Senior Hurling League – Division One

Ballycastle 1-21 Rossa 0-16

Sunday 6 July

Brendan McTaggart reports from Páirc Mac Uílín, Ballycastle

Ballycastle rounded off their league campaign with a comprehensive win over newly crowned league champions, Rossa.  An eight point win, largely down to an excellent second half that saw them hold the men from the Shaw’s Road to just five points from frees in the 30 plus minutes after the half time interval.

Seamus McAuley finished top of the scoring charts for the Town, three of his 11 points coming from open play in an all-round excellent performance while Conor Donnelly chipped in with 1-2.  Niall McKenna was at the heart of it all again for his side, adding three points in an all action performance while Conor Boyd, Darragh Donnelly and Conal Colgan all excelled in defence.

To be fair, Rossa were missing more than a few from what might be perceived as their first 15.  Deaglan Murphy top scored with all of his nine points coming from placed ball but they had excellent performances from Stephen Shannon and Stephen Beatty in the half back line, Corey Walsh in midfield while the work rate of Declan McCartney, James Connolly and Dara Rocks could never be questioned.

In a close first half, it was the home side that played with more cohesion with McKenna prominent in the opening exchanges.  They couldn’t put any daylight between the sides though as the visitors managed to get the scoreboard ticking and were certainly more economical than the home side.

Going into the final 10 minutes of the first half, Ballycastle held a one point lead with the scores eight points to seven before Conor Donnelly scored the only goal of the game.  Neal McAuley gathering the sliotar on the left hand side before taking a second to survey his options.  He found Donnelly 25 yards from goal but in a more central position, the Rossa defence looked to swarm him out but the Ballycastle forward showed great composure before firing the sliotar to the back of the net.

Rossa almost responded in perfect fashion but goalkeeper Anthony Mullan was equal to Deaglan Murphy’s effort.  A Seamus McAuley free put five between the sides with a little over five minutes of the first half remaining but Rossa finished with a flourish reeling off four unanswered points in the time that remained.  Scores coming from Murphy (free), Dara Rocks, Aodhan O’Brien and Stephen Shannon.  It could have been even better for the Jeremiah’s but Rocks flashed his effort to the wrong side of the posts.

With just one point between the sides, the game was still in the balance but the home side started the second half superbly.  Four unanswered points from Cathair Donnelly, Seamus McAuley, Conor Donnelly and Ardan Kelly put five between the sides and the home side in control.

Rossa were slow at getting their challenge going again in the second half with their first point coming in the 40^th minute – the first of five second half frees from Deaglan Murphy.  They had another couple of sights of the Ballycastle goal in those opening exchanges of the second half with James Connelly and Deaglan Murphy combining but Murphy’s was denied by a magic piece of defending from Seamus McAuley just as he was about to pull the trigger.  Not long after, Rocks saw his effort well saved by Anthony Mullan.  The angle was far from favourable for the Rossa man but his effort was well struck and Mullan did well to keep the effort out of the goals.

The last quarter of the game belonged to Seamus McAuley with the Town midfielder firing over another five points while Tiarnan Smyth and McKenna also chipped in with scores. 

Rossa’s accuracy in front of the target wasn’t economical enough to sustain their challenge with a number of uncharacteristic wides.  Murphy’s frees kept their side of the scoreboard ticking but it wasn’t enough to reel in the home side.

Both sides now have a four week break before they turn their attention to the championship in the first weekend in August.  Rossa will begin their campaign in good spirits despite this result with a first Division One league title in almost 30 years while Ballycastle are a side that have been improving with every league game.  They have strength all over the pitch and an attacking unit that have speed and guile.  Both sides will have lofty ambitions as the race for the Volunteer Cup begins.

