Ballycastle got their first league points on the board at Pairc MacUílin when they beat visitors Ballygalget by 2-18 to 1-10 in game that was played in a mixture of sunshine and driving rain.
Playing against a stiff wind Ballycastle made a great start and following points from Críostaí McAuley and Ciaran Butler, Orran Donnelly set Butler up for an excellent goal. Eoin Puccie pulled a couple back for the Ards men but two from Neal McAuley, another from Butler and one from Rambo McCarry helped stretch the lead to 1-7 to 0-6 by half time, Ben Teggart chipping in a point to those by Pucci for Ballygalget.
Ballycastle’s Críostaí McAuley wins possession during the win over Ballygalget
With the elements at their back at the start of the second half the town hit the first four points through Orran Donnelly, Neil McAuley (2) and Ronan McCarry to stretch the lead out to nine. As a second heavy shower made conditions even more difficult Ballygallget looked like might sing without trace, but to their credit they played their best hurling of the game as the Pucci brothers Eoin and Shae sent over points and midfielder Fergal Gilmore grabbed a goal and suddenly the gap was back to six.
Ballygalget centre back Ciaran Watson hand pass the ball away
The Down men must have felt they were still in with a chance of salvaging something from the game but their hopes were dealt a bad blow when Ballycastle’s Rambo McCarry soloed through and his in a shot at goal from the right. The shot didn’t appear to carry any real danger, but the wet ball skidded off the hand of the visitors goalkeeper and ended in the net.
There was no way back now for the men in green as Ballycastle finished with a flourish with points from Ryan McCooke, Críostaí McAuley, Orran Donnelly and Lorcan Donnelly to end up eleven clear at the final whistle.
Naomh Eanna made a winning start to this year’s ACHL Division 1 campaign when they defeated McQuillan’s Ballycastle in a low scoring encounter at Hightown on Saturday.
Only a point separated the sides at the halfway stage with a goal from John McGoldrick giving ther Glengormley side a 1-3 to 0-5 lead. The big number 14 added two points and another from Killian Jennings kept their noses in front at the break
Neal McAuley and Ciaran Butler kept the North Antrim side in touch as they shared nearly all their first half scores with both player hitting 0-2 and the other point falling to the stick of Lorcan Donnelly.
Naomh Eanna stepped it up a gear after the break as their main men, John McGoldrick and Killian Jennings continued to carry the greatest threat up front while their defence tightened up considerably.
McGoldrick added four second half points to bring his personal tally for the evening to 1-6 while Jennings weighed in with 0-2 as a shot shy visitors side were left to rely on Neal McAuley for all their three second half scores.
Rossa edged ahead before the break at Pairic Rossa and that gave them the platform for victory as they opened their All County hurling league campaign with a 1-21-1-13 win over Cushendall on Saturday evening.
The visitors settled quickest on the Shaws Road with an angled Christy McLaughlin point giving them the lead and Neil McManus doubled their advantage from the placed ball.
Eoghan McMenamin got his side off the mark and they were soon level when Thomas Morgan capped a flowing team move with a point.
A converted Diarmaid Rogan free edged his side in front for the first time, but Neil McManus was on hand to swing over and restore parity.
Morgan doubled his account for the evening before the opening goal arrived on the 9th minute.
Rossa gave away a free in front of the posts and switched off as Neil McManus lashed low to the net to give his side a 1-03-0-04 lead.
Conor McAlister would keep his sides lead intact with the first of a string of timely blocks at the other end and Stephen Shannon had to make do with a point from the resulting 65’.
Cushendall would open up a goal advantage at the midway point in the opening half. Christy McLaughlin popped over his second and a long range free followed a few minutes later from deadly McManus.
The sides would trade the next four scores evenly. Stephen Shannon (65) and Eoghan McMenamin briefly closed the deficit, only for McManus (free) and a fantastic angled point from Alex Delargy to hold off the hosts resistance.
Rossa would end the half on the front foot and tagged on four unanswered points to take a narrow lead in at the break.
Pearse Shortt popped over his first of the evening, Stephen Shannon launched one over from range, a converted Diarmaid Rogan free restored parity and a minute before the break Morgan was able to steer over under immense pressure to give his side a 0-11-1-07 lead at the interval.
Cushendall were back on terms within two minutes of the restart through a Joe McNaughton score, but Diarmaid Rogan conjured up his third of the evening and first from play in response and quickly followed that with another to extend the half time lead.
Another point from Shortt opened up a three-point lead and better was to come for the hosts when Michael Armstrong’s free was fumbled by Conor McAlister and dropped into the net to make it 1-14-1-08.
By the midway point in the second period it looked as though Rossa were building up ahead of steam as Diarmaid Rogan added another three points to his personal tally.
All three came from the placed ball, scoring his third free of the evening before landing two 65s within minutes of each other.
The hosts couldn’t afford to get comfortable though as Ruairi Og demonstrated their battling qualities with three unanswered scores.
Talisman McManus struck two from play and Ryan McCambridge dropped over a fine point from range.
Thomas Morgan halted the momentum momentarily as Neil McManus responded with his fifth score from the placed ball.
Further scores were traded between Eoghan McMenamin and Paddy McGill as Cushendall sought a goal that would set up a grandstand finish.
