After a good start to life in division3 and an away win at Gort na Mona, All Saints have found it difficult to get further points on the table and their cause on Saturday wasn’t helped by the absence of top scorer, Ciaran Neeson and his brother Colm.
Never the less the home side played some good hurling against an Armagh Cuchullains who brought a wealth of experience with them and sit top of the division with three wins from three starts and are likely to be challengers for the title at season’s end.
New manager Chris Dornan has his side playing well and will be pleased to have Joseph O’Rawe, one of the most promising minor’s from a year ago, back on board.
O’Rawe marked his debut with two points while Eoin McGuigan scored his third goal in two games and despite defeat there were encouraging signs that things are going in the right direction for the Ballymena side.
All Saints: Ciaran Cassley 2. Dwayne McKee 3. Gary Miskella 4. Kevin Brady 5. Cathaoir Cunning 6. Liam Cassley 7. Daniel Grey 8. Padraig Magill 9. Archie McGreevy 10. Cormac Magill 11. Damien Gillan (c) 12. Niall Murray 13. Eoin McGuigan 14. Joseph O’ Rawe 15. Daniel Kelly Subs: Sean O’ Rawe for Cathaoir Cunning Diarmuid Casey for Daniel Kelly
All Saints suffered their second defeat in three games as they try to find their feet in division 3 of the ACHL after gaining promotion last year but there are signs that they are heading in the right direction.
They travelled to Cloughmills on Sunday to face a Naomh Brid side who were playing their hurling in division 2 a couple of years ago and should be strong contenders for division 3 honours this year and turned in a battling performance before going down by six points.
Ben McQuillan scored two goals for the home side and Eoin Dobbin sent over some excellent frees and had a few from play, Stephen Smyth was in fine scoring form for the ‘biddies’ and Reece Watt celebrated his introduction as a substitute with a goal.
In mid-week All Saints lost by four to a good Glenravel side in Ballymena and Chris Dornan’s side have certainly been competitive and I’m sure the former St. Gall’s manager will be looking at division 3 survival as the first goal for his side this year.
Cloughmills led 1-6 to 0-4 at half time but All Saints came out strongly in the second half and matched their opponents for long periods.
Eoin McGuigan led the way for All Saints with the corner-forward hitting 2-1 over the hour with their other goal coming for mister consistency, Damien Gillan while Ciaran Neeson weighed in with 0-7 (5 frees) in what was an encouraging performance.
Cloughmills: Chris McKernan Joe Smyth Martin Dobbin Jonny Duffin Rian Dobbin Conor Laverty Oran Corrigan Kevin OBoyle Odhran McCurdy Ruairi Laverty Michael Devlin Eoin Dobbin Stephen Smyth Ben McQuillan Liam kearns
All Saints: 1 Ciaran Cassley 2 Archie McGreevy 3 Colum Neeson 4 Kevin Brady 5 Luke O’Rawe 6 Liam Cassley 7 Daniel Gray 8 Padhraig magill 9 Conor Matthew’s 10 Damian Gillan 11 Jack Magill 12 Ciaran Neeson 13 Eoin McGuigan 14 James O’Boyle 15 Cormac Magill
Following defeat at Armoy last weekend, Rasharkin travelled to Enright Park on Sunday to face a Gort na Mona side who lost their opening game to All Saints and who are still missing a number regulars from last year.
St Mary’s seldom looked like letting this one slip and with Connor McKeever in sparkling for at full-forward they took the game to the Enright Park side and had most of the damage done by the halfway stage.
McKeever would finish with 2-6 to his credit (2 frees) and the big number 14 proved unmarkable as he led the Gort’s defence a merry dance while Connor McFerran was another in fine form for the men from Dreen.
This win should set St. Mary’s up for the rest of the season as they battle on two fronts in both football and hurling and with a win in the football league division 3 already under their belts they look set to be returning to division 2 come the end of the season.
Lámh Dhearg claimed their first league win of the campaign with a 2-17-0-11 win over Gort na Mona at Hannahstown on Wednesday evening.
Both sides lost their opening encounters at the weekend and would have been desperate to get up and running with two points at the first opportunity.
It was Gort na Mona who edged ahead early on through a Neil Henry free, though Daniel Murray levelled at the other end.
A chop down on the stick of Emmet Loughran led to David Dixon restoring his sides lead from the placed ball.
Adam Murray would tie things up for a second time from the same scenario after Gerard Smyth was illegally upheld.
The hosts hit the front when Niall McGarry picked out Michael McGuigan for a point, but Dixon landed his second free of the evening to make it 0-03 apiece.
Gerard Smyth immediately restored the Lámhs lead, getting on the end of a long puck-out from Rhys Camlin and measuring his shot to perfection.
A further free from Adam Murray doubled his sides advantage with Dixon reducing arrears to from his third placed ball of the half.
