ACHL Division 4

Ciceam Ard Eoin 7-22 Latharna Óg 0-05

Report & Pics: Brian McKee

For the second time in four years, Ciceam Ard Eoin are Division 4 Hurling champions. On Saturday afternoon, the men in black and white delivered a flawless, high-intensity master class to completely overwhelm Larne. Having been denied promotion four years ago due to a league restructuring, this victory carried an extra layer of sweet redemption. Ardoyne can now rightfully relish the well-deserved challenge of playing Division 3 hurling next season.

Ardoyne executed their high-intensity game plan from the opening whistle, dominating every sector of the pitch. The match opened with a family affair as Micheál McGreevy delivered a pinpoint pass to his brother, Padraig, who accurately sent over the opening score of the day. Moments later, Paddy Heaney showed immense aerial prowess by catching a puck-out clean from the sky and splitting the posts. Ardoyne’s relentless pressure continued when the inspirational Cormac Barnes smartly flicked the sliothar into the path of Micheál McGreevy, who duly converted his own opening point.

Larne briefly halted the onslaught when Ryan O’Donnell converted a free to get his side on the scoreboard, but this only served to open the floodgates. Dan Moore fired over his first point of the afternoon, closely followed by a spectacular midfield effort from Dean Goodall. Padraig McGreevy then extended the lead further by punishing a Larne infraction with a well-taken free.

The gap could have widened even sooner if not for the heroics of Kerr in the Larne net. The in-form goalkeeper single-handedly kept his side afloat, thwarting multiple goal attempts—including a dramatic solo effort from Paschal Clarke, who had stormed out of the backline to briefly reinvent himself as a forward. Despite Kerr’s resistance, Paddy Heaney soon added another free to Ardoyne’s tally.

A rare foray forward saw Conor Matthews claim a second point for Larne, but it did nothing to disrupt what became a period of total, unadulterated dominance from Ciceam Ard Eoin. Micheál McGreevy and Dan Moore hit back-to-back points from play to keep the scoreboard ticking. Soon after, full-back Paul Baker launched a massive free deep into the corner to Cormac Barnes loitering in the corner-forward position. Barnes aggressively turned his marker, headed straight for the target, and bulged the net for Ardoyne’s opening goal.

The Northenders refused to step off the gas. Padraig McGreevy (free) and Paddy Heaney tagged on further points before a devastating second goal blew the game wide open. Paddy Heaney struck again with a point, followed in quick succession by accurate scores from Dan Moore and Padraig McGreevy.

Fiontain Lagan, working tirelessly in the engine room of the Ardoyne attack, deservedly got himself on the scoresheet with a well-taken point. Paddy Heaney then capped off his sensational half by bursting through to score a brilliant goal, before the clinical Dan Moore fired over the final point of the half to leave Larne facing an impossible mountain to climb.

Half-Time: Ciceam Ard Eoin 4-16 Latharna Óg 0-02

Larne briefly stopped the bleeding at the start of the second half when Ciaran Martin opened the scoring, but any hopes of a miraculous comeback were instantly shattered by a relentless Ardoyne vanguard. Cormac Barnes quickly extinguished any Larne momentum, finding the back of the net for his second goal of the match.

The afternoon truly belonged to Paddy Heaney, who turned the second half into a personal masterclass. He beautifully sliced through the heart of the Larne defence to fire home another goal, before following his green flag by raising two successive white flags from play. Padraig McGreevy kept his composure to punish another Larne foul, converting a free over the black spot.

With the historic promotion firmly in hand, Ardoyne introduced Kevin Holland from the bench. He rolled back the years instantly, striking a beautiful, vintage point from play to the delight of the home support. There was still time for Heaney to cap off an historic individual performance. He struck two more points from play before blasting home his third goal of the match, comfortably completing a phenomenal hat-trick.

Larne fought to the final whistle, with Ryan O’Donnell striking over his fifth point of the afternoon. However, the champions had the final word. Midfielder Dean Goodall and attacker Dan Moore capped off powerful personal displays by clipping over two final points from play to seal a truly unforgettable championship and promotion victory.

While the plaudits will go the outfield players and those who got their names on the scoreboard, no one contributed more to this historic season for Ciceam Ard Eoin than goalkeeper, Connor O’Neill who, despite recovering from a horrific car crash, went through this season conceding only four goals. True testimony to the spirt of the men from Ardoyne!