TEAMS

BALLYCASTLE: Anthony Mullan; Ryan McCook, Ronan Laverty, Conal Colgan; Mark McClean, Conor Boyd, Darragh Donnelly; Seamus McAuley, Cathair Donnelly; James Bakewell, Niall McKenna, Ardan Kelly; Conor Donnelly, Neal McAuley, Tiarnan Smyth

Scorers: S McAuley 0-11 (8fs); Conor Donnelly 1-2; N McKenna 0-3; D Donnelly 0-1; Cathair Donnelly 0-1; A Kelly 0-1; N McAuley 0-1; T Smyth 0-1

ROSSA: Donal Armstrong; Oisin McVicker, Joseph Mulholland, Darragh Morriarity; Stephen Shannon, Aodhan O’Brien, Stephen Beatty; Corey Walsh, Deaglan Murphy; Liam McEnhill, Declan McCartney, Conor O’Neill; Eoghan McMenamin, James Connolly, Dara Rocks

Scorers: D Murphy 0-9 (5fs 1’65); S Shannon 0-1; A O’Brien 0-1; C Walsh 0-1; L McEnhill 0-1; D McCartney 0-1; E McMenamin 0-1; D Rocks 0-1

REFEREE: Colum Cunning (Dunloy)

Dessie Donnelly presents the Division 1 Hurling League trophy to team captain Declan McCartney. Pic by Bert Trowlen

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Senior Hurling League – Division One

Dunloy 1-14 Loughgiel 4-11

Friday 4 July

Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy

Loughgiel rounded off their league campaign with a convincing win over a depleted Dunloy side on Friday evening to end the Cuchullains hopes of winning the league title.  Six points separated the sides at the end of the hour, all off which means that Rossa have been crowned winners of the Divison One league title for the first time in 30 years.

Goals were the difference on the scoreboard at Pearse Park with the Shamrocks plundering in four over the hour, despite a missed penalty and a plethora of saves from Dunloy ‘keeper Eoghan Richmond.

With Paul Boyle threatening to cut loose playing on the edge of the square and James McNaughton closing in on his impish best, this victory was built around a solid defensive display that saw the Shamrocks hold Dunloy to just 1-6 from open play.  Rory and Declan McCloskey catching the eye while Tiarnan Coyle never gave an inch of space.

Both sides were missing regulars, Dunloy’s strength in depth was certainly tested to its limit with no less than nine players missing from their match against St John’s last Sunday.  Seaan Elliott top scored for the home side, raising nine white flags over the hour while Keelan Molloy top scored from open play with four points.  The returning Chrissy McMahon got Dunloy’s goal mid-way through the second half but the Shamrock’s always had the edge overall.

Played in conditions that were more akin to that of the month of October than the first week in July, it was Loughgiel who got out of the blocks quickest.  Rian ‘Betty’ McKee opened the scoring with barely 25 seconds on the clock.  Both sides were wasteful infront of the target before Loughgiel were awarded a penalty for a foul on Jack McCloskey.  James McNaughton stepped up but his effort was well saved by Richmond.

Richmond was called into action soon after with McNaughton testing his reflexes once again while Deaglan Smith split the uprights for Dunloy to open their account in the 6^th minute.

The Shamrocks created another major chance and this time it was Paul Boyle who was presented with the opportunity.  Haring in from the left, he made no mistake after just eight minutes.

Dunloy responded with a trio of unanswered points to bring the sides level mid-way through the first half but it was a brief respite from the Loughgiel assault on the Dunloy goal.  Ruairi McCormick going close but again Richmond with a brilliant save before the second Loughgiel goal came in the 18^th minute.  Paul Boyle turning provider this time as McNaughton finally beat Richmond to put five points between the sides.

The home side finished the half on top however with scores coming from Keelan Molloy and four frees from Seaan Elliott.  Molloy’s score coming after a brilliant catch among a group of players and with a swing of his wrists, instinctively finding the target.  Ruairi McCormick split the uprights in the same time period for Loughgiel to leave the half time score 2-4 to 0-9 in the Shamrocks favour.

