All Saints 4-10 Cloughmills 1-19

When Damien Gillan pointed a free, a minute into the second half to put All Saints 2-9 to 0-7 ahead it looked that we were in for a shock at Slemish Park on Saturday afternoon.

The Ballymena side hadn’t won a game in division 3 this year while their visitors, St. Brigid’s Cloughmills were sitting joint top of the division and were expected to collect another brace of points.

It didn’t quite work out that way however and 2 first half goals from Liam Cassley put the home side in a fairly strong position but there was always a feeling that the ‘Biddies’ would come strong in the second half.

And so they did with Eoin Dobbin leading the way with a series of excellent point, both from play and frees and the visitors looked to have turned it on its head when they led by four with time almost up.

The Ballymena side quite simply refused to go away however and an Eoin McGuigan goal and a pointed free from Damien Gillan had it all square with time almost up.

Indeed Chris Dornan’s side looked to have grabbed both points at the end when Sean McDermott fired over but his point was ruled out and so it finished all square.

GOOD START

A Sean McDermott point and three more from Damien Gillan (2f’s) in reply to 2 from Eoin Dobbin had the Ballymena side two in front early in the contest before Reece Watt closed the gap to one with his first of the evening.

Former St. Brigid’s player, Liam Cassley set the contest on fire as he fired home two goals while Eoin Dobbin replied with a couple of points for the ‘Village’.

Darach Bradley and Damien Gillan responded again with points for a sharp All Saints side with Eoin Dobbin and Callum McKendry replying from frees to leave it 2-8 to 0-7 for the Slemish Park side at the interval.

Damien Gillan moved the home side eight ahead from a pointed free on the restart but All Saints lost their way for a time as an Eoin Dobbin inspired St. Brigid’s slowly closed the gap.

A goal from substitute Conor O’Hara in the 15^th minute eased the pressure for a time and moved the Ballymena side three in front but it brought a quick response from the visitors.

Dobbin struck three frees and further points from, Stephen Smith and Liam Kearns and a goal from Reece Watt had it back to one by the 18^th minute.

The sweet striking Dobbin brought it all square from a ‘65’ following a good save from Ciaran Cassley in the All Saints goal and the momentum was now very much with the visitors.

Further points from Dobbin and Ryan Watson looked to have secured another two points for the Cloughmill’s side but that goal from McGuigan and a Damien Gillan pointed free left it all square at the final whistle

All Saints: 1 Ciaran Cassley, 2 Dwayne McKee, 3 Padraig Magill, 4 Kevin Brady, 5 Archie McGreevey, 6 Jack Magill, 7 Daniel Gray, 8 Harry Connon, 9 Vinny Esler, 10 Cormac Magill, 11 Eoin McGuigan, 12 Sean McDermott, 13 Damian Gillan, 14 Liam Cassley, 15 Darach Bradley

Subs:  Conor O’Hara for Jack Magill, Fintan Brady for Dwayne McKee, Daniel Kelly for Cormac Magill

St. Brigid’s: 1 Gary McCollum, 2 Rian Dobbin, 3 Corey Blair, 4 Johnny Duffin, 5 Kevin O’Boyle, 6 Martin Dobbin, 7 Geoffery Og Laverty, 8 Odhran McCurdy, 9 Seosamh MacGabhann, 10 Reece Watt, 11 Callum McKendry, 12 Eoin Dobbin, 13 Liam Kearns, 14 James Doherty, 15 Stephen Smith

Subs: Ryan Watson,

Referee: Paul McSparran (Cushendun)

Fighting Saints gain their first point

ACHL Division 3

St. Brigid’s 1-14 Glen Rovers 2-10

In a rematch of last year’s junior championship final, St. Brigid’s Cloughmills held on to win by the finest of margins against old rivals Glen Rovers in Armoy on Sunday to record their second win of the season.

Playing with the wind at their backs in the first half, Odhran McCurdy opened the scoring for the Cloughmills men with a fine long range effort but Armoy replied with a well taken score from Emmet O’Hara to tie the game.

Cloughmills started to find their rhythm and with the strong wind in their favour they hit a purple patch, scoring 1.08 without reply, the major coming from James Doherty.

