Andersonstown IHC

Group 1

Nothing will be decided after tomorrow’s Group 1 Round 3 games in the Andersonstown IHC Group 1 but a win for Cloney Gaels over Glenariffe Oisin could go a long way to securing qualification in the play-offs for the Ahoghill side.

Hugh Dobbin’s side have recorded big back to back wins over Glen Rovers and Gort na Mona in their opening two games and a win over the Waterfoot side would leave them clear at the top but a draw away to St. Gall’s on day one suggests that Glenariffe will provide them with their toughest challenge to date.

Cathaoir an Ri’s game with Gort na Mona was postponed on day 1 because of Covid in the Gorts camp but the Ballyvoy side had a big win over St. Gall’s on day two and would move to 4 points from 2 starts if, as looks likely, they were to beat neighbours Glen Rovers in Armoy tomorrow.

In the other Group 1 game tomorrow St. Gall’s should get their first win over visiting Gort na Mona who have struggled this year but this one could be closer than some people think.

Group 2

In Group 2 Emmet’s Cushendun entertain St. Paul’s tomorrow and will be keen to avenge a Junior championship defeat to the Shaw’s Road side last year. Emmet’s opened their IHC campaign with a win over St. Brigid’s Clouhgmills in their only game to date while St. Paul’s had a win over the same opposition on day one but lost heavily to neighbours Sarsfields in their second game.

There might not be too much between these two tomorrow but with home advantage Cushendun should have enough in reserve to make it two from two.

In the other game in Group 2 tomorrow Kickham’s Creggan, who won their opening game against Sarsfield’s look favourites to build on that winning start when they play hosts to a St Brigid’s Cloughmills side who lost narrowly to St Paul’s on day one before suffering a heavy defeat to Cushendun on day two.

Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship

Oisins 1 – 28 Glen Rovers Armoy 0-7

Glenariffe, who shared the spoils with St Gall’s on Tuesday evening in their opening game, got their first win over the campaign when they beat Armoy at home on Saturday with man of the match Alex O’Boyle hitting the target with ease.

O’Boyle got the Oisin going with a point inside thirty seconds and after Kieran McKendry added one two minutes later he knocked over two more to help his side to an 0-6 to 0-2 lead after 12 minutes – the Armoy points coming from PH McBride and Emmet O’Hara.  

Just a minute after O’Hara’s point Seanie McIntosh got in for Glenariffe’s only goal of the game, and though Tommy Burns came back with a point for the visitors it was to be their last score of the half, while the Oisins added five through Daniel Haughey (2), Seamus McDonnell and Michael O’Boyle to lead by 1-9 to 0-3 at the first watr break. Tarlach McBride and Tommy Buns got two back for Armoy in lead up to half time by the scores were coming thick and fast at the other end by the time the half time whistle sounded the Waterfoot men were 1-13 to 0-6 ahead, despite losing a man to a straight card just before the break.

PJ McBride got the first score of the second half for Armoy, but they were only to add one more during the remainder of the game as Glenariffe, and Alex O’Boyle in particular, took control. The left half forward added eight of the next ten points, Seanie McIntosh for the Oisins and Arthur Devlin for Armoy the only ones to break the sequence. Substitute Dan McKillop raised a flag for the Oisins late in the game before O’Boyle finished with two more points to cap a fine individual display.

OISINS

Seanan McToal, Conor Patterson, C McDonnell, Martin McAlister, Shane O’Connor, David Kearney, Donal Kearney, Niall Murray, Oliver Kearney Niall Haughey, Seamus McDonnell, Kieran McKendry, Michael O’Boyle, Alex O’Boyle, Seanie McIntosh.

Subs – Dan McKillop

ARMOY

Conor Devlin, Tiernan McCaughan, Shane Devlin, Joe McFetridge, Calum Coyles, Joe McBride, Liam Dillon, Arthur Devlin, PJ McBride, Emmet O’Hara, Tommy Burns, Conor Christie, Timmy Burns, Tarlach McBride, Conor Watterson.

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Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship

St Brigid’s Cloughmills  1-12 Cushendun Emmet’s 2-22

Cushendun Emmet’s made a winning start to their IHC campaign when they travelled to Cloughmills on Sunday and beat the home team by 2-22 to 1-12. The Emmet’s had a bye in the first round of this five team group and with top scorer Conlaoth ‘Loaf’ McNeill missing for the starting line-up the had reason to be a little apprehensive. However they were at the pace of the game from the early stages and after leading by 11 at half time they went on to win comfortably.

Mickey Devlin gave the Biddies an early lead with a pointed free but Cushendun were soon in front as after Conrad McDonnell levelled from a free and David Kilgore put them ahead with a goal in the 3^rd minute. Kilgore and his brother Harry sent over points each to put the visitors five ahead by the 5^th minute, and though Devlin landed a 65 to close the gap a Harry Kilgore goal and a series of points from Conor McHugh (2), Conrad McDonnell, Matthew McCartin, and David Kilgore had them 12 ahead by the 20^th minute.

Stephen Smyth and James Doherty got a couple of points for Cloughmills before the interval but David Kilgore, Calum Kilgore and Conrad McDonnell all hit the target for the visitors to put them 1-13 to 0-5 in front at half time.

St Brigid’s competed much better during the second and James Doherty, Mickey Devlin (2) and Ruairi Laverty all pointed. Harry Kilgore and Conrad McDonnell replied for the Emmets and when David Kilgore hit his team’s second goal it was all over bar the shouting. The Kilgore brothers ended the game with 2-11 between them with David on 1-7, Harry on 1-3 and Callum, who played at midfield, ending with a point.