The hosts defence stood strong in the closing minutes though and late points from Thomas Morgan and McMenamin secured an opening day victory for the Shaws Road outfit.
Rossa: D Moran, O McVicker, C Orchin, N Crossan, J Kerr, C McGuiness, S Shannon (0-03, 0-02 65’), C Shannon, D Rogan (0-07, 0-03f, 0-02 65’), E McMenamin (0-04), P Shortt (0-02), M Armstrong (1-00f), D Rocks, T Morgan (0-05), D McCartney.
Cushendall: C McAlister, J McCurry, R McCollam, M Burke, S Black, L Gillan, A Birt, F McCambridge, R McCambridge (0-01), J McNaughton (0-01), N McManus (1-07, 1-04f), P McKillop, C McLaughlin (0-02), P McGill (0-01), A Delargy (0-01).
The second match in a double-header in Father Healy Park today saw the opening of the Division 1 League between Loughgiel Shamrocks GAC and Ballycran GAC. The game started as it finished with a great competitive edge shown by both respective teams. A succession of multiple scores by frees by Maol Connolly were matched by a seemingly endless number of scores by Odhran McFadden. Both teams rivalled each other in an equal playing field, mirroring one another throughout the first half. Scores from Paul Sheehan, Conor Woods and Christopher Egan were keeping Ballycran in motion against their North Antrim counterparts, but the gap between scores was narrowed by a superb goal by Eoin McGarry, further bolstering the scoreline before the end of the first half.
Half Time
Loughgiel Shamrocks 1:09 Ballycran GAC 0:19
Loughgiel began the second half with a more organised front, preventing Ballycran from moving forward, but once more efforts by Paul Sheehan and Phelim Savage were keeping Ballycran’s noses in front. Loughgiel continued its more aggressive manoeuvring through the very physical game with great scores made by Maol Connolly and Eoin McGarry, keeping the Shamrocks abreast of their opponents, Ballycran’s Paul Sheehan was continuously proving his ability in picking off scores from frees, consequently ensuring that Ballycran would not leave Loughgiel defeated. With Loughgiel ahead by a point two minutes into added time, it looked like the home side had done enough, but a late score by Liam Savage brought the Ards men level at the final whistle.
Stephen Keith 2. Manus Gilmore 3. Cormac McAlister 4. Brad Watson 5. Brett Nicholson 6. Liam Savage 7. Aaron Dorrian 8. Michael Hughes 9. Ethan Bell 10. Steven Gilliland 11. Phelim Savage 12. Paul Sheehan 13. Eoin Kelly 14. Conor Woods 15. Christopher Egan 16. Cahal Lavery 17. Sean McCarthy 18. David Gilliland 19. Hugh James Torney 20. Mark Egan 21. Patrick Hughes 22. Rory Corcoran 23. Dara Rodgers 26. Paul Miskimmin
With the league title already residing in Fr Healy Park, Dunloy out-scored visitors Ballycastle in a high scoring encounter at Pearse Park on Sunday.
With their county players back on board the Cuchullian’s had too much fire power in the end for a Ballycastle team who produced some excellent spells of hurling themselves with both sides probably using this game as preparation for the forthcoming championship.
Eoin O’Neill was in great form for the home side and netted within 10 seconds to give his side a lead they would not lose over the hour.
Points from O’Neill and Ryan McGarry for Dunloy in response to similar scores from Seamus and Neal McAuley for Ballycastle kept the score board ticking before O’Neill got in for his second goal with 7 minutes on the clock.
It was the Cuchullian’s who continued to call the shots as Chrissie McMahon, Keelan Molloy 0-2 and Phelim Duffin with a massive point from inside his own half moved the home side 2-4 to 0-3 ahead after 13 minutes, the Ballycastle point coming from Neal McAuley.
Dunloy continued to press forward with points from Keelan Molloy and Kevin McKeague before the visitors replied through Aaron Mooney and James McLister with Coby Cunning and Ciaran Butler exchanging further minors.
The ‘Castle’ were battling hard and were rewarded for their efforts when Neal McAuley finished a well worked attack with a goal in the 20th minute and the same player added a pointed free and another from play by the 25th minute.
It was the Pearse Park side who finished the half on the front foot however as Keelan Molloy, Nigel Elliott, Coby Cunning and Molloy again add unanswered points to leave the home side 2-12 to 1-8 ahead at the break.
Dunloy started the second half as they had the first with Coby Cunning firing home their third goal in the opening minute and Keelan Molloy, Cunning and Seann Elliott added points in quick succession.
Lorcan Donnelly replied with a goal for Ballycastle in the 4th minute and followed with a point to raise the visitor’s hopes but three on the bounce from Deaglan Smyth, Seann Elliott and Keelan Molloy moved the championship holders 12 ahead by the 13th minute.
It was as good as over at this stage but to their credit Ballycastle never gave up and out-scored the home side 6 to 2 in the final quarter with Seamus McAuley leading the way.
McAuley added 0-3 to his side’s total with Ciaran Butler 0-2 and Conor Boyd on target for the visitors while Chrissie McMahon replied for a Dunloy side who could just be running into form with the championship looming on the horizon.