However Armoy recovered well, scoring 1.02 in quick succession, their goal coming from Emmet O’Hara to bring themselves back into contention. Cloughmills responded with two points from Callum McKendry to leave the score 1.11 to 1.03 in favour of Cloughmills at the interval.

After the restart and with the wind now in their favour Armoy immediately began to eat into the Cloughmills lead with scores from Turlough McBride and Trevor Linton to leave six between the sides.

The home side were then awarded a penalty after Colin Liordan was fouled inside the small rectangle but Emmet O’Hara’s well struck shot sailed over.

The visitors to the Glen were coming under more and more pressure but Eoin Dobbin relieved the pressure with a point at the other end.

Both teams were finding it difficult to get to grips with the worsening conditions as the rain poured down but Armoy continued to chip into the Biddies lead and only 4 points separated the sides with 5 minutes remaining. Glen Rovers continued to press and Kieran McToal got on the end of a ball across the square to send it to the Cloughmills net to leave it a 1 point game. Armoy pushed hard for an equaliser in the dying minutes but the Cloughmills defence held out to secure the win.

ACHL Division 3

Na Magha 5-9 All Saints 3-6

All Saints travelled to the Maiden City on Sunday to meet a Na Magha side making their first appearance in this year’s ACHL Division 3. The Ballymena side started well and with the elements in their favour led 2-4 to 1-2 at the break.

A good Na Magha came back strongly in the second half however, hitting four second half goals to take the points and look like a side who can hold their own in division 3 this season.

Aidan Rankin got Na Magha off to a good start with an early goal but the visitors came back strongly with goals from Liam Cassley and Damian Gillan and Gillan then pointed a free to move his side four ahead.

Na Magha were looking a little rusty in their first outing this year but a couple of points from Crossan gave them a foothold but it would be the Ballymena side who continued to edge the opening exchanges.

Jack Magill replied with an All Saints point and Damian Gillan added two before the break to leave ‘Dorney’s’ men 2-4 to 1-2 ahead at the break but with the elements to face in the second half.

The impressive Damian Gillan extended the visitors lead with a point on the restart but Na Magha came back strongly with a goal from McAdams and points from Foley and Doherty to close the gap to one.

A Jack Magill goal edged the Slemish Park side four in front once more but the Derry City men were growing into the game and would finish strongly.

The excellent Foley began the comeback with a point and the same player struck his side’s fourth goal with Gallagher adding two points to put Na Magha in control.

Damien Gillan replied with All Saints final point but it was Na Magha who finished strongly as Doherty grabbed their fifth goal.

A good win for a strong Na Magha side who played some excellent hurling and look capable of giving any side in division 3 a run for their money this year.

For All Saints the rebuilding job continues and their side on Sunday contained a handful of youngsters who will improve as the season goes on and that first win might not be too far away given their performances to date.

Na Magha:  A Grant  C O Donnell  D Shiels  A Campbell  C Durey  C McGoran  M McCloskey  T Rankin  R Mclaughlin  T Gallagher D Foley capt  K Doherty  A Rankin  R McAdams  R Crossan  B Quigley  C Murphy  A McSteen  C O Donovan  A Breslin  K Ponsonby  O ÓDonghaile

ACHL Division 3

All Saints 0-9 Glen Rovers 1-17

Glen Rovers, Armoy travelled to Ballymena on Saturday and got their campaign up and running when they recorded an 11 point win over an inexperienced home side.

A fine exhibition of free taking by Tarlach McBride saw the visitors move into a 0-9 to 0-5 half time lead with the wing half back accounting for 0-5 of his side’s first half total.

Sean McDermott had given All Saints an early lead and Eoin McGuigan brought matters level after Ronan Lavelle and McBride edged the visitors ahead.

Two more from Tarlach McBride frees and points from Conor Waterson and Emmet O’Hara moved the visitors four ahead but a young All Saints were showing plenty of fighting spirit.

They responded with points from Darach Bradley and two pointed frees from Eoin McGuigan to close the gap to one but Armoy finished the half strongly with scores from Tarlach McBride (0-2 f’s) and Emmet O’Hara to lead by four at the halfway stage.

An Armoy goal from Eoin O’Boyle early in the second half put a bit of distance between the sides and when Trevor Linton and Conor Watterson tagged on points the Glen Rovers lead was out to nine.

