressive Clontibret.

It took penalties to separate their opponents on Sunday, Bredagh and Southern Gaels from Cavan in their quarter final at Colaiste Feirste.

Jack McConville saved three of Southern Gaels four penalties as Bredagh advanced to the semi-finals in a 3-1 shoot-out.

The sides were inseparable over the hour, finishing 1-19-3-13 after 80 plus minutes of play through normal time and extra time as a shoot-out was needed to settle things on the night. 

Bredagh nominated outfield player McConville for the goal keeping duties after regular keeper Joseph McIntyre had played through normal time with an injury, and their substitute keeper couldn’t be substituted because it was after full-time.

As things worked out it paid dividends in the end with the South Belfast side progressing to meet Monaghan champions Clontibret in the last four.  

The Cavan outfit looked to have nicked it on the hour mark when Dylan Corr produced a magnificent angled score that appeared to be the winner, though Bredagh forced extra time when Luke Doran converted a close range free to tie things up at the conclusion. 

Monaghan champions Clontibret who impressed in their opening game

At the end of the opening half of extra time it was the Belfast side who held the slender 1-17-3-10 lead when Jacko Watson shot over on the turn. 

Midway through the second period of extra time the sides drew level as Caolan Fitzpatrick’s angled shot dropped over. 

Bredagh thought they had done enough in the dying embers when they hit back-to-back points in the space of a minute. 

Dara McCabe laid the ball off to Conn Huston to nudge his side back ahead and Jacko Watson bent a shot inside the posts to surely settle things by the 80th minute. 

The drama wasn’t over though and in the additional minute that was to be played at the end of the second period, Southern Gaels forced a free outside the arch and it was successfully landed by Cormac McEntee who began extra time with a two-pointer from play and his effort from the placed ball ensured that penalties were required. 

Jack McConville became the Bredagh hero with his three saved penalties but is likely to return to his outfield duties if Joseph McIntyre is deemed fit to resume goalkeeping duties and there might not be too much separating these sides after 60 plus minutes with the possibility of another penalty shootout not to be ruled out.

Charlie Moone could prove the difference in a tight contest for the Monaghan side however and they might just edge an eagerly awaited semi-final.

The second semi-final of the St. Paul’s/fonaCAB Minor tournament will take place on St. Stephen’s Day, December 26th with the final scheduled for New Year’s Day.