O’Neill’s Antrim Hurling League Division 4

Naomh Colmcille. 4-11 Na Magha. 4-13

By James McQuillan

Na Magha hurlers found themselves on the road again on Wednesday night this time to Naomh Colmcille in Tyrone. Naomh Colmcille opened the scoring on 5 minutes with a goal but the Derry men hit back scoring 2-02 in a three minute spell. It was a first half of goals as the hosts hit back and after hesitancy in the Na Magha defence a free dropped short and was scrambled to the net. The Tyrone men still had time for two more goals before half time to leave an interval score of Naomh Colmcille 4 05. Na Magha 3. 06.

Na Magha were fast out of the blocks in the second half and hit 1. 03 in the opening 4 minutes but didn’t score for the next 14 minutes by which time they had only a one point lead. The next five minutes were laced with some fine point taking by both sides (one from a free by Alan Grant from 85 metres the highlight)                                     The game seemed to be ebbing away from the Derry men but they were given a last chance when they won a 65 and unerringly the Na Magha number 11 put the ball over the black spot, and when the puckout was won by Tim Rankin he fired over from the right wing to secure a hard won two point victory in added time.

Final score. A Grant. 1. 07 T Rankin 1 03. A O’Donnell 1. 01 D. Shields. 1. 00. M Mc Closkey. 0. 01. F Mc Ananey. 0. 01

O’Neill’s All County Hurling League Div 4

St Teresa’s GAC    0.18    Con Magees    2.07

By Fergus Miskelly

Glenravel hurlers’ hopes for promotion were dealt a serious blow this evening in Belfast when they lost out to St Teresa’s in Belfast.

St Teresa started brightly hitting 5 points without reply before Neil McCann opened the Con Magees account with a pointed free on 7 minutes. Shortly after Micky McDonnell won the ball in the top right corner, beat his man, and slotted over a point from a tight angle. A pointed free from McCann followed before a long puck-out from Ronan Donnelly landed in the full forward line, where again McCann was first to react hitting a good point from play.

St Teresa’s hit another 3 points before half time and Glenravel scored 2 more from frees, one of note from Paddy O’Neill from beyond half way to leave St Teresa’s 8 points to 6 up at half time.

At the restart Neil Mccann and Caolan McIntyre were taken off to make way for Damien O’Hagan and Connor McKeown, however Connor was replaced due to injury by Odhran McAleenan after only 3 minutes action. Glenravel made a dreadful start to the second half, failing to score until the 47th minute from Declan Traynor, by which stage the Glen road side had built up a 15 to 7 point lead. Throughout this period only James Duffin in the forward line looked interested in getting on the ball, while Ronan Donnelly in goals and Sean Burns in defence did not put a foot wrong for the entire hour, clearing ball after ball.
With 8 minutes left Conleth O’Loan picked up the ball 40 yards out before soloing through and finishing to the roof of the net to give the visitors renewed hope. However Glenravel failed to build on this goal and the Belfast side tagged over a further 3 points to put the game beyond doubt. With only minutes remaining Paddy O’Neill hit another goal after a goal-mouth scramble, but it was too little too late, and St Teresa’s ran out 5 point winners.

Team: R Donnelly, S Burns, B O’Neill, C Mullan, S Atcheson, O McCusker, D McBride, P O’Neill, D Traynor, K McIntyre, S McIlroy, J Duffin, C O’Loan, N McCann, M McDonnell

O’Neill’s Antrim Hurling League – Division 4

Glenravel 3-23 St Agnes 0-04

Con Magees ran out easy winners in a one sided game in Fr Maginn Park on Sunday . Despite some rain before the game leaving playing conditions quite difficult both teams actually recorded some very fine scores. Kieran McIntyre opened the scoring in the first minute and the same player went on to record a load of great points from play throughout the hour.

James Duffin added a second and when Neill McCann pointed from a free in the 3rd minute the home team were in total control of the game. The impressive McIntyre put over three on the trot and McCann again stepped up from a placed ball to stretch the lead further. Dean Kerr was getting fed a lot of ball into his corner and was next to point from a tighter angle. Sean McElroy got on the scoresheet  before Vic McCann goaled from the penalty spot after Odhran McAleenan was upended on his path to goal.