Darach Bradley, one of a number of youngsters making their senior debut pulled one back for All Saints but the momentum was now with a bigger and more experienced Glen Rovers.

They replied with five on the bounce from Ciaran Coyles 0-2, Tarlach McBride and Eoin O’Boyle 0-2 and it was all over at this stage.

To their credit All Saints kept going to the end and recorded three in reply through Cormac Magill, Darach Bradley and Eoin McGuigan but by this stage it was all over and Emmet O’Hara concluded the scoring with a point for the visitors.

Glen Rovers, with a number of new faces in their line-up should be one of the challengers for the division 3 title this year after coming mighty close last term.

For All Saints, who have again lost players to other clubs, it’s a rebuilding job and consolidation in the higher grade would be regarded as success this season.

Ciaran McQuillan, Harry Connon, Darach Bradley and Fintan Bradley all made impressive debuts for the Ballymena side and there appears to be a good spirit about the team despite those recent setbacks.

All Saints: 1. Ciaran McQuillan 2. Dwayne McKee 3. Eoin McAllister 4. Harry Connon 5. Padhraig Magill (c) 6. Jack Magill 7. Daniel Gray 8. Sean McDermott 9. Vincent Esler 10. Cormac Magill 11. Eoin McGuigan 12. Darach Bradley 13. Daniel Kelly 14. Niall Savage 15. Fintan Brady

Subs used: Conor O’Hara for Daniel Kelly Sean O’ Rawe for Niall Savage Cathaoir Cunning for Fintan Brady Niall Savage for Cormac Magill

Glen Rovers: 1 Conor Devlin, 2 Calum Coyles, 3 Arthur Devlin, 4 Joseph McFetridge, 5 Tarlach McBride, 6 Thomas Burns, 7 Hugh O’Kane, 8 Ronan Lavelle, 9 Ciaran McCormick-McKenna, 17 Conor Watterson, 11 Emmet O’Hara, 12 Ciaran Coyles, , 18 Timothy Burns, 14 Eoin O’Boyle, 15 Conor Christie,

Subs: 13 Trevor Linton, 19 PJ McBride, 20 Daniel Connolly, 21 John O’Kane, 22 Kieran McToal

Antrim Hurling League – Division 3

Glenravel 1-12    Armoy 3-18

Report by Aodh O’Loan

Photos by Neal O’Boyle

Armoy secured a win in style today in Fr Maginn Park when they overcame the home side with a superb second half performance but in reality they looked the better side throughout. Upfront they had too much power for the locals with Emmet O’Hara, Trevor Linton and Colin Lordan contributing 2-13 between them. That alone would have been enough to secure victory on the day. Before throw in, both teams stood for a minute’s silence in memory of the late Hughie Dobbin who had been buried earlier in the day. Hughie was a well loved member of the Glenravel Hurling team of 1975 who won the Antrim Junior Championship, the Junior Feis and Antrim Division Three title that year. Ar dheis Dê go raibh anam.

Cormac Doherty opened with a goal for Armoy after two minutes but Glenravel came back with a couple of points from James Dufffin which were followed up by two points from Emmet O’Hara to leave a goal between the sides. Declan McAuley and Cormac McKeown would reduce the deficit to a single point inside ten minutes but back came the men from Armoy with a point from O’Hara and a goal from Trevor Linton to open top a five point gap. The home side were giving as good as they got at this stage and four points shared between Cormac McKeown and Declan Traynor would see them back in the game but the final score of the half came from O’Hara so the teams went in at half time with Armoy ahead on a 2-05 to 0-08 scoreline. 

O’Hara again and Conleth O’Loan for the home side exchanged points to keep the three point gap with five minutes of the second half gone. But at this point Armoy started to turn the screw and three unanswered points from P J McBride and Trevor Linton put significant light between the teams. Conleth O’Loan got a point back for Glenravel but when Colin Lordan’s point on forty one minutes was followed up by a goal from the same player one minute later the game was over as a contest with Armoy ahead 3-11 to 0-10. A goal from Cormac McKeown and two points from Conleth O’Loan reduced the gap to six points with ten minutes of the game remaining but Armoy put on the after burners and went on to record seven more points without reply in this closing minutes. O’Hara, Linton and Lordan the providers leaving the visitors comfortable winners on 3-18 to 1-12 scoreline.