Category / Football

by thesaffrongael

All Saints move joint top after good win over Ardoyne

All County U17 Football League Division 2

All Saints 4-13 Ardoyne 1-5

Ballymena All Saints minors produced a strong performance to move joint top of the All County U17 Football League division 2 when they ran out easy winners in the end against a young and dogged Ardoyne side at Slemish Park.

Saints started strongly and completely dominated possession in the first half but they failed to convert this dominance to the scoreboard and only led by 3 points to nil after 20 minutes.

 This was due to a combination of good Ardoyne defending from Eoin Craig at fullback and Ethan Magill at centre half, and some poor finishing by the All Saints forward line.

Fiontan Bradley clipped over a score along with points from Dowds and McKeown but the home side should have been further ahead given their amount of possession.

The home defence was water tight with McKillop, Watt, O’Brien and Crooks mopping up any Ardoyne attacks.

Paddy Murphy notched a fisted point to stretch the lead to four then a well worked attack between Mitchell, Pearse McAuley, and Hendren found wing forward McKeown at the back post to slam to the net. 

Ardoyne couldn’t get going, and a final point of the half from Mitchell made it 1-05 to 0-00 for the Ballymena side at the short whistle despite the home sides’ dominance.

Team captains with referee, Karol Doherty (Rasharkin)

Ardoyne needed a quick start to the 2nd half and that they got, with Fiontan Lagan winning the throw-in, finding James McAuley out wide. He dropped a high ball in which was clinically fisted to the net.

Kickhams tails were up, and they added a fine point to bring them within 4 points of their opponents and it looked like we might have a game on our hands.

That was as close as the Belfast men got however as All Saints got a grip of the game again at midfield, where Lewis Devlin and Jakub Kaczmarek dominant.

Suddenly the All Saints forward line clicked into gear with Pearse Martin dictating the play from centre back which resulted in a fine point from Hendren. Shortly after, disaster struck for the visitors when a shot for a point from Bradley saw the ball loop into the net which was unfortunate for the Kickham’s keeper who had a good game.  

A Hendren point, his 2nd of the game was followed by a well worked move, which saw Bradley break through the Ardoyne defence and smash the ball to the roof of the net.

 Kaczmarek followed with another after a mazey run and this was followed by a 3rd goal by Bradley, and by now, the Saints were out of sight.

Both sides rung the changes and the Ardoyne lads kept battling, scoring 2 fine frees from distance and a well taken team score finished by their corner forward.

A fine Saints point by wing back Laverty after good work by O’Hara, was responded to with another good score from Ardoyne’s Finnan Lagan. Further Saints points from play by Mitchell and Bradley from distance rounded off the scoring for the Ballymena lads.

This win sees All Saints move joint top of the table with Na Gaeil Oga on 14 points but the Ballymena side have a game on hand and will hope to continue their recent good run when they travel to Portglenone on Wednesday night.

by thesaffrongael

Championship gets underway this weekend and we need your club’s support

Main photo – Cargin captain James Laverty lifts the Senior Football Champions Cup after his team’s win over Aghagallon in last year’s final at Corrigan Park

With the football championships set to get
underway on Friday night we at the Saffron Gael will once again be striving to
cover as many games as possible. Unfortunately with games scheduled in all
three grades, Junior, Intermediate and Senior we will not be able to get
someone to every match so we appeal to club P.R.O’s to send us a report from
your game.

It doesn’t have to be long. You can send us
the report yourself or alternatively send us teams, scorers, times of scores, score
at half time and full time etc. We will endeavour to put a report together.

Send your report to john.mcilwaine@yahoo.co.uk or ptrckmclwn@yahoo.co.uk.

Appeal to clubs for financial support

Once again we make an appeal for financial
help. The Saffron Gael is now in its 7th year and during that period
we have had 10.9 million views on the site. Last year we broke the 2 million
mark for the first time as viewing on the site has increased year after year
and this year we are on target to break the 2 million mark again.

These figures tell us that the site is very
popular with our readers. Coverage on the Saffron Gael helps to promote Gaelic
games amongst our young players and as well as covering club games in Antrim in
all codes we have carried reports and photographs of all our county games in
football, hurling camogie and ladies football.

We have a dedicated team of photographers and
reporters who are there primarily through their love for Gaelic games but these
people have to be paid for their time and expenses. Because of the generosity
of our sponsors and clubs we have been able to survive and grow.

We thank those clubs who have given us this
valuable financial assistance from the start and we ask any of those clubs who
have not made a donation this year to do so. We also appeal to those clubs who
have never donated to consider making a donation this year.

To our loyal band of sponsors, once again we
say thanks. Your contribution has been invaluable and without your support we
quite simply could not keep going and we appeal for your continued support and
for new sponsors to come on board.