Ciceam Ard Eoin: Connor O’Neill, Aran Stewart, Paul Baker, Emmet Corry, Paschal Clarke, Dean Goodall (0-02), Caolan Wallace, Dan Moore(0-05), Paddy Heaney (3-07), Padraig McGreevy(0-05,2f) Matt McKillen(1-00), Cormac Barnes(2-00), Micheál McGreevy(1-01), Fintan Lagan(0-01), Kevin Holland,(0-01) Cahal Keown, Sean Searle, Pól Stanton, Enda Slattery, Stephen Hill

Latharna Óg: Dara Kerr, Mark Robinson, Barry Petticrew, Gary Bergin, Patrick Sherry, Ryan O’Donnell(0-03,2f), Brian Rogan, Kieran Mulvenna, Ryan Millar, Darren Martin, Tom Clarkin, Matthew Magill, Ciaran Martin(0-01), Conor Sheridan, Conor Matthews(0-01)

Referee: Chris Brown

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ACHL Division 4

All Saints 5-15 St Gall’s Seconds 2-4

All Saints produced a dominant display to secure a victory over St Gall’s Seconds and keep the pressure on league leaders, Ardoyne but in the end it was not enough as the Kickham’s secured the title with a win away to Latharna Og Larne on the same day. Their pace and movement caused the visitors problems throughout the first half, helping them build a commanding 4-11 to 0-4 lead by the interval. Cormac Magill at full forward finished with an impressive 4-5, while Luke Mulholland and Cormac Lemon around midfield also turned in excellent performances.

Dan Kelly added 1-2, with Eoin McGuigan contributing four points. With the game well under control, All Saints used the second half to empty their bench and give valuable game time to the substitutes. St Gall’s grabbed two late goals to add some gloss to the score line. The only disappointment for All Saints was the number of wides, as they could have extended their winning margin even further.

Despite this excellent win it is Kickham’s, Ardoyne who take the title and will be playing their hurling in division 3 next season.

All Saints Ronan McAllister, Kevin Brady, Dan Gray, Aodhan Casey, Finn Connon, Niall Savage, Luke Mulholland, Luke O’Rawe (0-1), Cormac Lemon, Eoin McGuigan (0-4), Dan Kelly (1-2), Michael Connolly (0-1), Jack Magill (0-2), Cormac Magill (4-5), Archie McGreevy Subs David McGettigan, Fintan Brady, Luke Walsh, Dan McCoy, Sean O’Rawe

ACHL Division 4

All Saints 2-11 Ardoyne 1-11

Naomh Uile claimed a thrilling victory over Ciceam Ard Eoin in a fiery, top-of-the-table clash at Slemish Park. The home side secured two vital league points to keep their title hopes alive, halting Ardoyne’s chance to virtually wrap up the silverware. In a competitive match that occasionally boiled over with tension, a dominant second-half surge saw All Saints overturn a half-time deficit to blow the title race wide open.

Ardoyne made use of a strong wind advantage early on. Paddy Heaney opened the scoring for the North Belfast men, but the in-form Pearse Martin quickly responded for Ballymena with a pointed free.

A brilliant solo run from Eoin McGuigan briefly put All Saints ahead, but Ardoyne answered in spectacular fashion. Dan Moore fielded a towering high ball inside his own half and launched a beautiful point over the crossbar.

Luke O’Rawe struck back with a point for the hosts before Ardoyne launched a devastating run of four consecutive scores. Matt McKillen steered a wonder point over from the sideline, followed by another Moore point under intense defensive pressure. Padraig McGreevy then split the posts twice to stretch Ardoyne’s lead to four. Right before the whistle, Martin knocked over a crucial point to narrow the gap.

Half-Time: Naomh Uile 0-04  Ciceam Ard Eoin 0-07

All Saints roared into the second half. Martin fired over three consecutive points, including two frees, to draw the sides level. Ardoyne mounted counter-attacks resulting in McGreevy registering another two points before full-forward Barnes rattled the net with a spectacular goal, threatening to dampen the home crowd’s spirits.

However, the next 20 minutes were dominated by Ballymena. All Saints unleashed an unanswered blitz, hammering home 2-04 without reply as the Ardoyne defence were in danger of collapse. Robert Crooks was first to raise the green flag for All Saints, followed closely by Michael Connolly converting a penalty to stretch All Saints’ lead. Two further pointed frees from Pearse Martin and Michael Connolly split the posts to leave All Saints 7 points ahead.

The importance of this game was emphasised in the number of skirmishes on the park as both sides battled for the vital points. In the final five minutes, Ardoyne came back with two frees converted, and that could prove vital in score aggregate if the league battle goes to the very end.

All Saints will be delighted at taking the points from the league leaders, and while both sit on equal points, Ardoyne have a game in hand and an advantage in aggregate scores over All Saints. While All Saints secured the win, both teams will have something to take from this game, and the final few matches have the makings of an exciting finish for the Div 4 title.

Ardoyne still remain league favourites, but this result guarantees a thrilling final few matches for both clubs.

Ciceam Ard Eoin: Connor O’Neill, Aran Stewart, Paul Baker, Caolan Wallace, Dean Goodall, Paschal Clarke, Fintan Lagan, Cahal Keown, Matt McKillen (0-02), Cormac Barnes(1-00), Micheál McGreevy, Paddy Heaney (0-02,1f), Padraig McGreevy(0-05, 5f)Cahal Clarke, Sean Searle, Pól Stanton, Emmet Corry, Enda Slattery, John Callinan(0-01), Michael Lee Murphy, Declan Dillon, Stephen Hill

Naomh Uile, Ballymena: Ronan McAllister, Kevin Brady, Dwayne McKee, Luke Mulholland, Daniel Grey, Gary Miskella, Niall Savage, Luke O’Rawe(0-01), Vincent Esler, Pearse Martin (1-08,1-06f) Harry Connon, Eoin McGuigan(0-01), Archie McGreevy, Cormac Magill, Jack Magill, Patrick Doherty, Michael Connolly, Damien Gillan, Robert Crooks

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Antrim Hurling League – Divsion 4

Ardoyne 3-16 All Saints 2-15

A masterful display from Paddy Heaney and a ruthless three-goal blitz propelled Ciceam Ard Eoin to a commanding victory over All Saints, Ballymena, in a highly anticipated top-of-the-table encounter at Fennell Park.

