O’Neill’s All County Hurling League Division 1

Dunloy 2-26 Ballycran 0-17

Dunloy added another piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet in Sunday when they beat relegation threatened Ballycran with a power packed performance of skill and scoring power at Pearse Park on Sunday. The Cuchuallains were flying from the start and with Eoin O’Neill, ‘Coby’ Cunning and Keelan Molloy on top form up front they raced to a 0-15 to 0-8 lead by half time. After the break they were even more devastating and with Cunning and substitute Deaglan Smith grabbing goals they were fifteen points to the good at the end.

Conal ‘Coby’ Cunning fires a shot just inches wide of Stephen Keith’s goal in the first half of Sunday’s league game in Dunloy. Pics by Dylan McIlwaine

Two early points by Eoin O’Neill and one by Conal Cunning had them three clear in as many minute and though Conor Woods pulled on back for Ballycran points by Nigel Elliott, Nicky McKeague and Chrissy Brogan put them in control. The Down men came back with two points from Woods and one from Conor Dorrian. Two by Keelan Molloy for the home side brought a response from Ballycran as Conor Woods fired one over and Niall Breen hit three but Dunloy finished the half in control with five points in reply to one from Woods to lead by 0-15 to 0-8 at the break.Eoin O’Neill crashes a shot off the Ballycran crossbar. Pic by Dylan McIlwaine

Dunloy opened the second half on the offensive and Balycran goalkeeper Stephen Keith did really well to keep out a rasping shot from Eoin O’Neill in the first minute. However there was nothing Keith could do to keep out Coby Cunning’s shot two minutes later as the corner forward, who had shaved the post in the first half, found the bottom right hand corner from twenty metres. Cunning added two points and Keelan Molly cut loose to fire over three more and though Breen, Savage, Woods and Coyle kept battling away for the Ards men Dunloy were soon out of sight. Dunloy substitute Deaglan Smith grabbed his team’s second goal seven minutes from the end and to put the icing on the cake as the home side sealed the league title in style.

Dunloy – Ryan Elliott, Phelim Duffin, James McKeague, Oran Quinn, Ronan Molloy, Kevin Molloy, Conor McKinley, Nickey McKeague, Shane Dooey, Paul Shiels, Keelan Molloy, Nigel Elliott, Eoin O’Neill, Christopher Brogan, Conal Cunning.

Subs – Deaglan Smith, Seaan Elliott, Aaron Crawford.

Balycran – Stephen Keith, Michael Hughes, Padraig Flynn, Andrew Bell, Michael Taylor, Liam Savage, Aaron Dorrian, Scott Nicholson, James Coyle, Conor Dorrian, Conor Woods, Cormac McAlister, Padraig Flynn, Colum McManus, Niall Breen

Referee – Fiontann McCotter

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Pics by Dylan McIlwaine

All County Hurling League Division 1

Ruairi Og 6-28  Rossa 0-8

By Colum Thompson

Rossa’s involvement in Division 1 of the All county Hurling League ended at Pairc Mhuire on Sunday when their understrength team were comprehensively beaten by a Cushendall side who turned in an impressive performance. When they started their league campaign with wins over Dunloy and St John’s things looked bright for Paul Close and his charges, but his side was decimated by immigration and injuries as the season progressed and the team that ended the season was a mere shadow of the one that started it.

Ruairi Og were not at full strength either, but they still breezed past the challenge of the west Belfast men to claim another two league points. In truth the game was over as a contest as early as the tenth minute when Donal McNaughton cracked home the home sides first goal. At that stage Cushendall had built themselves a healthy lead of 0-5 to 0-1 with the points coming from McNaughton (0-2), Conor Carson (0-2) and Ryan McCambridge. Rossa brought themselves brief hope of making a game of it with three points in a row from Stephen Beattie (0-2) and Stephen Shannon but Ruairi Og slammed the door shut in ruthless fashion and with an avalanche of points from all angles and two further goals from Fergus McCambridge and Cormac McClafferty and by half time they were out of sight on a score of Cushendall 3-16 Rossa 0-6.

Things didn’t get any better in the second half for the Belfast men as Cushendall took points at will with Paddy McGill, Cormac McClafferty and Ryan McCambridge in particular hitting some excellent scores. They say take your points and the goals will come and this is the way it proved for the home side and in the second half they raised three further green flags with goals from Donal McNaughton, Niall McCormick and Cormac McClafferty. In response Rossa could only manage two points in the second half as Ruairi Og strolled to victory. For the record the final score was Cushendall 6-28 Rossa 0-8.

How they played: This was a walk in the park for Cushendall with Rossa offering only token resistance. The entire defence held firm with Eoghan Campbell playing a quarter back type roll extremely well. In the midfield engine room Paddy McGill was again superb, hitting ten points, seven of them from play. Up front all six forwards registered scores with McClafferty and Donal McNaughton particularly dangerous but my man of the match was Ryan McCambridge who was simply unplayable on the day. His high fielding, strong running and accurate shooting saw him finish the game with eight points all from play in what was a blistering performance.

Ruairi Og team: E Gillan, J McCurry, P Burke, S Delargy, L Gillan, E Campbell, Stephen Walsh, P McGill(0-9, 3fs), F McCurry, C Carson (0-3), F McCambridge (1-3), R McCambridge (0-8), N McCormick (1-0), D McNaughton (2-2), C McClafferty (2-2).

Subs used: Scott Walsh, E McKillop (0-1), D Kearney, D Delargy, E McQuillan. Rosssa manager Jim Close who saw his side relegated in Cushendall.