Category / Division 1

by thesaffrongael

Cuchullains Edge Portaferry to Take The Points

Senior Hurling League

Division One

Dunloy 1-25 Portaferry 1-23

Sunday 31 May

Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy

Dunloy recorded a narrow victory on Sunday evening as Portaferry left Pearse Park empty handed.  In a hugely entertaining game, it took the second half cameo performance from Conal Cunning to get the Cuchullains over the line.

Playing in a Dunloy shirt for a league match for the first time since June 2024, Coby’s accuracy from placed ball and overall attacking play gave the home side a much needed edge with Portaferry looking like they were poised to take the league points.

Trailing by four points at half time, the Down side were excellent in the second half with the sharp shooting of Cathal Coleman exemplary.  He would finish with 13 points beside his name while the direct running and trickery of Daithi Sands meant they always had a threat.  Niall Mulligan and substitute Tom McGrattan also shone but Dunloy did enough.

Cunning would top score for the Cuchullains but with 13 players recording scores and all starting six forwards on the scoresheet by half time, the home side were well worthy of their half time lead.

Playing with a wind at their back in the opening 30 minutes, Ryan Elliott’s bullet like puck outs were a top attacking threat for Dunloy while their movement in the middle third meant there was always space to exploit.  The battle between full forward Luke McFerran and Darragh Mallon a fascinating sub plot to the game with the Portaferry man penalised on three occasions for off the ball infringements throughout the contest.

After an even opening 10 minutes, Portaferry had a one point lead.  Scores coming from Sands (2), Finn Turpin, Coleman and Deaglan Mallon came in response to points from Francis McMullan, Aaron Crawford, Luke McFerran and Nicky McKeague (free).

Dunloy would wrestle some early momentum by firing over four points unanswered in the space of just four minutes.  Nigel Elliott and Chrissy McMahon raising white flags while they converted frees from McKeague and goal keeper Ryan Elliott to take a three point lead after the opening quarter.

A brace of points from Coleman (one free) were answered by points from Ciaran Elliott and Aodhan McGarry before Elliott would score the opening goal of the game.  Turning his man with one dip of his shoulder, ‘Cat’ had one thought on his mind and made no mistake despite the best efforts of Conor Kelly between the sticks for Portaferry.  McKeague added another free, his third of the contest before Portaferry struck back.  Points from Coleman (’65), Matthew Conlon and Turpin reduced the Dunloy lead to four points with a little over six minutes remaining of the first half.Dunloy would maintain that deficit with scores coming from McKeague (free), Paul Shiels and McMahon while Portaferry had the accuracy of Coleman from placed ball to thank as the teams went into the half time break with the scoreline 1-14 to 0-13 in Dunloy’s favour.

That four point lead soon changed to five when Francis McMullan converted a free at the start of the half but it was Portaferry who wrestled the early momentum.  Another brace of points from Coleman (one free) came before Neal Rogers fired to the back of the Dunloy net.  Daithi Sands with the initial break but his shot was saved superbly by Ryan Elliott.  Rogers was first to the rebound however with his major restoring parity to the scoreline.

The home side responded by hitting three of the next four points, frees apiece from Francis McMullan and Conal Cunning either side of Nigel Elliott’s second of the match while Coleman’s third white flag of the half was the solitary response for Portaferry.

With both sides playing a similar style of hurling, there was a danger of them cancelling each other out.  Those fears were soon allayed though with both players playing at a top level and not a bad stroke placed.  Both attacks were to the fore in the final quarter with substitute Tom McGrattan, Deaghlan Mallon and Coleman (free) scoring in response to a brace of points from Conal Cunning and Keelan Molloy.

Further scores from Conal Cunning and fellow substitute Reece Cunning looked to have given the home side a bit of breathing space, the gap three points with six minutes remaining only for three unanswered scores from Sands and Coleman (two) to tie the sides going into injury time.

Dunloy and Conal Cunning finished superbly though with the ace marksman splitting the uprights on three occasions from placed ball in the time that remained with Niall Milligan the solitary response for the visitors.

The home side are tied at the top of the league table going into the ‘split’ with Cushendall while the Ports remaining in the bottom half.

