O’Neills ACHL Division One 

Rossa 1-11-0-17 Ballycastle 

Kevin Herron reports from Pairc Rossa 

Four-unanswered Tiernan Smyth points in the last ten minutes saw Ballycastle make it back-to-back league wins with a 0-17-1-11 win over Rossa on the Shaws Road on Sunday. 

Smyth ended the afternoon with ten points to his name- five either side of the interval. Rossa had left themselves with work to do at the break, though Stephen Beatty’s goal sparked a fightback that saw the hosts back on terms going down the home straight. Only for Smyth to settle things. 

Having had a bye in the last round of fixtures, Rossa went into the Easter Sunday encounter hoping to claim their first win of the campaign at the second time of asking. 

The Shaws Road outfit were defeated in their league opener against Portaferry, the side that Ballycastle defeated in their last outing and the North Antrim side were hoping to make it successive league wins on the spin. 

Rossa were first off the mark through a converted Aodhan O’Brien free, but Cailin O’Connor responded with a tremendous point from a tight angle at the other end. 

Playing with a strong wind advantage in the opening half, Ballycastle went in front. Ronan McCarry landing a free and Neal McAuley then floated one over from distance to open up a 0-03-0-01 lead. 

A foul on Eoin Trainor lead to O’Brien reducing the deficit and the hosts restored parity when Thomas Morgan swung an effort over the black spot. 

Points were traded through Tiernan Smyth and Aodhan O’Brien- both coming from the placed ball. 

McAuley struck his second and likewise Tiernan Smyth doubled his tally for the day shortly after, however Thomas Morgan twisted inside and jinked out before popping a shot between the large posts. 

Ballycastle would extend their lead to six with five unanswered points. Lorcan Donnelly flicked over to start the purple patch, Tiernan Smyth dropped over a 65’ and followed that up with another brace of converted frees, the last of the scores coming through Ronan McCarry. 

Stephen Beatty would reply with a point in injury-time and although his side would be playing the wind advantage in the second period, they had a lot of work to do, trailing 0-11-0-06. 

The visitors stretched their lead through a converted Tiernan Smyth free shortly after the resumption. 

First half substitute Eoghan McMenamin got his side up and running in the second period and the hosts were back in business on 36 minutes.

Thomas Morgan claimed possession and headed goal wards, despite his shot being parried by goalkeeper Ryan McCarry- Stephen Beatty was on hand to poke the loose ball over the line. 

Although there were appeals to the contrary- referee Lorenzo McMullan awarded the goal and Rossa were just two behind (0-12-1-07). 

Momentum was with home side and points from O’Brien and Morgan ensured that it was level pegging with little over a quarter of an hour remaining.

Ballycastle restored their slender lead through a point from substitute Feargal McKiernan, only for McMenamin to quickly cancel it out and restore parity at the other end. 

It was the last time the sides were to be level as Tiernan Smyth would prove the difference in the last ten minutes. 

Ballycastle’s talisman hit four unanswered points, all coming from frees from a variety of ranges and angles to ensure his side were four ahead in injury-time. 

An Aodhan O’Brien point from range was all that Rossa could respond with as they fell to their second league defeat of the campaign. 

For Ballycastle it is back-to-back wins, which sees them in a four-way tie at the summit at this early stage. 

Rossa: D Armstrong, A Orchin, C McGuinness, N Devlin, P Short, Stephen Shannon, J Kerr, C Shannon, E Trainor, Seaghan Shannon, T Morgan (0-03), A O’Brien (0-05, 0-03f), D Rogan, S Beatty (1-01), O May. Subs:E McMenamin (0-02) for A Orchin (19), M Devlin for O May (46). 

Ballycastle: Ryan McCarry, O Kearney, T McIlroy, J McGowan, C Colgan, M Donnelly, R Laverty, N McAuley (0-02), R McCook, C Connor, Ronan McCarry (0-02, 0-01f), C O’Connor (0-01), L Donnelly (0-01), O McAuley, T Smyth (0-10f). Subs: F McKiernan (0-01) for O McAuley (41), R McClean for C Connor (58). 

Referee: Lorenzo McMullan (Bredagh)

Cushendall: 0-16 loughgiel: 1-18

Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

Cushendall 0-16  Loughgiel 1-18

Loughgiel came from nine points down at half time to beat Cushendall by five in Sunday’s Antrim League game at Pairc Mhuir, Cushendall. With the strong breeze at their backs in the first half Cushendall were in complete control and Alex Delargy, Christy McNaughton and Ronan McAteer picking off the points they went on to lead by 0-13 to 0-4 at half time. They had a couple of chances to increase that lead early in the second half but missed them and slowly but surely the Shamrocks began to chip away at their lead.

