Report and photos from Michael Corcoranat St. Enda’s, Glengormley
Antrim Camogie were blessed with another fine afternoon for their Go Games Blitz taking place across two sites, namely Pádraig Sáirseíl, Belfast and St. Enda’s, Glengormley. All games were played in accordance with the Go Games rules and regulations, ensuring game time for all players in an enjoyable environment.
Twelve teams attended the St. Enda’s venue (and ten teams in Pádraig Sáirséil). The teams were:
Naomh Eanna, Naomh Gall, Loughgiel Shamrocks, St Mary’s GAA and Camogie Club Ahoghill, Brídíní Óga, Dunloy GAA and Camogie Club, St. Joseph’s Glenavy, All Saints Ballymena, St. John’s Camogie Club Carnlough, Lamh Dheargh, O’Donovan Rossa U8 (U10 attended Pádraig Sáirséil) and Michael Davitts Belfast.
U10 Players from Brídíní Óga enjoying the action from the Go Games in St. Enda’s
Volunteers from St. Enda’s were in full swing from early in the morning, co-ordinating the banner and parades, car parking and being available to help anyone with queries. Two pitches were allocated for the games, namely the Paddy Laverty and Gerard Lawlor pitches and were divided up to give seven Go Game pitches. The weather and volunteers from St. Enda’s helped the event to be a huge success, with plenty of great camogie on show, giving the Saffron county much to be excited about for the future.
U10 St. Gall’s and hosts, St. Enda’s enjoying the challenges at today’s All County Go Games Blitz
Antrim captain and goalkeeper, Caitriona Graham came along with the All Ireland U23 trophy. The U10 teams enjoyed holding the trophy as part of their banner presentation ahead of the parade.
Caitriona Graham stands with U8 players from St. Joseph’s, Glenavy with the All Ireland U23 trophyFormer Antrim Camogie All Ireland winner, Roisin McMullan co-ordinates her daughter from the sideline. We hope some of the Saffron rubs off for a case of ‘Like mother, like daughter’
You can enjoy the photos from the U8 & U10 banners and parades by following the link here…
Sarsfields opened their Intermediate Championship campaign at the Bear Pit as they welcomed Ballycastle, who were playing their second game of the group stages following their opening-round meeting with Creggan.
It was Ballycastle who opened the scoring, with Aoife McCaughan firing over a fine point from play.
Sarsfields settled quickly, however, and captain Laura McKernan responded with a point to get the home side up and running.
From there, Sarsfields began to find their rhythm. Aimee Ferris raised the first green flag for the home side before adding two points as Sarsfields started to build momentum. Ballycastle continued to battle, with McCaughan proving accurate from placed balls and Charlotte McNaughton finding the net to keep the visitors in touch.
Ballycastle goalkeeper Erin O’Hara also made some excellent saves to keep Sarsfields from adding to their tally and give her side a chance to stay in the contest.
Sarsfields continued to press at the other end, with goals from Orla McNulty and Ferris helping them take a 3-8 to 1-4 lead into the half-time break.
Ballycastle came out determined after the restart and continued to work hard for scores, with Molly McToal and Olivia Connolly getting their names on the scoresheet alongside McCaughan.
Sarsfields, however, kept the scoreboard moving. One of the scores of the game came from Darcy Ward, who struck a superb point from around the halfway line.
Ferris remained a constant threat in the Sarsfields attack, finishing an impressive individual performance with 3-6, while McKernan contributed 0-5.
A further goal from Michaela Mullan, along with points from Chloe McGurk and Eireann Boyd, helped Sarsfields see the game out strongly and secure victory in their opening championship fixture.
Full-time: Sarsfields 5-15 Ballycastle 1-8
The result means Sarsfields have now secured their place in the Intermediate Championship quarter-finals, with Ballycastle having also lost out to Creggan in the opening round.
Sarsfields will now face Creggan in their final group game, with the two sides battling it out for top-of-the-group position ahead of the knockout stages.
For the second time this season, St John’s and Loughgiel Shamrocks GAC could not be separated after another fiercely contested battle ended all square at Maltina Park.