TEAMS

Dunloy Starting XV: Ryan Elliott; Sean Og Blaney, Daire McMullan, Oran Quinn; Eamon Smyth, Eoin McFerran, Aodhan McGarry; Aaron Crawford, Nicky McKeague; Nigel Elliott, Paul Shiels, Francis McMullan; Chrissy McMahon, Luke McFerran, Ciaran Elliott

  • Subs: Keelan Molloy for N McKeague (38), Conal Cunning for C McMahon (38), Reece Cunning for P Shiels (48), Oisin McCamphill for F McMullan (54), Ben O’Kane for D McMullan (59)
  • Scorers: C Cunning 0-6 (5fs), N McKeague 0-4 (4fs), C Elliott 1-1, F McMullan 0-3 (2fs). N Elliott 0-2, C McMahon 0-2, A McGarry 0-1, A Crawford 0-1, P Shiels 0-1, L McFerran 0-1, R Elliott 0-1 (1f), K Molloy 0-1, R Cunning 0-1

Portaferry Starting XV: Conor Kelly; Ryan Convery, Darragh Mallon, Ronan Smyth; Conor O’Neill, Caolan Taggart, Tom Murray; Matthew Conlon, Finn Turpin; Conor Fay, Deaglan Mallon, Niall Milligan; Neal Rogers, Cathal Coleman, Daithi Sands

  • Subs: Sean Milligan for N Rogers (37), Tom McGrattan for C Fay (38), Conor Milligan for R Convery (42), Rossa Byers for D Mallon (54)
  • Scorers: C Coleman 0-13 (10fs, 1’65), D Sands 0-3, N Rogers 1-00, F Turpin 0-2, D Mallon 0-2, M Conlon 0-1, N Milligan 0-1, T McGrattan 0-1

Referee: Declan McGarry (Loughgiel)

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

https://myalbum.com/album/L4sXsmBdiGXsxg/?invite=602249ec-6176-4006-bc60-467db024ae2e

by thesaffrongael

Dall take the points after good contest

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

by thesaffrongael

Johnnies beat Ballygalget in Corrigan Park

Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

St John’s 1-26 Ballygalget 1-16

On Wednesday evening at Corrigan Park, St. John’s hosted Ballygalget, in a compelling Antrim Hurling League Division 1 clash that ultimately saw the home side claim a commanding 1-26 to 1-16 victory.

The match opened with early scores from both teams, featuring a mix of long-range strikes and individual points. St. John’s gradually built a strong lead, driven by consistent scoring from both open play and dead balls. Oisin MacManus and Oisin Donnelly were particularly instrumental during this period, keeping the scoreboard ticking over with impressive accuracy. Ballygalget stayed in the fight with key scores of their own, including notable long-range efforts from Jon Fisher and Marc Fisher, but they were left to rue several missed opportunities. The visitors’ frustration was compounded by the heroics of St. John’s goalkeeper Domhnall Nugent, who produced two crucial point-blank saves to preserve his team’s advantage. The defining moment of the first half came just before the 26-minute mark when a defensive error by Ballygalget was punished by Ruairi Galbraith, who found the back of the net to leave the halftime score at 1-18 to 0-9 in favour of the home side.

Ballygalget started the second half with immediate intent, as Marc Fisher fired over a point within seconds of the restart. The second period became heavily dominated by frees, with Oisin MacManus consistently splitting the posts for St. John’s and Eoin Pucci matching him with multiple conversions for the Ardsmen. A pivotal moment arrived 17 minutes into the half when Ballygalget were awarded a penalty, but Marc Fisher was unable to convert the opportunity, significantly stalling their momentum. To their credit, Ballygalget responded swiftly; just half a minute later, an end-to-end sweeping move culminated in Shea Pucci finishing to the net for a well-worked goal from play.

Despite this lifeline for the visitors, St. John’s maintained their composure, continuing to score consistently from both placed balls and open play to keep Ballygalget at arm’s length. The home side’s clinical efficiency in front of goal proved to be the difference, while Ballygalget were left to reflect on missed chances. The 1-26 to 1-16 final scoreline was a fair reflection of a game marked by strong individual performances from the likes of McManus and Donnelly for St. John’s, alongside Marc Fisher and Shea Pucci for the visitors.

St. John’s: 1 Domhnall Nugent, 2 Michael Darragh, 3 Conall Morgan, 4 Lorcan McCallin, 5 Ryan McNulty, 6 Enda McGurk, 7 Ronan Donnelly, 8 Caoimhin Hanna, 9 Aaron Bradley, 10 James Wilson, 11 Shea Shannon, 12 Oisin Donnelly, 13 Oisin MacManus, 14 Michael Bradley, 15 Ruairi Galbraith.