 A defensive slip that let Shan McGrath in for a Loughgiel goal seven minutes after the restart had a major bearing on the outcome and Loughgiel took control to win in the end by five.

Paddy McGill came back with a point after the goal but in a ten minutes spell the Shamrocks hit eight points in a row, three from Shan McGrath, two from Dan McCloskey, one from Declan Closkey and one from Damian Quinn.

That run of scores put Loughgiel ahead by two, and though Christy McNaughton cut it back to one with five minutes left to play, Loughgiel finished strongly with points from Declan McCloskey, John Francis Connolly, Cathal Hargan and Shan McGrath to win in the end by five.

Antrim Hurling League Division 1

Naomh Eanna 1-17 Ruairi Og 1-15

St Enda’s manager Michael McCambridge scored a win over his old cub on Sunday when the Hightown men beat Cushendall at Glengromley.

There was little between the sides in the opening half as Cushendall’s Paddy McGill and St Enda’s John McGoldrick slogged it out in a free taking contest and at half time the home side had the better of things and took a 0-8 to 0-7 lead to the changing rooms.

Three in a row midway through the second half from Malachi McGibbon, Cormac Jennings and  Eddie O’Connor gave St Enda’s the edge. Cushendall pulled a couple back but when John McGoldrick fired a free to the Cushendall net they held the upper hand.

Substitute Christy McNaughton threw his team a lifeline when he goaled and added a point from play in quick succession, but St Enda’s were not to be outdone and they held on for a famous win

ACHL Div 1

Cuchullain’s Dunloy 0-23 Cathaoir an ri 2-17

Cahaoir An Ri dipped their toes into life in division 1 of the ACHL and on the evidence of what they produced today in Dunloy, they will give a lot of sides a run for their money.

They recovered from a slow start as the home side, minus their county players came flying out of the traps and went into a 0-3 to 0-0 lead after 5 minutes with Ronan Molloy striking two long distance points and Eamon Smith hitting another.

Sean McBride finally got Cathaoir An Ri off the mark when he out jumped the Dunloy defence to flick over a dropping ball and then a fairly harmless looking shot from Johnny McBride took a wicked deflection of Conor McKinley’s stick and ended in the Dunloy net to put the visitors in front for the first time.

Conlaith McKinley pointed a free as the visitors began to believe and then Daniel McBride in the Carey goals brought off a smart save to deny Anton McGrath as the Cuchullain’s tried to respond.

Normal service seemed to have resumed as Aidan McGarry struck three superb long range frees and two more from Darra Mullan and Barry Scott moved the home side three in front but Eoin Hill replied with a good point for the Ballyvoy men to keep them in touch with 12 minutes gone.

The game was moving at a fast pace despite the tricky underfoot conditions as Dunloy moved five ahead through Eamon Smith and Kevin Molloy before McKinley replied from a 40 meter free to keep the visitors within touching distance.

The Cathaoir An Ri defence were playing out of their skin to deny their opponents with Colm McBride, James McCouaig and Shea Hunter getting through a power of work but points from Nicky McKeague and Aidan McGarry from a ‘65’ moved Gregory O’Kane’s side seven in front by the 21st minute.

The Ballyvoy side replied through their own ace free taker Conlaith McKinley and an excellent point from play from Shea Hunter with Ronan Molloy and Aidan McGarry with his fifth of the half keeping daylight between the sides.

It was Cathaoir An Ri who finished the half with a flurry however with Conlaith McKinley, Connor McBride 0-2 and McKinley again from play on target but Aidan McGarry pointed two late frees to move the home side four in front at the interval.

The Ballyvoy side opened the second half on the front foot and Connor McBride fired to the net in the opening minute and Caolan McCaughan followed with a point to leave it all square.

McGarry and McBride exchanged further points as Cathaoir An Ri matched the home side all the way throughout the second half but they were never able to get their noses in front.

It was end to end hurling at this stage with the intensity of the game increasing with the excellent Aidan McGarry and Nicky McKeague keeping the scoreboard ticking and Conlaith McKinley and Shea Hunter responding for Cathaoir An Ri.

And that was how it would continue though Carey will rue a series of wides when well on top and McBride looked in for a second goal but pulled his shot wide.