As the rain became heavier, it didn’t dampen the Shamrocks spirit at the start of the second half.  Keelan Molloy did level the sides with the opening score of the half but before the home side would register another score, Loughgiel found the back of the Dunloy net.  Points from McNaughton and Roan McGarry preceded the third major in the 36^th minute – James McNaughton creating the chance and while it looked like Richmond had dealt with his effort, he spilled the sliotar over the line and when Rian McMullan pointed soon after, Loughgiel had opened a six point advantage.

Dunloy responded with another brace of points from Seaan Elliott, scoring his seventh free and first from open play before the Shamrocks responded with a free from Declan McCloskey and Boyle.

Dunloy’s hopes were revitalised when Chrissy McMahon found the back of Odhran McFadden’s net, collecting the sliotar from a Seaan Elliott pass, McMahon made no mistake with a rasping drive to leave three between the sides.

Loughgiel responded by creating another goal chance soon after.  McNaughton blasting the sliotar to the bottom corner but Richmond dived at full length to turn the sliotar away.

McNaughton (free) and Keelan Molloy swapped scores going into the final 10 minutes before the Loughgiel man would strike a contender for score of the game.  Running down the right hand side and with the Dunloy defence in close quarters, McNaughton swung the sliotar off the hurl to split the uprights.  An outrageous score given the weather conditions, the challenges put in and angle.

Loughgiel’s fourth goal came from wing half back Ben McGarry.  He fired the sliotar to the back of the net from the most acute angle and while Dunloy responded with a free from Seaan Elliott in injury time, they rarely looked like eating into the Loughgiel lead.

This was far from a classic between these two great rivals and both will be disappointed with the number of missed chances.  All thoughts now turn to the race for the Volunteer Cup however with these two harbouring serious ambitions of claiming silverware.

TEAMS

DUNLOY: Eoghan Richmond; Phelim Duffin, Sean Og Blaney, Oran Quinn; Conor Kinsella, Kevin Molloy, Eamon Smyth; Jack Martin, Ciaran Elliott; Deaglan Smith, Padraig McGilligan, Keelan Molloy; Chrissy McMahon, Gabriel McTaggart, Seaan Elliott

Subs: Aaron Crawford for S Og Blaney (HT); Paul Shiels for J Martin (45)

Scorers: S Elliott 0-9 (8fs); Keelan Molloy 0-4; C McMahon 1-00; D Smith 0-1

LOUGHGIEL: Odhran McFadden; Tiarnan Coyle, Enda Og McGarry, Liam Glackin; Declan McCloskey, Rory McCloskey, Ben McGarry; Rian McKee, Ruairi McCormick; Rian McMullan, James McNaughton, Darragh Patterson; Roan McGarry, Paul Boyle, Jack McCloskey

Subs: Eoin McGarry for D Patterson (54); Donal McKinley for R McCormick (57); Patrick Laverty for L Glackin (Inj)

Scorers: J McNaughton 1-4 (2fs); P Boyle 1-1; B McGarry 1-00; J McCloskey 0-1; R McGarry 0-1; R McMullan 0-1; R McCormick 0-1; R McKee 0-1; D McCloskey 0-1 (1f)

REFEREE: Mark O’Neill (Armoy)

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Antrim Senior Hurling League- Division On

Ballycastle 3-19 St John’s 0-18

Ballycastle recovered from a slow start to get the better of league leaders St John’s in Sunday’s Antrim Senior Hurling League game at Pairc MacUilin. The Corrigan Park men wee 0-07 to 0-02 ahead after just seven minutes, but once they got going the men from the Town reeled their visitors in and three goals in the second quarter saw them go in at the break with a 3-12 to 0-12 lead.

The second half was much more even, and lower scoring but Ballycastle held their own during that period and ended up winning by ten.

St John’s, who were short a few regulars, started strongly and with Oisin McManus and Shea Shannon leading the line they hit the first two points of the game. Niall McKenna pulled one back on two minutes but the visitors pushed on and points from Aaron Bradley., Oisin McManus and Michial Dudley found the target to stretch the gap to four. McKenna came back with one from play for the Town, but Shannon and McManus stretched the lead to five by the ninth minute. As the half progressed Ballycastle started to find their range and three in a row from Conor Donnelly set them on a run and they had it back to a point when the game really changed.