St Agnes had a couple of points on the scoreboard at this stage, one a fine long range effort from midfield. Kieran McIntyre and Vic added further scores but St Agnes finished the half on a high note doubling their points tally to 4 in the final minute of the half.

Referee Vincent Boyle called first half proceedings to an end with Con Magees leading 1-11 to 0-04.

Cormac Scullion yielded to Ronan Donnelly in goals in the second half. Young Ronan will seldom have a quieter 30 minutess between the sticks as Martin Scullion, Sean Burns, Stevie Acheson and Gary O’Neill clearing their lines before Shanlee Kerr even had to be called into action.

McCann, McIntyre and Sean McIlroy continued to keep Tony Kerr busy on the scoreboard and when Odhran McAleenan was once more upended unceremoniously by their keeper as a goal looked certain, Vic stepped up again with his second penalty (two more than even the great Messi could manage!!). Declan Traynor then goaled from distance and substitute Conleth O’Loan knocked over 3 points from play in the final 10 minutes to leave the Con Magees comfortable winners on a 3-23 to 0-04 scoreline.

O’Neill’s All County Hurling League – Division 4

Michael Davitts 2.09     Conn Magees Glenravel 1.21

For a good part of the first half of this league game at Woodlands Glenravel looked anything but winners as they trailed by two points with 20 minutes played. However despite losing influential midfielder Paddy O’Neill to injury, the Con Magees reshuffled their defence, made a few positional switches elsewhere and ran out comfortable winners in the end.

Declan Traynor and Padge O’Neill got Glenravel going at the start of the first half with two long range points from play, before Davitt’s pulled one back from a free. Kieran McIntyre then hit a good score and O’Neill got another point after latching on to a long pass out of defence from Cormac Scullion. However the early dominance was soon cancelled out when Davitts hit 2 goals and a point in a dominant 5 minute spell to put shockwaves through the Glenravel defence.

Neil ‘Vic’ McCann steadied things up with three points from frees and James Duffin fielded a high ball straight from the puck out, turned and pointed from half way to put a better look on the score line, before further points from Abram, O’Neill, and another from James Duffin gave them an 0-11 to 2-3 lead at the break.

The second half saw a few changes for the visitors with Shanlee Kerr and Cormac Scullion switching positions, Kerr returning to his usual fullback position, while Damien O’Hagan and Shane Woulahan were brought on in place of Caolan Mullan and Sean McElroy. The two sides traded points at the start of the half before Glenravel were dealt a heavy blow with the loss of Paddy O’Neill to a leg injury, and was replaced with Archie Rae Junior.

Both teams continued with points apiece, Glenravel’s coming via Declan Traynor after a good solo run. From the resulting puck out Odhran McAleenan made a brilliant interception to leave a simple score for himself from 20 yards. Shortly after a long ball into our forward line broke to Neill McCann who reacted well and drilled the ball to the Davitts net to put Glenravel 3 points up. Glenravel kept the momentum up with a long accurate clearance from Turbo O’Hagan finding Vic, who slipped the ball hockey style over to James Duffin who neatly slotted over. Kieran McIntyre and Neill McCann hit further points to push Glenravel further in front, but when a defensive error let  Davitts through on goal Ronan Donnelly was forced to make an outstanding save to keep Glenravel in control of the game.

Glenravel were dealt a bad blow when they lost Shane Woulahan with a bad arm injury  but they pushed ahead regardless when Declan Abram collected the ball wide on the wing soloed up field and hit a great point on the run. Two points from frees via Neill McCann followed and James Duffin finished off the game with a long range point to leave Glenravel winners by eight points.

The astro-turf surface made this a fast flowing game with plenty of scores. Despite a few mistakes the defence coped well with the opposing forwards, with Eoin McCusker clearing ball time-and-time again throughout the match. The midfield and forward line were well on top, as once again our score line was made up from a wide range of players.

Team: R Donnelly, E McCusker, C Scullion, C Mullan, S Atcheson, M Scullion, S Kerr, P O’Neill, M McDonnell, K McIntyre, N McCann, J Duffin, D Traynor, S McIlroy, O McAleenan

Subs: S Woulahan for S McIlroy, D O’Hagan for C Mullan, A Rae Jnr for P O’Neill