All Saints made their division 3 debut in style on Sunday when they travelled to Enright Park and recorded a six point win over a Gort na Mona side who never quite got to grips with the speed and movement of Dorny’s men.
The Ballymena side took the game to the opposition right from the start with Ciaran Neeson leading the way with some fine points and Jack Magill and Cormac Magill causing problems for the Gort na Mona defence and at half time they held a 1-4 to 0-4 lead and it looked like anybody’s game.
The visitors had the scent of victory in their nostrils however and the prize of a league opening victory in the higher division seemed to spur them on in the second half and despite conceding two second half goals, they always had enough in the tank to see them home.
A brilliant start for All Saints under the management of former Cushendun and St. Gall’s manager, Chris Dornan they look capable of consolidating their position in division 3 this sason and Dorny will certainly have been pleased by his side’s opening day performance.
All Saints: 1 Ciaran Cassley 2 Dwayne McKee 3 Colum Neeson 4 Kevin Brady 5 Cathair Cunning 6 Luke O’Rawe 7 Daniel Gray 8 Padhraig Magill 9 Conor Matthew’s 10 Damian Gillan 11 Jack Magill 12 Liam Cassley 13 Eoin McGuigan 14 Ciaran Neeson 15 Cormac Magill
Subs: PJ O’Kane, Conrad Duffin for Jack Magill, Diarmaid Casey for Vinnie Esler, Daire Hasson for Cormac Lemon, Sean O’Rawe, Daniel McCoy
Con Magees Glenravel came out on top on a high scoring, open game of hurling between two very evenly matched teams. The mid-week rain had made Maginn Park soft underfoot and the heavy sod certainly didn’t facilitate fast flowing hurling but both teams served up a fine display of our national game nonetheless. Both teams ended up with total of eight different scorers on the day but two individuals in particular kept the scoreboard men busy. Ciaran Laverty of the home team contributed 1-08 over the hour but the visitor’s Deaglan Foley was probably the best hurler on show and his 1-10 kept the Derry men in the game and had he been a little bit luckier with some late frees when they were chasing goals the outcome could have been a lot different.
Glenravel opened the scoring when captain Declan Traynor pointed in the opening minute but three points in succession from the opposition would put Na Magha into a two point lead; Foley and Tómas Gallagher the providers. The home team then started to get on top with an excellent performance from James Duffin at centre half forward providing the pivot for the next six scores; five points and scrambled goal from short range by Sean McKay. Ciaran Laverty and James Duffin would continue to exchange score with Deaglan Foley and the very impressive Keelan Doherty at full forward for Na Magha to leave just a goal in it at half time with Con Magees ahead 1-10 to 0-10.
The second half continued to be a ding dong battle with Foley again dominant in open play and on the scoresheet. Ciaran Laverty extended Glenravel’s lead and when Conleth O’Loan, James Duffin and Ciaran McIlfatrick put over three points in succession it looked ominous for the visitors. With twelve minutes of the half gone, Glenravel’s full forward Shane Woulahan goaled and it looked like the home side would romp to victory. But Deaglan Foley had other ideas and his excellent pointed free was followed by a goal from a thirty yard free and suddenly the visitors were back in the game. Both teams went on to exchange points before Ciaran Laverty goaled for Glenravel and again it looked like a home victory. But one minute later Na Magha would scramble home a goal of their own – they just wouldn’t lie down and in the final five minutes of the game Foley shifted to full forward in search of another major but it wasn’t to be and Glenravel went on to add a couple of points – most notably from young Cormac McKeown who slotted over the score off the day on his first appearance at senior level in the Green and White. Surely a lot more to come from this young man in the years ahead. Na Magha’s Foley and Doherty would record the game’s final two scores but it wasn’t enough as Glenravel ran out victorious on a five point margin.
Both teams are out again on Wednesday night when Na Magha entertain Cloughmills at home and Glenravel make the short journey to neighbours Ballymena, both games throwing in at 6:30pm.
Goals from former All Ireland winning star defender Martin Scullion in the 7th minute of the first half and another from the same player in the 13th minute of the second proved the difference as Con Magee’s Glenravel edged out St. Mary’s Rasharkin in a tight contest at Dreen on Sunday.
The sides were level at three points each after five minutes with Conor McKeever, Donagh Quigg and Eamon McNeill on target for Rasharkin and Niall Donnelly, Michael McDonnell and Declan Traynor replying for the visitors, Traynor’s point the pick of the bunch from a sideline cut.
Conor McKillop edged Rasharkin ahead before Scullion struck with the game’s opening goal for the Glen’s men but Rasharkin came back with points from Cormac Gaston and Conor McKeever to draw level again by the 13th minute.
Scullion and Conleth O’Loan for the Con Magee’s and Cormac Gaston and Conor McKeever for Rasharkin exchanged further scores as the intensity of the game increased with litter quarter asked or given.
