Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

St Enda’s 3-18 (27) | Glenariffe Oisins 0-25 (25)

St Enda’s breathed life into their Division 1 survival hopes with a hard-fought, two-point victory over Glenariffe Oisins at Waterfoot. In this first fixture since the league split, the stakes could not have been higher. With only one win to their name prior to throw-in, defeat would have left St Enda’s with a mountain to climb.

Instead, their ability to find the back of the net proved the difference in a high-scoring shoot-out. The win moves St Enda’s level on four points with Ballygalget, throwing the relegation battle wide open. While a victory would have put the Oisins in a commanding position to secure safety, they remain nervously looking over their shoulders, sitting just two points above the bottom two.

The match opened at a frantic pace. Seanie McIntosh got the hosts on the board immediately with a point from play in the opening minute, but St Enda’s quickly settled. Cormac Jennings, who would prove lethal all afternoon, responded with a free and a point from play to give the visitors an early edge.

The first half settled into a rhythm of trading scores. Glenariffe relied heavily on the dead-ball accuracy of Alex O’Boyle, who flawlessly punished St Enda’s indiscipline, while Michael O’Boyle and Calum McIlwaine chipped in with fine scores from play. By the 25th minute, Alex O’Boyle’s fifth free of the half had the Oisins firmly in contention.

However, the turning point of the half arrived in the 26th minute. Following a sustained period of St Enda’s pressure, Luke O’Connor broke through the Oisins’ defensive line to rifle home the game’s first goal. Despite a late free from Alex O’Boyle to narrow the gap, St Enda’s took a narrow two-point advantage into the dressing room.

Half-time: St Enda’s 1-11 | Glenariffe Oisins 0-12

Glenariffe came out firing after the restart. Back-to-back points from Oliver Kearney and another Alex O’Boyle free briefly swung the momentum back to the home side. But St Enda’s response was ruthless.

In the 7th minute of the half, Luke O’Connor struck again, bagging his second goal from play to silence the Waterfoot crowd and restore the visitors’ cushion. St Enda’s capitalized on the shock, with Ruairi Donnaghy and Cian O’Connor quickly adding points from play to stretch the lead.

The Oisins refused to lie down. Alex O’Boyle orchestrated a mid-half revival, slotting over four frees in an eight-minute spell, complemented by scores from Michael O’Boyle and McIlwaine. As the game entered the final ten minutes, the tension was palpable.

The decisive blow landed in the 22nd minute. A foul in the square awarded St Enda’s a penalty, and Cormac Jennings stepped up to bury it past the keeper, bringing his personal tally to an immense 1-8 for the day.

Glenariffe pushed hard in the closing stages. Canice McIntosh and Colla Ward found the target from play, and Alex O’Boyle tapped over his 13th free of the match. However, late insurance points from St Enda’s Eoin Conlon, Christopher Roberts, and Jennings ensured the Glengormley men held on for a vital lifeline in their season.

St Enda’s: Cormac Jennings (1-8: 1-0 pen, 0-4f, 0-1 ’65’, 0-3 ), Luke O’Connor (2-5: 2-2, 0-3f).

Glenariffe Oisins: Alex O’Boyle (0-13: 0-13f), Michael O’Boyle (0-3), Canice McIntosh (0-3 ), Callum McIlwaine 0-02, Michael Kearney 0-02

Senior Hurling League

Division One

Dunloy 2-28 Cushendall 2-11

Wednesday 10 June

Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy

Dunloy overcame the challenge of an understrength Cushendall team on Wednesday evening to move clear at the top of the league.  The win was built on a brilliant first half from the Cuchullains that saw them come out of the traps quickest and play at a level that rarely dropped.  The intensity and work rate, especially in the forward unit that saw them score a high number of points from turnover ball will have pleased the Dunloy management.

Keelen Molloy shone, especially in the first half, scoring 1-7 overall and top scoring for the home side while Chrissy McMahon and Nigel Elliott shared six points evenly between them.  Nicky McKeague took over the free taking responsibilities and had five of his nine points from placed ball in a top performance.

Cushendall won’t have taken too much from this game given how many they were missing.  Ryan McCambridge and Conor McCann played well in an overworked defence while Joseph McNaughton and Fiontan Bradley always looked threatening in attack.  Bradely would top score for the Ruairi’s with seven points beside his name at the end of the hour while the goals came from Christy and Joseph McNaughton in either half but the second half was procession like.  Dunloy had nine different scorers over the hour with 2-23 coming from open play and could still afford to hit double figures in wides such was their overall dominance.