Anyone wishing to enquire about sponsorship
should contact one of the two e.mail addresses above for further information.

We also appeal to our readers to support
these sponsors wherever possible. It is through their sponsorship that you are
able to read our reports and follow your team.

Dunloy celebrate winninng last season’s Intermediate Football Championship

Take an advert supporting your club

Finally as the various championships get
underway on Friday night we offer businesses in the area of clubs taking part
the opportunity to take out an advert supporting your club and wishing them
good luck in the championship.

Your Business-company logo will appear on the
advert. The cost of these adverts is only £100 and the advert will be
carried on each game that the club plays in right up to and including the
championship final should they progress to that stage.

If you would like to publish a message
supporting your local club in the championship please contact john.mcilwaine@yahoo.co.uk or ptrckmclwn@yahoo.co.uk for further details.

Finally, to all the clubs beginning their Championship journey this weekend we wish you
every success. The championships in Antrim are always exciting and bring Gaels
from all over the county together.

Pearses celebrate their win over O’Donnell’s in last year’s Junior final at Dunsilly

Unfortunately
there can be only one winner in each championship and we hope to be there to
cover as many of these games as is physically possible.

by thesaffrongael

Antrim LGFA’s geat run comes to an end

All Ireland LGFA Intermediate Championship semi-final 

Clare 2-14 – 1-13 Antrim

Antrim Ladies brilliant run came to an end at in Longford on Sunday when they lost out by four points to Clare in the semi-final of the All Ireland Intermediate LGFA championship. In a season when the Saffrons won promotion out of Division 4 unbeaten and won the Ulster Intermediate Championship, plus topped their All Ireland group, this team can hold their heads high despite losing to a highly experienced Clare team, who play their league football in Division.

Early scores for Clare by All Star Chloe Maloney who fired over a point, and Aisling Reidy put Antrim on the back foot from the start the Banner girls pushed on to lead by eight after eight minutes. Antrim side showed great resilience to battle back and boosted by a goal from Maria O’Neill and a series of excellent points they drew level nearing half time. However Clare responded with two late points to gain the upper hand again and they went in at the break with a 1-9 to 1-7 lead.

The Munster girls increased their lead at the start of the second half and when Maloney added a second goal Antrim had a mountain to climb. Two points from Orlaith Prenter kept the Saffrons in touch and Lar Dahunsi produced a great run through the middle before firing over and cutting the deficit even further. Dahunsi worked another great opening but her shot for goal just rose over the Clare crossbar and the last chance to salvage the game was gone Grainne McLaughlin pulled another point back but Clare finished strongly to book their place in the All Ireland final in two weeks’ time.

Antrim: A McCann, D Coleman (57’), E Ferran, M Mulholland, O Corr, C Brown, S O’Neill, L Dahunsi 0-2, A Tubridy, G McLaughlin 0-2, C Carey 0-2, T Mellon 0-2, B Devlin, O Prenter 0-4 (2 frees), M O’Neill 1-1
 
Subs: A Devlin, T Mellon, A Keenan (57’), A Mulholland, C McKenna, C Taggart, A Taggart, L Agnew, C Emerson, R Mulholland, M McGarry, N McIntosh, B Nic Cahill, A Kelly, S Tennyson.
 
 
Clare: A Linehan, Á Keane, S Ní Chonaill, G Harvey, L Griffin (55’), C Harvey, S Considine, A Reidy 1-3, C Moloney 1-3 (1 free), L Ryan, F Marrinan 0-4 (2 frees), A Sexton (48’), L Grifey 0-1, C Blake 0-1, C Cahill
 
Subs: M Downes 0-1 (48’), J Doohan (55’), E Hynes, J Murphy, C McCormack, C Ryan, L Clarke, E Healy, O Devitt, R Doohan, S O’Gorman, C Ryan, C McCarthy

by thesaffrongael

Tir na nOg secure their Division 1 status with excellent Corrigan victory

ACFL Division 1B

St. John’s 0-11 Tir na nOg 3-13

Goals from Darragh Fagan, Ciaran O’Neill and Eamon Og McAllister saw Tir na nOg, Randalstown secure their division 1 status for another season when they produced a polished display to complete the league double over St. John’s at Corrigan Park on Sunday.

The Whitehill side went into Sunday’s game knowing that even a narrow defeat would be enough to keep them in the top grade but from the throw in it was obvious that they were not going to settle for that as they went about their business with deadly efficiency.

Aaron McNeilly and Ciaran Dobbin settled the visitors with early points before Darragh Fagan put them in control when he got through for a goal in the 6th minute.

Darragh Fagan (14) fires past Padraig Nugent for Tir na nOg’s opening goal

Conor Adams opened the Johnnies account from a free in the 10th minute but the Randalstown side were playing some excellent football and with the wind behind them they continued to stretch the home defence.