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

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

https://myalbum.com/album/9LZ9iiTC3VTZ5M/?invite=eca7b93b-c400-4721-b5f2-f88464430b88

by thesaffrongael

Shamrocks strong finish sinks Glenariffe hopes

Antrim Hurling League Division 1

Loughgiel Shamrocks 3-22 Glenariffe Oisin 0-20

The Glenarrife team (and their Loughgiel conterparts) stood for a minutes silence before Wednesday evening”s game in memory of Kathleen McIlwaine, sister of Oisins President Hugh McIlwaine, who died in Canada last week. By coincidence Kathleen’s funeral service was taking place in Canada at the same time

Loughgiel Shamrocks secured a convincing eleven-point victory over Glenariffe in their ACHL Division 1 encounter, heavily driven by a dominant final-quarter display and a standout performance from corner-forward Roan McGarry. Despite Glenariffe showing tremendous resilience and making it a tightly contested affair for much of the second half, the Shamrocks’ overall accuracy and composure in the closing stages proved to be the decisive factor in this league clash.

There wasn”t a lot between the sides in the opening half but goals from highly impressive midfielder Paul Boyle and full forward Shan McGrath were to prove decisive as they sent the Shamrocks in at the break with a two point lead 2-10 to 0-14

The second half opened with Loughgiel on the front foot as Roan McGarry quickly pointed to set the tone. However, Glenariffe responded strongly to the challenge. Alex O’Boyle registered a crucial score before Seanie McIntosh fired over two quick points to bring the sides level. The Oisíns continued to press their case, highlighted by a fantastic point from Michael O’Boyle. Operating out on the right wing, he expertly collected a long, pinpoint puc-out from Glenariffe goalkeeper Paul McMullan and sent the ball over the bar, keeping his team firmly in the mix and the game very much in the balance.

As the half progressed, Glenariffe’s scoring touch suddenly dried up against a tightening Loughgiel defence. The Shamrocks capitalized on this drought, gradually pulling away as they exerted total control over the final ten minutes of the match. By the 29-minute mark, Loughgiel had established a commanding seven-point lead, with Roan McGarry consistently punishing the opposition through his accuracy from dead balls and relentless attacking pressure.

In injury time, McGarry capped off his brilliant individual performance by burying a superbly struck penalty in the 32nd minute, pushing the Loughgiel advantage to ten points and effectively ending any hopes of a Glenariffe comeback. Deep into added time, Loughgiel substitute Finn Henry split the posts with a final late point, stretching the winning margin to eleven and wrapping up a well-deserved victory for the Shamrocks.

Loughgiel Shamrocks: 1 Cormac McFadden, 2 Liam Glackin, 3 Enda Óg McGarry, 4 Caolan Blair, 5 Conall McCloskey, 6 Declan McCloskey, 7 Ben McGarry, 8 Ryan McKee, 9 Paul Boyle, 10 Rónán Fitzgerald, 11 Daniel McCloskey, 12 Eoin McGarry, 13 Roan McGarry, 14 Shan McGrath, 15 Pearce Patterson.

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

Referee – Mark O’Neill

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/zeKChhV8KYj2hd/?invite=5b691325-46fc-4877-865a-be95f0f960bf

by thesaffrongael

Dunloy Bounce Back to Defeat The Town

Senior Hurling League 

Division One

Ballycastle 0-20 Dunloy 3-24

Wednesday 27 May  

Brendan McTaggart reports from Páirc MacUílín, Ballycastle

A brilliant second half performance from Dunloy was enough for them to take the two league points on offer on Wednesday evening as they ended Ballycastle’s unbeaten run in this years league.

The Cuchullains trailed at the interval with Ballycastle leading by one point, in truth, the Town should have been further ahead.  The home side recorded an inordinate number of wides in that opening half that would prove to be costly by the end of the game.  Dunloy went through the gears in the second half, however and with goals coming from Ciaran Elliott and Keelan Molloy adding to Nigel Elliott’s first half effort, the last 10 minutes saw them take the game away from Ballycastle.

Oisin McCallin finished top of the scoring charts with six of his eight points coming from placed ball while Tom McFerran raised the white flag four times in the second half and an overall tally of five points.  Dunloy’s dominance in the second half was down to their defensive organisation however with their half back line excelling.  Ryan McGarry and Eoin McFerran in particular catching the eye.

The home side were excellent in the first half with the movement of their half forward line creating spaces for ball to be delivered into danger areas and while their accuracy let them down more than they would have liked, their ability to punish errors or force errors in the Dunloy defence would have pleased the Ballycastle management.  Five of seven points in a seven minute period in the first half came off errors which Diarmuid McShane in particular was happy to oblige.  He would finish with four points for the half, five overall as he, Conor Donnelly and Seamus McAuley always looked threatening.