The home side had three points on the board inside the opening three minutes with Molloy (two) and McKeague (free) on target while it was the Ruairi’s who scored the first goal of the game.  Christy McNaughton’s long delivery into the danger area wasn’t dealt with by Ryan Elliott in the Dunloy goals and the sliotar went over the line.

The concession of the soft goal did little to deter the Cuchullains however as they scored six unanswered points in the next nine minutes, all from open play with Molloy excelling, McMahon and Ben O’Kane also getting in on the scoring act.

Christy McNaughton would score Cushendall’s first point of the contest in the 14^th minute as they looked to finally get to grips with the Dunloy work rate.  A trio of Fiontan Bradley points in less than two minutes reduced the Dunloy lead to four points before the home side scored their first goal.  It came from a turnover ball deep in the Cushendall half and Molloy punished the error by the Ruairi’s with a tidy finish in the 22^nd minute.

That lead was extended to 11 points going into injury time of the first half when the home side found the back of Conor McAllister’s net once more.  This time it was Eamon Smyth who was making his way towards the goal before finding Ciaran Elliott on the edge of the square.  Elliott’s effort was well saved by McAllister but Smyth was on hand to hammer the rebound to the back of the net giving Dunloy a 2-18 to 1-7 lead at the interval.

Cushendall made the perfect start to the second half with Joseph McNaughton scoring their second major.  Fiontan Bradley turning provider as he made inroads into the Dunloy defence before blind passing to McNaughton and while he still had work to do, his finish was emphatic.

McKeague and Bradley swapped frees before Dunloy went through the gears again.  Another run of six unanswered points in less than 10 minutes with Molloy, McKeague, O’Kane and Nigel Elliott all raising the white flag.

A brace of Bradley frees either side of McKeague’s ninth point of the evening put 17 between the sides with 10 minutes of the contest remaining.

The game rather petered out though with Nigel Elliott splitting the uprights on two occasions and Cushendall sending a number of high ball into the Dunloy defence in search for another major.

Neither side will have learned too much from this game as this fixture falls foul to holiday season.  One of the downsides to the split season as teams look to juggle game time and preparations for later in the summer.

The Cuchullains are back out in action on 21 June as they travel to Loughgiel with the league title within their grasp while Cushendall will travel to St John’s on the same afternoon hoping to get back to winning ways.

TEAMS

Dunloy starting XV: Ryan Elliott; Reece Cunning, Ryan Elliott, Sean Og Blaney; Eamon Smyth, Eoin McFerran, Aodhan McGarry; Ben O’Kane, Aaron Crawford; Nigel Elliott, Paul Shiels, Chrissy McMahon; Ciaran Elliott, Keelan Molloy, Nicky McKeague

• Subs: Paudie McGilligan for P Shiels (43), Oran Quinn for S Og Blaney (52), Barry Scott for C Elliott (52), Jack Martin for A Crawford (52), Conor Mort for K Molloy (54)
• Scorers: K Molloy 1-7, N McKeague 0-9 (5fs), N Elliott 0-3, C McMahon 0-3, B O’Kane 0-3, E Smyth 1-00, S Og Blaney 0-1, P Shiels 0-1, R Elliott 0-1 (1f)

Cushendall starting XV: Conor McAllister; Connor McCann, Liam Gillan, Alex McCambridge; Senan Black, Ryan McCambridge, Charlie McAuley; Callagh Mooney, Fergus McCambridge; Ed McQuillan, Joseph McNaughton, Thomas McLaughlin; Fintan McKillop, Christy McNaughton, Fiontan Bradley

• Subs: Nicholas McNaughton for E McQuillan (24), Darach Bradley for F McKillop (45), Stephen Walsh for A McCambridge (49), Aodhan Campbell for S Black (49), Cahir McCambridge for F McCambridge (58)
• Scorers: F Bradley 0-7 (5fs), J McNaughton 1-1, C McNaughton 1-1, E McQuillan 0-1, R McCambridge 0-1 (1f)

Referee: Declan McGarry (Loughgiel)

To see more of Brendan’s photos from the game, click on the link below…..