Lámhs talisman Murray brought his personal tally to 0-04, converting a 65’ and his third free of the half, in between a fantastic long-range point from Emmet Loughran that was the Gort’s first from play and left the score 0-07-0-05 at the interval.
The hosts extended their lead after the break with Murray adding to his increasing tally of and Michael McGuigan doubling his account after Donal Martin’s shot was smuggled clear and Murray turned provider.
David Dixon hit back with his fourth converted free and Adam Murray replied with a nice conversion from a tight angle. Points from Ciaran Boyd and a first from play for Murray had their side 0-12-0-06 ahead.
Although Manus MacMaoliain replied for the Gorts, the gap stretched to back to six on three further occasions.
Adam Murray conjured up his second score from play following a neat move involving Niall McGarry and further scores followed through Daire Cunningham and Odrán Waldron (free) and Neil Henry (free) and Emmet Loughran had temporarily cut the gap.
Lámh Dhearg wrapped up the points with 2-02 late on, Daniel Murray popped over his second point of the evening and Gerard Smyth netted a brace in the space of two minutes.
The first after Michael McGuigan’s shot dropped short and Smyth’s initial effort was kept at bay by John Kelly, the full forward followed up with success.
Smyth then got on the end of a delightful cross field pass from Joel Brady and squeezed a further effort beyond the reach of Kelly and into the net to make it 2-16-0-09.
There was still time in the aftermath for Adam Murray to swing over his ninth of the evening for the host’s final score.
Gort na Mona finished with the last two scores through a Neil Henry 65’ and a converted free from substitute Ryan Cahill- though the final outcome was settled well beyond the replies as Lámh Dhearg claimed the spoils.
Lámh Dhearg: R Camlin, C Nolan, C Boyd (0-01), T McKenna, SP Gibson, O Waldron (0-01f), D Murray (0-02), E Stanley, J Brady, D Martin, A Murray (0-09, 0-05f, 0-01 65’), N McGarry, M McGuigan (0-02), G Smyth (2-01), C McGuigan. Subs: D Cunningham (0-01) for C McGuigan (21), A McCauge for N McGarry (59).
Gort na Mona: J Kelly, C Healy, C Devlin, L Dixon, N McGivern, N Gibson, A Hicks, J Connolly, N Henry (0-03, 0-02f, 0-01 65’), G Doyle, G McKenna, E Loughran (0-02), D Dixon (0-04f), M Carlin, M MacMaolain (0-01). Subs: R Cahill (0-01f) for M Carlin (36), T O’Cadhlaigh for G Doyle (60), C Scullion for N McGivern (60).
All Saints Ballymena 0-12 Glenravel Con Magees1-13
Four points separated these teams at the end of a hard fought game on a heavy sod in Quinn Park under floodlights. Heavy rain all week meant free flowing hurling was in short supply as both teams tried their heart out on a turf that in horse racing parlance was “soft to medium”. It was a night for free takers and both teams can lay claim to having experts in that department with Ciaran Neeson for the home side and Ciaran Laverty for the visitors providing half of their team’s scores from placed balls.
The wind went from significant to non existent on several occasions during the match probably confusing both teams equally. Glenravel played into it in the first half and with eight wides and four shots falling short into the keeper’s hands they would have been happy enough to go in at half time all square 0-06 to 1-03. Ciaran Laverty hammering home the Glenravel goal from short range. In that first half Ballymena dominated possession with full forward Ciaran Neeson ably assisted by Damian Gillan and Liam Cassley on the half forward line giving Con Magees plenty to think about. That trio would deliver nine of the dozen points All Saints amassed over the hour.
Two resurgent teams appeared in the second half with both recording a brace of points each before the half was three minutes old. But Glenravel started to edge in front by a few points and were playing the better hurling at this stage. The Ciaran’s, Laverty and Neeson were putting frees over like it was the shoot out at the O. K. Corral but try as they might the home side could not close the gap. As the clock strode towards thirty minutes Glenravel had a three point lead forcing All Saints to go for goal but the Green & White rearguard held out. The final counter attack of the evening saw Conleth O’Loan stretch Glenravel’s lead to four points and effectively kill off the game.
Both teams would have gone into this game with high expectations, buoyed by first round victories at the weekend in Division 3 and Ballymena will definitely think back on a first half dominance which they should have benefitted better from on the scoreboard. They now have a tough encounter next time out away to Cloughmills whilst Glenravel will entertain Lamh Dearg at Maginn Park. Both games throw in at 2pm next Sunday.
Special mention to All Saint’s Luke O’Rawe who gave a masterclass in sideline cuts over the hour. Despite difficult underfoot conditions O’Rawe’s artistry in this most difficult skill, made more so by the heavy underfoot sod was a highlight for spectators from both sides.