On 22 minutes McKenna set up Conor Donnelly for a goal and two minutes later Darragh Donnelly added another major with a great finish. Oisin McManus hit three points for the Johnnies but the home team finished the half with goal number three, this time from veteran full forward Neal McAuley to give his team a 3-12 to 0-12 half time lead

McAuley increased the lead to ten in the first minute of the second but McManus replied right away for the visitors. The Corrigan Park side had a chance to get back into it when they were awarded a penalty in the 36^th minute, but McManus was off target and two long range points from Seamus McAuley had the gap out to eleven at one point. That gave the home side enough breathing room and they kept answering each St John’s point to seal the win.

Despite the defeat St John’s still hold on to top spot, though Rossa, Dunloy and Loughgiel all have a game in hand on them and on Ballycastle. They face West Belfast rivals Rossa at Corrigan next time out on Wednesday 25^th June in what should be a very interesting contest.  

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Senior Hurling League – Division One

Rossa 1-20 Dunloy 1-24

Sunday 15 June

Brendan McTaggart reports from Rossa Park, Belfast

If ever there was a game that typified the saying ‘a game of two halves’, this was it.  11 points down at half time, Dunloy put in a much improved second half to record a four point win over Rossa.

This was a hugely entertaining game of hurling that saw both sides take breath-taking scores from open play and neither taking a backward step.  Rossa scoring 1-13 from open play while Deaglan Murphy was accurate from placed ball with six of his seven points coming from frees.  Thomas Morgan was a major threat throughout, particularly in the first half.  The Rossa forward would score 1-3, his goal coming towards the end of the first half and put daylight between the sides going into the interval.

Much like Wednesday evening, Dunloy were wasteful in front of the target and missed a number of frees that threatened to derail any momentum they might gather but the introduction of Nigel Elliott and Oisin McCallin at half time helped the visitors to Rossa Park gain more attacking threat and physicality in the middle third. 

McCallin, making his debut in the senior team, scored Dunloy’s major five minutes after the restart as the Cuchullains fired over 1-9 to just two points coming from the home side in the opening 10 minutes of the second half that went a long way in determining where the league points would go to at the final whistle.

The opening quarter was fairly even with Rossa holding a one point lead.  Morgan, Deaglan Murphy, Dominic McEnhill and Eoghan McMenamin all getting on the scoresheet while Eoin O’Neill, Keelan Molloy, Luke McFerran and Nicky McKeague split the uprights for the Cuchullains.

The visitors could have had the opening goal of the contest in that same period of time but Tom McFerran saw his rifled effort coming back off the post.

Rossa turned the screw in the second quarter and with their forwards making use of the ball being played into them, they began to put their efforts into points on the board.

Morgan (two), Corey Walsh, McEnhill (three) and Murphy (free) all split the posts before Dunloy registered another score through McKeague.

The home side had a half chance of a major within that same period of time but James Connolly gave himself the most acute angle to work with before firing into the side netting.

Rossa’s goal came in the 29^th minute and thanks largely to the predatory instincts of Morgan.  He looked to collect a high, cross field ball that went his way but Daire Murphy collected before sending the sliotar into Morgan’s path.  Knowing he was under pressure and with Eoghan Richmond reducing the angle, Morgan pulled first time to find the back of the bet and put the Rossa lead to double figures and take his own tally to 1-3 for the first half.

Deaglan Murphy’s fifth free of the half left 11 between the sides with the score 1-13 to 0-5 in favour of the home side.

While it was a substantial wind blowing, it didn’t feel like an 11 point advantage.  It was going to take a quick start to the second half for the Cuchullains to get anything out of this contest and they certainly delivered.

Three points in the opening two minutes from Tom McFerran, Deaglan Smith and McKeague were answered to by a Deaglan Murphy free but the momentum was with the Cuchullains in the early stages.