https://myalbum.com/album/mrnwkgkPszCaMw/?invite=35bae4cc-4b38-4107-86be-5ca474499b9b

Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

Glenariffe Oisins 3-25 Ballyalget 3-21

Glenariffe held off a late rally by visitors Ballygalget in the high-scoring game in Glenariffe on Sunday. The Oisins led by ten points at halftime and appeared to be comfortable, but the men from the Ards Peninsula staged a late comeback. Though their third goal came deep in injury time, there were still a few anxious moments for the home fans to suffer before match referee Tarlach Conway sounded the final whistle. The win brings their points tally to six and all but secures their place in the Division next season.

In the first half, Glenariffe opened the scoring with a point from play by Brogan O’Connor, but Ballygalget responded with a free of their own from Eoin Pucci. Glenariffe built momentum with multiple points from play, including scores by Oliver Kearney, Alex O’Boyle, and Seanie McIntosh. A well-worked team point by Glenariffe’s Oisín Gillan further extended their lead. Although Ballygalget struggled to keep in touch, they managed key scores from Eoin Pucci via a free and Owen McDermott from play. The Ballygalget goalkeeper made a crucial save at 25 minutes to deny Glenariffe’s Oisín Gillan what seemed a certain goal. However, Glenariffe secured a great goal from play by Alex O’Boyle in first-half injury time, giving his team a commanding ten-point lead at the break. ( Glenariffe Oisins 2-15, Ballygalget 0-11)

Ballygalget started the second half strong with a point from Fergal Gilmore and they could have had more but for the Glenariffe goalkeeper Paul McMullan who responded with a brilliant save from a 20-metre free to maintain his team’s advantage. Ballygalget worked to narrow the gap with points from a sixty-five by Marc Fisher and frees by Eoin Pucci but Glenariffe responded with points from Alex O’Boyle—who scored from a sideline cut and from frees, plus a team point from Seanie McIntosh. Ballygalget showed resilience during this stretch, landing a goal from a 20-metre free by Marc Fisher, a goal from play by Tim Prenter on 32 minutes, and an additional point from Dara Pucci. Glenariffe quickly responded with another goal from play by Oisín Gillan. Late points from frees by Alex O’Boyle helped Glenariffe secure the lead, despite a final goal for Ballygalget from an unknown scorer.1

Glenariffe Oisins: 1 Paul McMullan, 2 Donall Kearney, 3 Colla Ward, 4 Odhran Gillan, 5 Canice Mcintosh, 6 Daniel Kearney, 7 James Kearney, 8 Calum McIlwaine, 9 Niall Magee, 10 Brogan O’Connor, 11 Oliver Kearney, 12 Orrin O Connor, 13 Alex O’Boyle, 14 Seanie McIntosh, 15 Oisín Gillan.

Ballygalget: 1 Eoin Clarke, 2 Michael Toner, 3 Ben Teggart, 4 Caolan Coulter, 5 Jon Fisher, 6 Marc Fisher, 7 Cian Clarke, 8 Tim Prenter, 9 Eoin Pucci, 10 Oisin Coulter, 11 Shea Pucci, 12 Owen McDermott, 13 Daniel Toner, 14 Michael Dorrian, 15 John McManus.

Referee – Tarlach Conway

TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/2ohR7FM4ABvGA6/?invite=da285eeb-ba18-4a71-8590-2a8094640e50

Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

St Endas 4:10 to Cushendall 5:20

With both teams having a few county players return for some game time St Endas and Cushendall played out an entertaining game at Hightown on Wednesday evening, with plenty of goals from both teams.
With a breeze favouring St Endas they were quick out of the blocks and hungry for goals against Cushendall.

It seemed to be that once a team got a goal the opposition went up the field to cancel it out right away.
The game was level at half time St Endas 4-06 with goals from Joe Maskey 2, Niall O Connor and Ruari Donaghy to Cushendalls 3:09, thier goals coming from Ed Mc Quillan and from Joseph Mc Laughlin, who got 2.

The second half Cushendall got to grips with the goal threat from St Endas and built up a lead with scores coming from a variety of players including Neil Mc Manus from placed balls and play.
Joseph added another goal to completed his hat-trick before Christy Mc Naughton added a 5th just before full time.

PICS BY PHILIP OF PMC.JPEG