It looked to be all in vain when Conal Kelly edged the home side one ahead again but Sean McBride tied it with a point at the other end and Barry Scott pulled a late shot wide for the home side with the last puck of the game.

It would have been cruel on the visitors who showed tremendous fighting spirit throughout and if they can maintain that level of commitment and skill throughout their first division 1 campaign for quite a while then there is no reason why they cannot survive in the higher grade.

Dunloy: 1 Eoghan Richmond, 2 Oran Quinn, 3 Conor McKinley, 4 Kevin McKeague, 5 Dara McMullan, 6 Conor Kinsela, 19 Aodhan McGarry, 7 Eamon Smith, 8 Ciaran McQuillan, 10 Barry Scott, 11 Gabriel McTaggart, 12 Ronan Molloy, 13 Anton McGrath, 14 Kevin Molloy, 15 Nicky McKeague, Barry McCluskey, 18 Eoin McFerran, 21 Cahir McCloskey, 22 Calum Mullan, 23 Tom McFerran, 25 Francis Mullan, Conal Kelly

Cathaoir An Ri: 1 Daniel McBride, 2 Daniel Hill, 3 Colm McBride, 4 Somhairle Mathers, 5 Shea Hunter, 6 James McCouaig, 7 Zach McCaughan, 8 Seamus Black, 9 Eoin Hill, 10 John McBride, 11 Caolan McCaughan, 12 Conlaith McKinley, 13 Eoin McKinley, 14 Sean McBride, 15 Joshua Mullan, Sub: 17 Connor McBride

Referee: Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel)

Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

Ballycastle 1-18  Portaferry 0-10

Report and pics by Brian McKee

After their opening convincing victory over Rossa in week 1 of the ACHL, Portaferry undertook the long journey to Ballycastle with some optimism. However an opening goal from the home team’s Lorcan Donnelly after only 25 seconds was a warning sign that they were up against a McQuillan’s side that was determined to get their first points in this year’s league campaign.

Portaferry got the scoreboard ticking shortly afterwards when Padraig Doran split the Ballycastle posts with a pointed free. A further point from play by Doran was matched by Donnelly. Cian Waldron ventured out to the middle of the field and picked up a point from play for Ballycastle, but Portaferry kept in touch through two long range points from midfielder Connor O’Prey.

The soft ground underfoot made fast flowing play difficult and the rest of the opening half was a dual between Donnelly and Doran, with each of them picking off a further 3 points to leave Ballycastle ahead at the break by 1-05 to 0-07.

The second half started well for Portaferry with Connor O’Prey picking up a further point in the first minute of the restart but Ballycastle did not take long to take control of the game.  A great catch by Ronan Lavery for Ballycastle led to a pointed free by Tiernan Smyth. Ballycastle pushed further ahead following a great pick up by Seamus McAuley from the puck out and a surging run through the Portaferry defence saw him move Ballycastle a further point ahead.

Ballycastle continued to push further ahead as the second half progressed. Although they were well on top by the 10^th minute of the second half, they will not be happy with the number of missed opportunities and a tendency to overplay the ball when presented with scoring opportunities. The men in black and amber will be delighted with the 11 point win that gets their league campaign back on track, while Portaferry will hoping to be at full strength for their home game against St Enda’s in seven days’ time. 

Ballycastle: Ryan McGarry, Jack McGowan, Thomas McIlroy, Conal Colgan, Oran Kearney (0-01), Ronan Lavery, Matthew Donnelly, Reuben McLean (0-01), Ryan McCook,  Cathal Connor, Ronan McCarry, Ferghal McKiernan, Lorcan Donnelly (1-05), Oisin McAuley, Cian Waldron (0-02), Tiernan Smyth (0-07), Cailin O’Connor, Conleth McCaughan, Seamus McAuley (0-02), Michael Dallat, Tiarnan Hegarty, Darragh Kelly, Conall Magee, Eoin McAlonan, Paddy McAlonan

Portaferry: Paddy McNally, Neil White, Callum Smyth, Ryan Convery, Ronan Smyth, Conor O’Neill, Richard Keenan, Matthew Conlan, Connor O’Prey (0-03), Conor Fay,  Eoin Magee, Padraig Doran (0-07), Conor Mageean, Aaron O’Prey, Leuan Byers, Michael Doran, Danny Gilmore, Kevin McGarry, Calum McNamara, Colm O’Neill, Jude Roddy, Fergal Rogers, Noah Rogers, Coran Trainor

Referee: Kevin Parke