Rasharkin were giving as good as they got at this stage and point from McKeever and Gaston edged them ahead after 18 minutes but the scores dried up for the Dreen side at this stage and it was Glenravel who hit the final three scores of the half with Niall Donnelly converting two frees and adding another from play to leave his side 1-8 to 0-9 ahead at the interval.
The home side made a bright start to the second half and dominated the opening ten minutes with Conor McKeever pointing before Eamon McNeill caught a long clearance from Shane Hasson, 45 yards from goal and went on a mazey run beating two defenders before placing the sliotar in the corner of the Glenravel net.
The momentum was very much with St. Mary’s at this stage and they followed with three unanswered point from Conor McKeever 0-2, and Shane Hasson to move four clear before Martin Scullion and Conleth O’Loan replied with Con Magee’s opening scores of the second half.
Shane Hasson increased the Rasharkin lead to three but the Glenravel effort was again gathering momentum and they hit five of the next scores to edge ahead going down the home straight.
Martin Scullion began the Glenravel comeback when he fired to the net in the 12th minute and Niall Donnelly followed as he pointed two frees and added another from play while Chrisey Quinn got his name on the score sheet for the visitors with Donagh Quigg replying with a point for the Dreen side.
The visitors pushed home their advantage as the game went into time added on with the sweet striking Donnelly converting another free and adding one from play and Conor McKeever getting Rasharkin’s final point but the goal they needed just wouldn’t come.
With two games remaining Rasharkin sit two points ahead of Na Magha but visit the Derry side in their next game and may need something from that game to secure their division 3 stratus for next season while Na Magha finish with a home game against Davitt’s and two wins for the Derry city side would leave them safe.
Lámh Dhearg returned to winning ways in the first post-split fixture of the league with a 1-21-1-19 victory over Rasharkin at Hannahstown on Wednesday evening.
Things were looking good for the Lámhs at the interval, leading 1-12-0-10 with Odrán Waldron grabbing the vital goal.
But Rasharkin began positively after the break and when Declan Lynch received a second yellow-card- they made use of their numerical advantage and drew level through a Connor Higgins goal midway through the half.
The hosts showed great determination to see off a late Rasharkin onslaught and avenge defeat at the Dreen a few weeks ago.
Both sides went into Wednesday’s encounter looking to respond to their weekends results. The visitors beaten by league leaders Cloughmills, while Lámh Dhearg were pegged back in injury-time by Con Magee’s and as a result missed out on a top-half finish.
Lámh Dhearg started on the front foot with Fionn Mervyn floating over successive scores, both arriving after layoffs from Ciaran Boyd.
It took Rasharkin a few minutes to respond, but they replied with three unanswered points to edge in front.
Donagh Quigg dropped over the initial response and Conor McKillop’s leveller was quickly added to by Conor McFerran.
Parity was restored when Fionn Mervyn turned provider for Paddy Cunningham to steer over his first of the evening and a second soon followed after an angled effort that drifted between the posts.
A converted Odrán Waldron free extended the hosts lead, but Rasharkin twice cut the deficit.
Tiernan O’Boyle hit back from the same scenario at the other end, and despite Ciaran Boyd hitting a magnificent score from range- O’Boyle nailed another free to make a one-point game again (0-06-0-05).
It was all square for a second time when Conor McKillop picked off a fantastic score from range.
But the sides weren’t to be tied for long as the opening goal of the game arrived shortly after.
Odrán Waldron turns home a goal that would prove decisive at the games conclusion
Rhys Camlin’s quick puck-outs were successful, and, on this occasion, he picked out Paddy Cunningham in the channel and he sent a high ball to the edge of the square where Gerard Smyth flicked it on and shot towards goal- Liam Tunney kept out the initial shot, but Odrán Waldron stabbed the loose ball to the net to make it 1-06-0-06.
Waldron wheels away in celebration
Frees were traded between O’Boyle and Waldon in the aftermath and Rhys Camlin was forced into a smart stop when O’Boyle tried to go low from an angled dead-ball.
O’Boyle reduced the deficit again- though Paddy Cunningham conjured up his third point in response.
Rasharkin again narrowed the margin through a well-executed side-line puck from Conor McKeever.
Four unanswered points before the break had the hosts on the front foot heading for the interval.
Odrán Waldron dropped over his third free and Paddy Cunningham followed that with a fantastic long-winded effort that sailed between the sticks.
Two more points came courtesy of Daniel Murray and Waldron (free) before O’Boyle landed his fifth placed with the final action of note in the first half as Lámh Dhearg held a 1-12-0-10 lead at midway.
Rasharkin started the second period brightly with back-to-back points that left the goal separating the sides.
Conor McKillop added to his two first-half points and Tiernan O’Boyle opened his account for the second period from a free.
The hosts were under the cosh in the early stages and things went from bad to worse when Declan Lynch was shown a second yellow-card and subsequent red for a chop on his opponents stick.