Before throw-in, both teams and their supporters observed a minute’s silence in memory of John Taggart, who passed away recently. John was a huge supporter of St John’s and is greatly missed by everyone connected with the club
Loughgiel made the perfect start when Anna McKillen found the net after four minutes, but St John’s responded through a Monique O’Boyle point before Rhianna McAuley struck a brilliant goal to put the girls ahead.
Monique added another point, while Nikki Black and Niamh Graham also raised white flags for St John’s. Róise McGarry registered Loughgiel’s opening point before Erin Connolly’s goal late in the half brought the sides level at the break.
Half-time: St John’s 1-04 | 2-01 Loughgiel
The heavens opened several times during the second half, but the difficult conditions only added to the drama as both teams fought for every ball.
Loughgiel moved three points ahead through Charley McCarry, Brianna McCloskey and another McCarry point. Both sides were guilty of squandering chances, although St John’s recorded substantially more wides and will perhaps feel they could have taken more from the game.
Erin Connolly added her side’s final point in the 58th minute, giving Loughgiel a four-point advantage as the game entered its closing stages.
However, St John’s refused to accept defeat. Monique O’Boyle fired home a crucial late goal to reduce the gap to a single point before holding her nerve to strike the equaliser deep into injury time.
A tough, physical championship battle that could have gone either way, with both teams showing tremendous determination in testing conditions.
Full-time: St John’s 2-05 | 2-05 Loughgiel
St John’s scorers:
Monique O’Boyle 1-03
Rhianna McAuley 1-00
Nikki Black 0-01
Niamh Graham 0-01
Loughgiel scorers:
Erin Connolly 1-01
Anna McKillen 1-00
Charley McCarry 0-02
Róise McGarry 0-01
Brianna McCloskey 0-01
For the second time this year, these two teams finished level at full-time. Well done to both sides on a gripping contest played in very difficult conditions.
Loughgiel 2-12 Dunloy 3-17 Match referee Paul O’Neill
Report and photos from Michael Corcoran in Fr. Healy Park
On a perfect Saturday afternoon, a large crowd gathered to witness round two of the Antrim Camogie championship fixture between two familar foes. Speculation before the game had supporters thinking that today’s game would be throttled down to accommodate an early round robin stage. But they were wrong. Both squads came out swinging the camán to give spectators a pulsating game and ultimately Dunloy delivered a shot across Loughgiel’s bow with a show of tight camogie and knowing how to be efficient with the scraps around the edge of the Shamrocks’ box and get over the line with some to spare.
Although Dunloy opened up with a point from a set ball in under ten seconds, it was Loughgiel that delivered the first heavy piece of artillery from an alert Lucia McNaughton, pulling on the sliotar just outside the rectangle to tidy up a loose sliotar, in just under the two minute mark.
Loughgiel’s Ciara Laverty looks for a Shamrock jersey in the first half
Points would follow from both sides, with Loughgiel’s Marie Laverty cleaning up a puck out before Dunloy’s Aine Magill, Eobha McAllister and Katie Molloy replied, the latter two points coming towards the end of a lengthy period of physical cat and mouse.
With almost twenty minutes gone in the first half, Loughgiel’s McNaughton found Marie Laverty for a timely point to go one ahead before floating a soaring point of her own, from close to the centre of the pitch. It was toe to toe until Dunloy drew up alongside Loughgiel after Nicole McAtamney slotted her point neatly over the bar from an industrious Caoimhe Molloy, running hard to possess a loose sliotar.
A careless throw of the ball gave the Cuchullin’s their first opportunity to edge into the lead from McAtamney’s set ball, but that was only momentary as Loughgiel’s Orlagh Laverty broke through to deliver the sliotar to Marie Laverty running ahead. Laverty punished the back of the net to shift the Shamrocks back into the lead at 2-04 to 0-08. Another point apiece just before the short whistle left both sides with every thing to do in the second half to secure a win.
Loughgiel looked like they were in their stride but Dunloy’s second half play towards the lough road was text book, drawing the defence out to open up gaps for the omnipresent Eobha McAllister. With barely ten minutes gone, McAllister managed to recycle an attempt at goal from short range, giving the goalkeeper little chance of a save.
A couple of points from set play gave each side level pegging at Loughgiel 2-09 Dunloy 1-12 before an unmarked Aine Magill would punish Loughgiel, striking into an almost open goal. This was a tell tale moment. Dunloy surged ahead by three points, making that six as McAllister dusted off the three points, two of those from set play.