The Ardoyne men signalled their intent from the throw-in. The indefatigable Heaney, who dominated the midfield battleground all afternoon, surged forward to slot over an exceptional point within the opening seconds. All Saints responded quickly through a Magill score, but Ardoyne regained the lead immediately when McKillen split the posts.

The Ballymena men refused to be shaken early on. Vincent Esler raised the hopes of the travelling support with a point from 50 yards out, leaving the sides deadlocked at two points apiece after a ferocious opening 10 minutes.

However, Ardoyne soon found another gear. Despite operating in the unfamiliar territory of the forward line, Searle showed predatory instincts to slot over a neat point. This triggered a devastating purple patch for the hosts, who rattled off 1-04 without reply. Central to this dominance was Lagan, a constant thorn in the All Saints side. His precision pass found Cormac Barnes out on the sideline, who somehow converted a beautiful point from an impossibly tight angle.

All Saints clawed their way back into contention through a Damien Gillan point. A desperate Ardoyne defence then scrambled to divert a goal-bound effort around the post. That defensive stand sparked a Ballymena resurgence, as the visitors took control for the first time in the match. They rifled over five unanswered points, leaving Ardoyne to rely on two pointed frees from McKillen to stay ahead. A late, crucial point from Heaney ensured a goal separated the sides at the break.

Half-Time: Ciceam Ard Eoin 1-08  Naomh Uile 0-08

Any hopes of an All Saints comeback were immediately after the restart. Barnes turned provider to executioner, embarking on a blistering run along the endline before unleashing an unstoppable shot that bulged the Ballymena net.

All Saints responded with a pointed free, but their subsequent efforts to bridge the gap were severely frustrated by wayward shooting and a stubborn Ardoyne rearguard. Paul Baker was in immaculate form for the hosts, dominating the skies with a succession of towering clean catches that choked the Ballymena service line.

The definitive blow arrived twenty minutes into the second half. Micheál McGreevy found space and ruthlessly hit the net for Ardoyne’s third goal, suddenly stretching the deficit to a massive 12 points.

With the game seemingly wrapped up, the Ardoyne management emptied their bench over the final ten minutes. The mass substitutions led to an unsettled period for the hosts, sparking a spirited All Saints revival. The Ballymena men fought to the bitter end, with Magill breaching the host’s defence to score the first goal Ardoyne have conceded all season.

Despite the late All Saints resurgence, Ardoyne’s attacking efficiency ultimately proved too much to overcome. Magill added a second goal to the All Saints tally in the dying minutes, but Ardoyne held firm to secure a vital four-point victory and cement their position at the top of the table.

Full-Time: Ciceam Ard Eoin 3-16 Naomh Uile 2-15

Ciceam Ard Eoin: Connor O’Neill, Aran Stewart, Paul Baker, Caolan Wallace, Dean Goodall(0-01), Paschal Clarke, Paul McGuigan, Fintan Lagan, Cahal Keown, Matt McKillen (0-06,5f), Cormac Barnes(1-01), Micheál McGreevy(1-01), Paddy Heaney (1-06,1f), Cahal Clarke, Sean Searle(0-01), Pól Stanton, Diarmuid Martin, Emmet Corry, Enda Slattery, John Callinan(0-01), Michael Lee Murphy, Declan Dillon, Stephen Hill

Naomh Uile, Ballymena: Ronan McAllister, Kevin Brady, Dwayne McKee, Robert Crooks, Daniel Grey, Gary Miskella, Niall Savage, Harry Connon (0-01), Vincent Esler (0-01), Cormac Magill (2-01), Patrick Doherty(0-02,2f), Michael Connolly, Damien Gillan (0-03), Archie McGreevy (0-01), Jack Magill (0-01), Pearse Martin (0-04)

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ACHL Division 4

All Saints 4-19 Latharna Og 1-11

All Saints, Ballymena and Latharna Og, Larne served up an entertaining game of hurling in good conditions at Slemish Park in Ballymena on Sunday afternoon.

The scoreline slightly flatters the hosts with the visitors putting in a good shift but unable to match the scoring prowess of their hosts on the day.

The opening half saw the Larne men match their opponents in the scoring stake with All Saints holding a 0-9 to 0-8 lead approaching half time but a goal from Paddy Doherty just before the break saw the Ballymena head to the dressing room leading 1-10 to 0-8.

Damian Gillan, Cormac Magill, JP McGurk and Doherty had shared the point scoring for the home side while the free taking of Darren Martin, Kieran Mulvenna, