ACHL Division Three 

Con Magee’s 1-10-1-10 Lámh Dhearg 

Kevin Herron reports from Fr Maginn Park 

Lámh Dhearg missed out on a top-half finish in Division Three after Con Magee’s came from four-points down at the break to earn a share of the spoils in a 1-10 apiece draw at Fr Maginn Park this afternoon. 

Niall Donnelly opened the scoring for the hosts, only for Daniel Murray to immediately respond through a converted free. 

Con Magee’s restored their lead when a side-line puck landed to Chrisey Quinn to float over the bar. 

They then hit the net soon after, Rhys Camlin did well to deny Jonatahn Fyfe, but the danger wasn’t fully averted, and James Duffin followed in to bundle the ball over the line and give his side a 1-02-0-01 lead. 

It was a lead that was quickly eaten into when Sean-Paul Gibson won back possession and switched the play to Paddy Cunningham- whose high shot was lost by Ronan Donnelly and fumbled into the net. 

Odrán Waldron then levelled things up for a second time and the next two scores were traded between the sides. 

Glenravel regained the lead through a ConlEth O’Loan score on the turn, however Niall McGarry showed great desire to feed Paddy Cunningham down the channel and Cunningham floated over an equaliser. 

The hosts forged two-points ahead thanks to back-to-back frees from Niall Donnelly, but Declan Lynch picked out the run of Cunningham to conjure a second point and namesake Daire Cunningham then pulled his side- again thanks to solid work-rate from Niall McGarry in the lead-up. 

Momentuem was with the Hannahstown side and they hit the front for the first time in the half through a converted Declan Lynch free, followed soon after by a straight-forward Cunningham dead-ball. 

Back-to-back scores from Daniel Murray extended the Lámhs lead, but just before the break Con Magee’s went close to a reply; that would have closed the deficit. 

A well taken side-line cut from Chrisey Quinn dropped for Martin Scullion to take off towards goal and his shot was somehow turned around the post by Rhys Camlin as Lámh Dhearg held a 1-09-1-05 lead at the midway point. 

Playing with the wind advantage in the second period, Con Magee’s were first off the mark through Jonathan Fyfe’s first score of the afternoon.  

Midfielder Declan Traynor dropped over another effort from range and half-time substitute Sean McKay angled over a third score in succession to leave a single score separating the sides. 

The visitors were off colour in their shooting in both half’s and it took 17 minutes of the second period for their first point in the form of a Paddy Cunningham free. 

Glenravel instantly closed the gap again through a score from James Duffin to leave a point separating the sides with over ten minutes to play. 

Niall Donnelly had two chances to level the game up as the clocked ticked to the game’s conclusion, but on both occasions his free’s tailed to the right of the post and wide. 

Undeterred they continued their pursuit for a share of the spoils and two minutes into added time they took their chance through Duffin to level a 1-10 apiece. There wasn’t enough time for either side to force a winner and in the end the points were shared. 

Con Magee’s: R Donnelly, B O’Neill, S Woulahan, J Martin, S Atcheson, M Scullion, M McDonnell, J Duffin (1-02), D Traynor (0-01), E McCusker, N Donnelly (0-03, 0-02f), C McIlfatrick, C O’Loan (0-01), C Quinn (0-01), J Fyfe (0-01). Subs: S McKay (0-01) for C Quinn (HT), R Lennon for C McIlfatrick (HT), C Derry for C O’Loan (53). 

Lámh Dhearg: R Camlin, C Nolan, J Brady, T McKenna, F Mervyn, D Lynch (0-01f), SP Gibson, P Mervyn, C Boyd, D Murray (0-03, 0-01f), A McGuigan, P Cunningham (1-04, 0-02f), D Cunningham (0-01), O Waldron (0-01), N McGarry. Subs: A Ferris for T McKenna (42). 

Referee: Paul McSparron (Cushendun)

Antrim Hurling League Division 3

Armoy 3-12 Glenarm 5-19

Three goals in the last five minutes were not enough to save Armoy from defeat in Monday evening’s re-arranged Division 3 League game. By the time the later treble came the game had long been decided as a rampart Glenarm side went on a second half scoring spree against a 14 man Armoy side who had lost a man to a straight red card.

Visitors Glenarm started with three points inside two mintues, two from Niall McGarel and one from Kieran O’Boyle, but a pointed 65 by Trevor Linton settled the Glen Rovers men and they outscored the visitors by six points to two to lead by a points at the end of the first quarter. However when Niall McGarel got in for his team’s first goal the tide turned back in Glenarm’s favour. Dylan McLaughin and Aidan Scullion added points in quick succession and though PJ McBride pulled a couple back form Armoy, Glenarm finished the first half with a flurry with Ciaran Magill adding two from play and Padraig McDermott one before a sideline cut from full forward Ben O’Boyle deceived the home goalkeeper and ended up in the back of the net.

Eight to the good starting the second half Glenarm increased their lead with points from Sean O’Boyle and Ciaran Magill, and when Magill added his team’s second goal there was no way back for the home side. To make matters worse they lost a player to a straight red card soon afterwards and to rub further salt in the wounds McGarrel completed his hat-trick with two more goals.

The gap was nearing the twenty point mark when suddenly Armoy hit back with three late goals, two of them from centre forward Tommy Burns to add a better look to the scoreboard.  

Antrim Hurling League Division 3

Armoy 4-19  Davitt 2-13

Armoy kept up their promotion challenge in Division 3 of the Antrim Hurling League when they beat Davitt’s on Wednesday evening in Armoy. With the wind in their favour in the opening half Armoy were slow to get started, but once they found their range they scored heavily. Jason Parkk got the opening point of the game for Davitt’s on nine minutes but a points from Liam Dillon and two by Trevor Linton were followed by a goal from Linton on eighteen minutes. Tommy Buurns added a point for the home side but a great ball into the Armoy square by Marcus Toner was turned to the net by Andrew Rowntree and Davitt’s were back in the hunt.

However they only managed another point for the rest of the first half and Armoy pushed on to move 2-13 to 1-2 ahead, the second goal coming from Tommy Burns, when he blocked an attempted clearance to the Davitt’s net.

Armoy fared much better in the second half as they used the wind very well to close the gap. Two pointed frees by Christopher Gallagher in the first two minutes got them going and when Andrew Rowntree and Anton McLauglin all grabbed ppoints there spirits were lifted. Owen Kinney and Ciaran McCormick replied for Armoy but Davitt’s came back well with a great goal from Peter Og Carleton and two top class points by Christopher Gallagher.

PJ McBride pulled one back but Davitt’s came back with points from Marcus Toner, Christopher Gallagher and Carleton. However they were dealt a bad blow when a shot from Armoy’s Owen Kinney was turned to his own net by the Davitt’s keeper. To their credit Davitt’s kept battling until the last and Gallagher added two more points in injury time.

ACHL Division 3

Shane O’Neill’s 4-14 Rasharkin 0-10

Shane O’Neill’s Glenarm maintained their second spot in division 3 following this comprehensive win over St. Mary’s Rasharkin at a wet and windy Feystown last night.

Rain fell for most of this game but it didn’t stop the enthusiasm of two teams who served up a treat despite the awful conditions.

Glenarm settled better winning a lot of dirty ball. Darren and Barry Hamill cleared their lines feeding the wet sliotar up field to a forward line with Niall Mc Garel and Sean O Boyle in blistering form.

It was the visitors who were first to register when Conor McKeever pointed a free in the third minute but it would be the only time the men from Dreen would be ahead. Glenarm mad an emphatic reply as Kieran O’Boyle 0-2, Ciaran Magill 0-2 and Dylan McLaughlin fired over points and when Sean O’Boyle fired home a goal in the 18^th minute they were in control.

Full-forward McKeever replied with Rasharkin’s second point of the game and their first for 16 minutes from a free and the same player would bring his total to three from another free but it was Glenarm who continued to turn the screw.

Kieran O’Boyle and Darren Hamill replied with points and then a long range effort from the excellent Hamill dropped to the net in the 27^th minute. The home side were flying and Ciaran Magill hammered home his side’s third goal from a free to conclude the first half action and leave the Feystown side with a comfortable 3-7 to 0-3 half time lead.

It looked a long way back for the visitors as the second half got under way and when corner-forward Kevin O’Boyle added a goal and a point for Shane O’Neill’s in the opening minutes of the new half it was as good as over.

To their credit St. Mary’s never gave up with Conor McKeever pointing a free and another from play but Glenarm responded through Niall McGarel and substitute Daryl McMullan to maintain their advantage.

Rasharkin were still battling hard against the odds as the sweet striking McKeever kept the score board ticking with a couple of frees and another from play to add to one from Shane Hasson but at this stage it was an exercise in damage limitation.

The visitors would manage only one further point in the closing stages through Donagh Quigg which was sandwiched by a couple from Glenarm’s number 12, Ciaran Magill to conclude the scoring and leave the Feystown men in a healthy position.

Mc Garel was a constant threat all night while Ciaran Magill was in fine form and Darren Hamill improves with age and young Sean O Boyle also hit a brace of goals with a rasper going beyond the Rasharkin keeper. “Murph” O Boyle and Daniel Black also deserve a mention as they won their own battles against their Dreen counterparts and sprayed the ball well to the fast flowing forward line.

Glenarm: 1 Christopher Magill, 2 Padraig McDermott, 3 Barry Hamill, 4 Patrick McAuley, 5 Aidan Scullion, 6 Darren Hamill, 7 Declan McDermott, 8 Ben O’Boyle, 9 Daniel Black, 10 Sean O’Boyle, 11 Dylan McLaughlin, 12 Ciaran Magill, 13 Kevin O’Boyle, 14 Niall McGarel, 15 Kieran O’Boyle

Rasharkin: 1 Liam Tunney, 2 Connaire Doherty, 3 Conor Doherty, 4 Daniel Hasson, 5 Ruairi O’Boyle, 6 Daniel Doherty, 7 Conor McFerran, 8 Aidan McKeever, 9 Tiernan O’Boyle, 10 Declan McKay, 11 Cormac Gaston, 12 Donagh Quigg, 13 Conor MacPhilib, 14 Conor McKeever, 15 Shane Hasson

Referee: Mark McDonald