Once Dunloy got on top, the Town couldn’t wrestle back the momentum in the final quarter.

In an even opening 10 or so minutes, both sides went toe to toe.  Conor Donnelly, McShane and Reuben McClean (two) finding the target for the home side while Paudie McGilligan, McCallin, Chrissy McMahon and Nicky McKeague had the scoreboard ticking for the Cuchullains.

Further scores from Aaron Crawford and McKeague edged Dunloy ahead but Ballycastle began to get on top and create pressure.  A trio of unanswered points from Conor Donnelly, Seamus McAuley and McShane was answered by a Nigel Elliott point but the home side continued to punish errors in the Dunloy defence.  Conor Donnelly and Niall McClean showing predatory instincts to make the most of the indecision.  A further brace of points from McShane came in response to Tom McFerran’s first of the match to give Ballycastle a three point lead by the 27th minute.

It was the least their efforts deserved in the first half and when Nigel Elliott found the back of the net for the opening goal of the game, it looked like Dunloy would make the most of the waywardness of the home side.

Ballycastle would add further scores from Neal McAuley and substitute Ronan Laverty while Nigel Elliott responded with the last puck of the half to leave the half time score 0-13 to 1-9 in Ballycastle’s favour.

Further scores from McShane, Cathair Donnelly and Laverty came in response to points from Tom McFerran and McCallin as Ballycastle made a sprightly start to the second half.  They wouldn’t score for another 12 minutes however as Dunloy began to take control.  A brace of frees from McCallin came before Ciaran Elliott fired in the second goal of the game in the 41st minute.  McCallin providing the assist after leaving his marker for dead and finding Elliott in space.  McCallin would add another free soon after to give Dunloy a four point lead by the 44th minute.

Seamus McAuley and substitute Lorcan Donnelly halved that deficit with a brace of points, Donnelly’s effort coming with his first touch of the game but the Cuchullains hit finished the contest strongly.

They would score 1-10 in the last 10 minutes of the game, the goal coming from substitute Keelan Molloy as Ciaran Elliott turned provider while McCallin, McFerran and substitutes Aodhan McGarry and Molloy adding to the Dunloy tally.

A brilliant end to the game from Dunloy who ended up with 11 different scorers over the hour.  They will welcome Portaferry to Pearse Park on Sunday while Rossa will travel to the north coast as Ballycastle will hope to get back to winning ways. 

TEAMS

Ballycastle Starting XV: Eamon Elliott; Oran Kearney, Conal Colgan, James Bakewell; Eoin McAlonan, Conor Boyd, Cathair Donnelly; Ardan Kelly, Cormac Donnelly; Reuben McClean, Seamus McAuley, Neal McAuley; Diarmuid McShane, Conor Donnelly, Niall McClean

  • Subs: Ronan Laverty for Cormac Donnelly (24), Niall McKenna for R McClean (40), Lorcan Donnelly for N McClean (47), Reuben McClean for O Kearney (54), Patrick McAlonan for N McAuley (54)
  • Scorers: D McShane 0-5; Conor Donnelly 0-4; R McClean 0-2; S McAuley 0-2; R Laverty 0-2; C Boyd 0-1; A Kelly 0-1; N McAuley 0-1; N McClean 0-1; L Donnelly 0-1

Dunloy Starting XV: Ryan Elliott; Sean Og Blaney, Daire McMullan, Oran Quinn; Eamon Smyth, Eoin McAlonan, Ryan McGarry; Paudie McGilligan, Aaron Crawford; Nigel Elliott, Nicky McKeague, Tom McFerran; Ciaran Elliott, Oisin McCallin, Chrissy McMahon

  • Subs: Keelan Molloy for P McGilligan (43); Aodhan McGarry for O Quinn (44); Ben O’Kane for E Smyth (50); Francis McMullan for C McMahon (54); Paul Shiels for N McKeague (57)
  • Scorers: O McCallin 0-8 (6fs); T McFerran 0-5; N Elliott 1-3; K Molloy 1-1; C Elliott 1-00; N McKeague 0-2; P McGilligan 0-1; A Crawford 0-1; C McMahon 0-1; A McGarry 0-1; P Shiels 0-1

Referee: Kevin Parke (Naomh Éanna)

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

https://myalbum.com/album/mL9yqMsb63TfaZ/?invite=db505334-d561-4b6b-9048-01c424f1f16a