Cushendun now have two home games on the trot, the first one next Sunday against St Paul’s, who beat them in last year’s Junior Championship semi-final, and Creggan, who share the top spot in the group, despite only having each only played one game. There are some interesting games ahead before they face Sarsfields in the Bear Pit in their final game.

Scorers

Cushendun  

David Kigore 1-7; Conrad McDonnell 0-6; Harry Kilgore 1-3; Conor McHugh 0-4; Matthew McCartin 0-1; Callum Kilgore 0-1.

Cloughmills

Mickey Devlin 1-4; Liam Kearns 0-2; Stephen smyth, Eoin Dobbin, Michael Morrison, Rian Dobbin, James Doherty and Ruairi Laverty 0-1 each.

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Andersonstown SC IHC Group 1

Cloney Gaels 4-24 Gort na Mona 2-10

Goals from youngster, Colla McDonnell in the 29^th minute of the first half and the 1st minute of the second sent Cloney Gaels on their way to a resounding victory over Gort na Mona and their second win in Group 1 of the Andersonstown SC IHC in Ahoghill yesterday evening.

The home side held the upper hand for most of the game and were never headed after Neil ‘Boris’ O’Connell pointed them ahead in the second minute. The game opened brightly with James O’Connell and Ciaran McMullan exchanged scores in the opening minute but after that the Cloney side slowly got on top.

Points from Ronan Graham, James O’Connell, PJ O’Connell, Colla M’Donnell and PJ again saw the sides level at 0-7 to 1-4 at the end of the opening quarter with Ryan Cahill 0-2, Ciaran McMullan and a Mark Rea goal in the 8^th minute providing the visitors scores.

After the first water break Cloney Gaels stepped it up a gear with James O’Connell, Neil O’Connell, Bernard Graham and Boris O’Connell again hitting points to move them four in front after 26 minutes. Gort na Mona replied with late points from Darren Boyd and Ciaran McMullan to keep in touch but Colla McDonnell got in for the game’s opening goal to put Cloney Gaels in a good position heading into the break.

The home side increased their lead in the minutes leading up to half time with James O’Connell, PJ O’Connell, Donal Graham and James O’Connell again adding unanswered points to leave their side in a commanding 1-15 to 1-6 half time lead.

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James O’Connell and Colla McDonnell put the Ahoghill side in a commanding position with goals in the opening minute of the second half but Paul McClelland hit back with a goal for the Gorts in the second minute to resurrect their fading challenge.

It looked a long way back for the Turf Lodge side, even at this early juncture as Ciaran Brady, Dan O’Neill and James O’Connell added points for the South West side with Dessie McLean and Padraig McHugh responding with points for the visitors.

Ciaran McMullan added another as Gort na Mona enjoyed a wee bit of success but it didn’t last long as PJ O’Connel 0-2, Colla McDonnell, Gerard Graham and James O’Connell replied with a flurry of points for a now rampant Cloney Gaels.

It was pretty much one way traffic at this stage with Joseph Caddell hitting the visitor’s final score from a free in the 25^th minute but Ahoghill replied with a Dan O’Neill goal with two minutes remaining and James O’Connell hit the home side’s final score with a point in the 29^th minute.

This win puts Cloney Gaels in a strong position after two rounds but in a strong group they can’t afford any slip ups and they will face a sterner test next time out when they take on Oisin Glenariffe at Cloney on Sunday the 5^th September while a Gort na Mona side missing a few regulars will hope to have some of them back when they travel to Milltown to face St. Gall’s on the same day.

Cloney Gaels: 1 Martin Graham, 2 Harry O’Donnell, 3 James Magee, 4 Diarmaid Graham, 5 Fionnbar O ‘Neill, 6 Bernard Graham, 7 PJ O’Connell, 8 Dominic Neeson, 9 Neil O’Connell, 10 Dan O’Neill, 11 Ronan Graham, 12 Owen Neeson, 13 Colla McDonnell, 14 Donal Graham, 15 James O’Connell.

Gort na Mona: 1 Conor McCann, 2 James Connolly, 3 Christopher Devlin, 16 Niall Healey, 5 Mark Rea, 6 Padraig McHugh, 7 Patrick Curnane, 8 Joseph Caddell, 9 Neil Henry, 10 Ryan Cahill , 11 Darren Boyd, 12 Gavin McKenna, 13 Ciaran McMullan, 14 Paul McClelland, 15 Dessie McLean, 17 Reece Coleman, 18 Christopher Kane

Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship – Group 1

Carey 2-17 st galls 2-12

Carey did just enough in the second half of this bruising, and at times bad tempered affair, to see off their city counterparts in Saturday’s Interemediate Hurling semi-final in Ballyvoy. A Caolan McCaughan goal after 4 minutes seemed to leave the home side in full control of proceedings, but with the two McGreevey brothers starting to make things happen for the Milltown men they breached the Carey defence twice before the water break, with goals from Anton McCaffrey and Mark Napier to lead by four at the break. Despite losing James McQuaige, their influential defender, through injury the hosts found another gear to go in at the interval all square 2-6 to 1-9.

The second half was a repeat of the first, neither side getting a “foothold” in a game which was getting difficult for the referee, who issued a red card to a St Gall’s player with 10 minutes remaining.

Entering the last quarter the Faughs found a bit of rhythm and opened up a two point lead which seemed massive considering the type of game it was.

Entering the final few minutes a long Jackson McGreevey delivery seemed to be bound for the Carey net, only for the heroics of net minder Cathal Doog McAuley. The score that put the game “to bed” came on the 33rd minute a long ball out of the Carey defence found Conor McBride who duly despatched it past Curtis McGreevey in the St Gall’s goal.