Ciaran Dobbin was finding acres of space out on the left and he placed Aaron McNeilly who fired over when well-placed and might have had a goal in the 12th minute.

The momentum was very much with the visitors as Christy Sheerin’s astute pass from mid-field was just inches out of reach of Darragh Fagan who was right through but the big full-forward made amends with a great point immediately after.

St. John’s were battling hard to get their own game together as Conchur Hand scored their second point in the 17th minute but Fagan replied from a pointed free before Ciaran O’Neill fired home their second goal following another defence splitting move.

Conchur Adams replied with his second converted free to bring the home side’s total to 0-3 but once again the visitors replied and Aaron McNeilly pointed a free at the other end to move Tir na nOg 10 ahead by the 24th minute.

St. John’s Conor Hand gets out in front of Caoimhe Duffin, Tir na nOg to claim possession

St. John’s introduced Joe Garland for Conal Bohill who seemed to be carrying an injury and they kicked the final point of the half through Conall Quinn to trail 0-4 to 2-7 at half time but with the wind at their back in the second half.

St. John’s introduced Ronan McCafferty for Ross Hannigan and Matthew Layden for Adrian Oliver at the start of the second half with Layden taking over in goals and Padraig Nugent moving into defence.

The home side were swiftly off the mark as Locky McCurdy pointed but the South West side were quick to reply as Darragh Fagan split the uprights at the other end.

Back came St. John’s with a point from Conall Quinn and with the fresh breeze behind them they began to enjoy a bit of success as Locky McCurdy and Conchur Adams brought their total to 0-8 and another from Adams closed the gap to five by the 10th minute.

The visitors looked in a bit of trouble for the first time in the game but Darragh Fagan settled them with their second point of the half from a 17th minute free and then fired over with a goal at his mercy.

Joe Garland pointed for the Johnnies to close the gap to six at the end of the third quarter but the momentum was very much back with the Whitehill side and Matthew Layden had to be sharp of his line to deny Eamon Og McAllister.

Tir na nOg’s Barry McCormick comes under pressure from Conor Hand and Simon McDonagh, St. John’s

The visitors continued to press forward and Aaron McNeilly kicked a good point and then fisted another before Ryan Crilly somehow screwed his shot wide of the post from the edge of the square as the visitors began to turn the screw.

Tir na nOg continued to probe and move the ball around confidently and Christy Sheerin sent over a good point in the 22nd minute as they began to run down the clock before Eamon Og McAllister made the points secure with a late goal.

A good win for Tir na nOg that will see them play their football again in division 1 next season but before that happens there is more immediate business to attend to.

They begin their Senior Championship campaign at the same venue on Friday night in Group 1 against the same opponents and will hope to build on today’s result but are likely to face a stronger St. John’s side.

by thesaffrongael

Nagle runs riot against depleted St. Gall’s

ACFL Division 1B

St. Gall’s 0-8 St. Enda’s 6-17

Fionn Nagle ran riot as St. Enda’s swept aside a depleted St. Gall’s at Milltown on Saturday afternoon. Number 14 Nagle scored 4 first half goal and added another in the second half but the Glengormley men’s biggest win of the season came too late to save their division 1 status.

Sean Murray 0-2 and Donal Walsh 0-2 kicked early points with Callum Walsh replying with two for the home side before Nagle got his personal scoring spree going from a free.

Suddenly the visitors were flying as Fionn Nagle finished a well-executed attack to the net and the same player followed quickly with another as St. Enda’s took control.

Four goal hero, Fionn Nagle fires past Niall McCurdy for another St. Enda’s goal

Nagle was causing havoc as he pointed from a Mark and then completed his hat-trick with another polished finish and he would finish the half with a personal tally of 4-3.

Donal Walsh, who had a good game on the ‘40’ added a 5th goal for the Hightown side to put the contest out of site as St. Enda’s led 5-11 to 0-5 at the halfway stage.

HT 0-4 TO 5-11

Things didn’t get any better for the Milltown side on the restart as Donal Walsh and Odhran Eastwood struck early points for the visitors before the superb Nagle fired home his fifth goal of the evening and that was that.

The goals dried up after that but returning county player, James McAuley fired over a fine point and Donal Walsh, Ronan O’Neill and Sean Murray all got their names on the scorecard for the Glengormley side.

St. Gall’s were well beaten at this stage but they did manage to add to their total with the best of these coming from Michael Hopkins with a great point from near the sideline.

Brendan Bradley added two and Niall Fallon was also on target for a St. Gall’s side who were already safe following their draw with St. Brigid’s last Wednesday night while St. Enda’s best performance of the season came too late to stave off relegation to division 2.