Further scores came from McCallin and McKeague (free) before the Cuchullains found the back of the Rossa net.  Eoin O’Neill forcing a turnover from a short puck out and passing to McCallin in space.  The young Dunloy forward made no mistake when left with the goal at his mercy.

Tom McFerran and McEnhill swapped points, the Rossa man with his fifth point of the afternoon but another run of three Dunloy points in as many minutes from McCallin, Deaglan Smith and McKeague (free) left the minimum between the sides after just nine minutes of the second half.

Indeed, it could have been even better for the visitors but Eoin O’Neill’s effort was well saved by Donal Armstrong in the Rossa goals.

McMenamin’s second white flag kept the scoreboard ticking for the home side at the other end of the pitch but Eoin O’Neill and McKeague fired over to leave the sides tied with a quaretr of the hour remaining.

The Cuchullains had another sniff of a major but Luke McFerran saw his effort come back off the upright as his side went purring through the gears.

Substitute Tiarnan Murphy restored the Rossa lead with his first touch from his introduction but that was as good as it got for the home side.  Dunloy had another goal chance, Luke McFerran once again but he was superbly denied by the Rossa defence as he bore down on goal.

Points followed from McKeague (’65), substitute Seaan Elliott (free) and Deaglan Smith’s third of the match to take Dunloy into a two point lead with a little over six minutes remaining.

A brace of scores from the Murphy’s – Tiarnan and Deaglan (free) restored parity once again but Dunloy finished with a flourish with Seaan Elliott instrumental.  He would fire over three points in as many minutes (one free) with Murphy’s seventh free the solitary response from the home side as the clock ticked into injury time.

Dunloy would add further scores from McKeague and Seaan Elliott (free) while Luke McFerran was once again denied a major with Donal Armstrong pulling off a quite brilliant diving save to deny him with the goal at his mercy.

In all, this was an excellent game of hurling that was played in the right manner.  Rossa will look at a period midway through the second half where they left a number of scores behind that could have turned the advantage their way but Dunloy’s second half was a timely boost for the Cuchullains as they got back to winning ways.  They are on their travels to the City again when they next look to the league as they play St John’s on 29 June while Rossa will make the short journey across to the Whiterock Road four days earlier in their next match.

TEAMS

ROSSA: Donal Armstrong; Oisin McVicker, Gerard Walsh, Niall Crossan; Stephen Shannon, Chris McGuinness, Aodhan O’Brien; Corey Walsh, Deaglan Murphy; Dominic McEnhill, Declan McCartney, Daire Murphy; Thomas Morgan, James Connolly, Eoghan McMenamin

Subs: Tiarnan Murphy for J Connolly (42); Liam McEnhill for C Walsh (50); Conall Shortt for O McVicker (inj)

Scorers: D Murphy 0-7 (6fs); T Morgan 1-3; D McEnhill 0-5; E McMenamin 0-2; T Murphy 0-2; C Walsh 0-1

DUNLOY: Eoghan Richmond; Oran Quinn, Ryan McGarry, Conor Kinsella; Eamon Smyth, Eoin McFerran, Keelan Molloy; Oisin McCamphill, Nicky McKeague, Deaglan Smith; Aodhan McGarry, Luke McFerran, Eoin O’Neill

Blood sub: Phelim Duffin for C Kinsella (15, reversed 20)

Subs: Nigel Elliott for O McCamphill (HT); Oisin McCallin for A McGarry (HT); Seaan Elliott for N McKeague (50); Nicky McKeague for E O’Neill (51); Phelim Duffin for E Smyth (57)

Scorers: N McKeague 0-8 (3fs 1 ’65); S Elliott 0-5 (3fs); O McCallin 1-2; D Smith 0-3; E O’Neill 0-2; T McFerran 0-2; L McFerran 0-1; Keelan Molloy 0-1

REFEREE: Barry Winters (Dungannon)

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