O’Boyle converted the resulting free and his side had little under 25 minutes to try and make most of their numerical advantage.
Odrán Waldron floated over his first point from play to relieve a bit of the pressure on his side, but Tiernan O’Boyle conjured up his first score from play in reply.
Back-to-back frees from Kilkenny native Waldron opened up a four-point advantage (1-15-0-14)- though Donagh Quigg doubled his tally for the evening at the other end.
An outstanding Paddy Mervyn point was cancelled out by a fine effort that dropped over the bar from the stick of Shane Hasson.
With little under a quarter of an hour remaining Rasharkin found the net and in doing so restored parity for a third time as Connor Higgins low strike deceived Rhys Camlin and ended up in the corner of the net.
The visitors failed to kick on and the 14-men of Lámh Dhearg forged ahead once again, Odrán Waldron added another two frees to his ever-increasing tally and in between times Paddy Cunningham picked off another excellent score as the Hannashtown outfit were 1-19-1-16 to the good.
Rhys Camlin ensured his sides lead stayed intact, making a tremendous point blank-save to deny Tiernan O’Boyle- who took a swipe at the follow-up that was adjudged to have snuck over the bar.
Points were then traded between Paddy Cunningham and Cormac Gaston and despite Odrán Waldron again opening up a three-point gap, it was again reduced thanks to Tiernan O’Boyle replying.
Try as they might, Rasharkin couldn’t find the net for a second time- which would have swung the game- as the hosts defended resolutely into injury-time and held on for the win.
Lámh Dhearg: R Camlin, C Nolan, J Brady, M McGuigan, P Mervyn (0-01), D Lynch, F Mervyn (0-03), C Boyd (0-01), A McGuigan, D Murray (0-01), O Waldron (1-10, 0-08f), P Cunningham (0-05), D Cunningham, G Smyth, SP Gibson. Subs: N McGarry for G Smyth (47), M Lynch for D Cunningham (47).
Rasharkin: L Tunney, C Donaghy, C Doherty, E Kennedy, R O’Boyle, S Hasson (0-01), A McKeever, C McKeever (0-01f), T O’Boyle (0-10, 0-08f), C McKillop (0-03), C McFerran (0-01), D Quigg (0-02), C Higgins (1-00), C Gaston (0-01), T McGregor.
Cloughmills St Brigid’s 3-17 (26) Glenarm Shane O’Neill’s 4-20 (32)
Glenarm travelled to Cloughmills on Wednesday evening and beat the home side in a high scoring game and as a result move above their rivals in the league table for the first time this season.
Two goals inside a minute by corner forward Kevin O’Boyle midway through the opening half were the scores that tipped a close fought game in the way of the visitors. O’Boyle’s double helped the Feystown men to a four point lead at the break and they went on to extend their lead to six by the end.
It was score for score during the opening quarter, and after Eoin Dobbin gave the Biddies the lead, Ciaran Magill and Dylan McLaughlin hit back with two for the visitors to put them ahead. Points from Ruairi Laverty and Stephen Smyth pushed the home side back in front and this pattern continued until midway through the half when corner forward Kevin O’Boyle hit two goals inside a minute to give his team the edge. Mickey Devlin and Liam Kearns replied for the Biddies but the visitors responded with two from Darren Hamill and one from Dylan McLaughlin. When Hamill and McGarel pointed late in the half Glenarm were nine clear, but late points for Cloughmillls from Mickey Devlin, Stephen Smyth and Laim Kearns cut the gap back to four at the half time whistle. (0-13 to 2-11)
Goals were to prove decisive in the second half, and there were plenty to choose from. The first of the five second half majors came four minutes after the restart from veteran centre forward Darren Hamill and that score kept Glenarm in control until the end of the third quarter when his Cloughmills counterpart Mickey Devlin fired a penalty to the Glenarm net.
Two minutes later Niall McGarel got Glenarm’s third of the game with a neat finish from play to keep them in control, and going into injury time the Feystown men appeared to be coasting. When Devlin got Cloughmills second goal two minutes into injury time it didn’t appear to matter as Glenarm were still comfortably ahead, but when Devlin completed his hat-trick, this time from play the lead was down to six. However it was a case of too little, too late, and Glenarm deservedly held on for the win.
CLOUGHMILLS
Chris McKiernan, Aaron McGuckian, Marty Dobbin, Johnny Duffin, Reece Watt, Conor Laverty, Joe Smyth, Geoffrey Og Laverty, Ruairi Laverty, Rian Dobbin, Michael Devlin, Eoin Dobbin, Stephen Smyth, Liam Kearns, James Doherty.
GLENARM
Michael Abram, Conal Ward, Barry Hamill, Liam Og McLaughlin, Daniel Black, Declan McDermott, Aidan Scullion, Ben O’Boyle, Kieran O’Boyle, Sean O’Boyle, Darren Hamill, Dylan McLaughlin, Kevin O’Boyle, Ciaran Magill, Niall McGarel.
