O’Neill Sportswear Division 2 Hurling League
Glenravel 0-20 Ballymena 0-11
Neither side could raise a green flag over the hour’s hurling in this midge infested encounter at Fr Maginn Park but Glenravel had done enough to secure a good victory over neighbours Ballymena. Good opening quarters from them in the first and second half provided the launch pad for this victory though the visitors did not give up at any stage and went in search of goals towards the end but to no avail.
All Saints went ahead in the opening minute when Eoin McGuigan pointed from out on the right hand side. This was cancelled out by a fine score from young Cormac McKeown but back came the visitors with their talisman Ciaran Neeson putting them ahead from a free after three minutes but that would prove to be the last time they led in this game. Glenravel would go on to dominate the remainder of the first quarter with points from Cormac McKeown (0-04), Conleth O’Loan (0-02), Declan Traynor and Declan McAuley with the opposition only managing a single point from Eoin McGuigan.

So at this point Glenravel led on a 0-09 to 0-03 scoreline and were looking comfortable. But Ballymena were having none of it and over the second quarter they went on to score five points, four from Neeson and one from Liam Cassley. In that time, Glenravel could only muster a couple of points from Conleth O’Loan so the sides went in at halftime with Con Magees ahead by three, 0-11 to 0-08 and all to play for in the second half.
In a mirror image of the first half, All Saints would score first in that second half again from the sweet striking of Ciaran Neeson but again the home side took control of the rest of the third quarter with six unanswered points from Declan Traynor (0-02), Ciaran McIlfatrick, Odhran McAleenan, Declan McAuley and Ciaran Laverty. Cormac Magill did pull one back for All Saints to leave the score at 0-17 to 0-10 in favour of Glenravel. Ciaran Laverty had taken over free taking duties for Glenravel and he nudged them ahead from a placed ball with ten minutes left on the clock. At this stage Ballymena were dropping everything short in search of goals but Glenravel’s defence led by the timeless Shan Lee Kerr, who had a fantastic hour’s hurling at full back, were in no mood to yield anything. All Saints only joy came from a point by Damian Gillan with eight minutes remaining. Glenravel managed the aerial unslaught well in defence and would come back with two further scores from Cormac McKeown and Ciaran Laverty to seal a good victory in the midgy mayhem of Maginn Park.
Both sides will face tough tasks this coming Sunday when Ballymena host Cloughmills and Glenravel travel to the city to face Lamh Dearg. Both games throw in at 2pm.