Aine Magill digs out the sliotar and moments later delivers for a green flag
Loughgiel bounced back with two points on the trot but substitute Casey Crawford neutralised one of those with a clean point from a long pass deep from within Cuchullin territory. Loughgiel needed two goals to pull off a tie but a busy Eobha McAllister had other intentions when she offloaded to Caitlin Crawford, running at pace and making no mistake in finding Loughgiel’s net. McAllister would close out Dunloy’s account with another point before Loughgiel had a chance to pull back a goal from an awarded penalty. Loughgiel’s Róisín McCormick drilled the sliotar up under the bar but the sliotar floated just over for the point and the long whistle, Loughgiel 2-12 Dunloy 3-17.
Caitlin Crawford polished off the third and final goal for Dunloy in today’s round two Antrim championship game
Dunloy have changed the narrative of the round robin stages with this win today, but no doubt the Shamrocks will take stock and work on the fix with a less intensive game coming up next week before the challenge from the Antrim league winners, Cushendall.
South West Antrim Minor Football Championship Laverty Cup final at Dunsilly
Portglenone survived a determined second-half comeback from St Enda’s to claim the Laverty Cup with a five-point victory in an entertaining final at Dunsilly.
St Enda’s made the perfect start when Colm Kane produced a superb individual finish to find the net after four and a half minutes. Kane followed with a well-worked point two minutes later to give the Hightown side early control.
Portglenone quickly settled, however, with Odhran Doherty leading their response. The number eight opened their account with a fine point before breaking through for an excellent individual goal moments later.
Doherty added another point in the tenth minute and Oisin Conway followed with a two-pointer to move Portglenone ahead. Kane briefly interrupted their momentum with a pointed free, but Portglenone were now beginning to take control.
A sweeping team move was finished to the net by Conor McKeever after 15 minutes, while Tomas Douhart fisted over before McKeever added another point from play.
Cillian McKenna and James McAleer also got their names on the scoresheet as Portglenone continued to press forward.
St Enda’s were handed a lifeline in the 21st minute when Darragh Rooney took advantage of a mix-up in the Portglenone defence to scramble the ball into the net.
Portglenone responded positively, with McKeever adding another point before Eoghan McArdle finished a superb end-to-end move with their third goal.
St Enda’s closed the half with points from Cathair McKenna and Ryan Donaldson, but Portglenone still held a commanding 3-10 to 2-5 lead at the interval.
Doherty stretched the winners’ advantage with two early second-half scores, one from play and another from a free. St Enda’s refused to give up, however, and Kane completed an impressive personal contribution when he struck his second goal in the 41st minute.
Doherty converted further frees in the 44th and 51st minutes, but the Portglenone defence was coming under increasing pressure. Ruairi O’Connell Scullion scored after an initial effort had been tipped over by the goalkeeper, and Thomas Mooney then fired home a scrambled goal to leave the final delicately balanced.
Another St Enda’s point in the 58th minute kept their hopes alive, while McKenna converted a free as the game moved into injury time.
Portglenone remained composed under pressure and sealed the victory with a late two-pointer, securing the Laverty Cup on a final score of 3-16 to 4-8.
Portglenone: 1 Joe Duffin, 2 Ronan McAleer, 3 Christy McDonnell, 4 Cillian McDonnell, 5 Cillian McKenna, 6 Thomas Douhart, 7 Tom Duffin, 8 Odhran Doherty, 9 Tom Conway, 10 James McVeigh, 11 Eoghan McArdle, 12 Oisin Conway, 13 Phelim McCloskey Jnr, 14 Dara Campbell, 15 Conor McKeever.
St Enda’s: 1 Jack Morris, 2 Ryan Donaldson, 3 Niall Lennon, 4 Aaron Connolly, 5 Charlie Joe O’Kane, 6 Thomas Mooney, 7 Ruairi McKearney, 8 Layden O’Neill, 9 Ruairi O’Connell Scullion, 10 Christopher Roberts, 11 Harry Feeney, 12 Oscar O’Connor, 13 Colm Kane, 14 Darragh Rooney, 15 Cathair McKenna.
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