On 13th July, St Galls welcomed Eoghan Ruadh Dungannon to Milltown for an ACHL div 2 game. This was the Tyrone men’s 1st game back since the untimely death of their Senior hurling icon Damian Casey (RIP).
St Galls Senior Hurling Panel and Management decided to do a collection among themselves in memory of Damian for the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.
The collection was handed over by St Galls captain Jack Hopkins to Eoghan Ruadh players Padraig and Aodhan McHugh.
Before referee Brendan Toland threw the ball in, both teams, their respective management teams and the supporters in attendance paid their respects for Damian with an impeccably observed minutes silence.
Everyone from Naomh Gall wish Eoghan Ruadh Dungannon well for the rest of the season and ask that if anyone can, please support the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust with a donation as you never know when they may be needed.
The game itself was a great conest which the Tyrone men won by a single point on a scoreline of 0-18 to 2-11
An injury time point by Fiachra McVeigh saw Carey Faughs snatch a late victory over Glenariffe on Wednesday evening in Waterfoot to keep his team’s promotion hopes alive. Five minutes from the end of normal time it appeared the Faughs’ hopes of victory were slipping away as the home team led by three points. However the Carey men kept plugging away and unanswered points from Conor McBride (2), and Conlith McKinley brought them level before McVeigh sealed the win with late score.
Paul McDonnell scores and early Glenariffe goal.
With both teams fielding without a host of regulars, due to injuries and holiday’s, the Oisins (whose full forward line had a combined age of 109) started strongly and a point from Alex O’Boyle and an early goal from Paul McDonnell put them four clear. With Conor McBride showing great accuracy from frees, and play, the Carey men hit eight of the next ten scores, six of them from Conor and one each from Daniel Martin and Colm McBride to open up a two point lead by the 19th minutes, but Glenariffe came back with five in a row through Alex McDonnell, Donall Kearney, Oliver Kearney and Seanan McToal.
McBride and O’Boye exchanged a couple of points each but the Oisin finished the half with a flourish and a goal from 42 year old Dan McKillop helped them to a 2-11 to 0-11 lead at the break.
Oisins Ciara Farrell gathers possession.
The early minutes of the second half saw the Oisins maintain that six point gap, and when Alex O’Bpyle extended that to seven in the 38th minute it looked good for the home side. However they would raise just one more flag in the remaining 22 minutes of normal play as Carey started to chip away that the lead. McBride’s accuracy from placed balls was vital as he hit the next four without reply, three of them from frees. Alex O’Boyle ended a 13 minute scoreless spell for Glenariffe when he split the posts from a free to give his team a three point lead.
The home team were still three to the good with just four minutes to play as McBride missed two frees he would normally put over with ease, but he sorted out his radar to hit the target with his next two to cut the deficit to a single point. When Conlith McKinley brought the Faughs back on terms a minute into injury time it appeared the teams would share the points, but there was still time for a winner and after three Oisins players fluffed the lines, Fiachra McVeigh kept his cool to hit the target and send his team home with the points.
Bredagh remain firmly in the promotion hunt to division one following a hard fought six-point win at Randalstown on Wednesday night writes Paul McIntyre.
It was a deserving win for Danny Hughes side but they had to rely on a late scoring flourish to see off the challenge of the home side.
With just five minutes remaining the sides were locked at 1-15 apiece, but the South Belfast side found another gear to rattle off the final six points of the game to record their tenth win of the season.
But it was Randalstown who made all the early running.
Ciaran McKeown pointed almost straight from the throw-in and minutes later they held a four-point lead after the game’s first goal.
The Bredagh defence failed to deal with Eamon Óg McAllister’s free and after a goalmouth scramble, Colm Duffin appeared to get the last touch to the sliotar as it trickled into the Bredagh net past Ian Galway.
Niall Smyth opened Bredagh’s account but his score was quickly followed by points from Declan Mallon and Ciaran O’Neill to help Tír na nÓg to a healthy five-point lead.
Bredagh responded by converting the next four points to cut the gap to just one but Kevin McCann and McAllister pushed Randalstown’s lead back to three.
Both sides continued to create chances but the finishing left a lot to be desired as both sets of forwards were guilty of some poor finishing.
The nip and tuck nature of the half continued to the break where Tír na nÓg held a slender two-point lead, 1-8 to 0-9.
Six minutes into the second half Brian Fitzgerald pointed to give Tír na nÓg a three-point lead, but within seconds the game was all square.
Sean McGourty fielded Galway’s puck out and picked out the unmarked Sean Hughes, who took full advantage of the space that he was afforded and fired home high to the net giving Kevin Sheerin no chance whatsoever.
As the half progressed there was little to separate the sides and with ten minutes to play it was all to play for with the teams each registering 1-14 on the scoreboard.
McAllister was carrying the can for the home team and the half forward almost grabbed a second major for the blues with five minutes to go but Galway saved smartly from the half forward’s powerful shot.
As the game ticked towards its finish Bredagh found a bit more space going forward as Tír na nÓg went chasing a winner, and the Belfast men took full advantage.
Tiarnan Sheehan pointed before Niall McFarland registered his second of the game after Oran McFlynn and Michael Napier both went close to claiming a second Bredagh goal.
Hughes then pointed with the goal at his mercy but it mattered little as Bredagh dominated the closing minutes and claim a valuable six-point win and maintain their drive for promotion.
Teams & Scorers:
Tír na nÓg Randalstown: Kevin Sheerin, Conor McCamphill, Daniel Martin, Neil Shannon, Oliver McAtamney, Ciaran O’Neill (0-1), Manus Smith, Emmet Martin, Ciaran McKeown (0-1), Declan Mallon (0-1), Eamon Óg McAllister (0-8 3f), Niall Devlin (0-2), Kevin McCann (0-1), Colm Duffin (1-0), Brian Fitzgerald (0-1).
Replacement: Conor McKenna for McCann (47).
Bredagh: Ian Galway, Michael Woods, Lawrence Smyth, Liam Hogan, Chris Ferry, Declan McCartney, Tiarnan Sheehan (0-3 1 ‘65’), Mark Patterson, Niall Smyth (0-1), Sean Hughes (1-9 4f), Niall McFarland (0-2), Sean McGourty (0-2), Oran McFlynn (0-3), Aaron Carey, Michael Napier.
Foolowing their defeat at Carey on Sunday, Cloney Gaels strengthened their second place in division 2 with a comprehensive victory over Oisin Glenariffe in Cloney last night. The Ahoghill side were never troubled and two first half goals from PJ O’Connell and another from James O’Connell put them in a commanding position at half time when they led 3-10 to 0-6.
The visitors struggled to keep pace with a rampant home side with four of their first half points coming from Alex O’Boyle frees and the other two from Michael O’Boyle and Seanie McIntosh. Donal Graham, James O’Connell, Owen Neeson, PJ O’Connell and Eamon Brady were all on target for the home side with James O’Connell providing six, five from frees.
It didn’t get any better for an understrength Oisin’s after the break as the home side continued to score as Owen Neeson, Ronan Graham, PJ O’Connell, Patrick Graham, James O’Connell, Bernard Graham, Donal Graham and Gerard Graham added their names to an ever increasing points tally.
The visitors kept battling against almost impossible odds and Shane O’Connor 0-2, Seanie McIntosh, Conor Robert Patterson and Seamus McDonnell added second half points but these were merely consolation scores as James O’Connell added two second half goals to bring his personal tally to 3-12 for the evening.
Cloney Gaels scorers: James O’Connell 3-12, PJ O’Connell 2-2, Donal Graham 0-2, Patrick Graham 0-2, Owen Neeson 0-2, Eamon Brady, 0-1, Ronan Graham 0-3, Gerard Graham 0-1.
Oisin scorers: Alex O’Boyle 0-4, Seanie McIntosh 0-2, Shane O’Connor 0-2, Michael O’Boyle 0-1, Conor Robert Patterson 0-1, Seamus McDonnell 0-1
James O’Connell who scored 3-12 for Cloney Gaels in their win over Oisin Glenariffe last night
Following the corresponding meeting when Bredagh ran out comfortable winners, it was Creggan’s turn this time as they fired over 2 frees in injury time to take the points. The home side led by 5 points at half time and it was nip & tuck throughout the second half. A 58-minute Bredagh goal levelled proceedings and it took Creggan 2 injury time frees to secure the win.
Conor McCann pointed first for Creggan in the opening minute and Niall McAuley edged them 2 in front seconds later. Bredagh responded and the impressive Sean Hughes fired over 5 frees by the 14th minute with the home side responding through Conor McCann who added 7 further points to his tally.
Rory McCann, Keelan McCann & Teddy McKeown got on the score sheet to leave Creggan 5 points up at the short whistle. Sean McGourty pointed in the 26th minute for the visitors while Sean Hughes pointed the next 3 scores from play.
HALF TIME SCORE: CREGGAN 0.14 v BREDA 0.9
Referee, Niall Clifford, got second half proceedings underway and Conor McCann for Creggan and Sean Hughes for the visitors both added to their tally with a free 4 minutes into the second half.
Hughes got the next 2 points for the visitors – one from play and one from free but McCann replied with 3 additional pointed frees by the 49th minute. Sean McGourty got on the end of a poor puck out to narrow the gap with Creggan 4 points ahead and Bredagh’s Oran McFlynn pointed from play to leave only a goal between the sides.
There was little between the sides at this stage and In the 58th minute Michael Napier closed down Creggan’s goalkeeper, Brendan Prenter, and managed to blast the ball to the net which levelled the match.
In a frantic 3 minutes of injury time Bredagh contributed to their own downfall as they conceded two silly frees close to their own goal and Conor McCann stepped up to put Creggan 2 points ahead with 2 simple conversions.
Referee, Niall Clifford from Armagh, signalled to Bredagh’s goalkeeper, Ian Galway, that he would allow one more play and the visitors pushed everyone up into Creggan’s half and their goalkeeper lashed the ball out in search of a goal and as Creggan’s Thomas McCann took possession the whistle blew ending proceedings.
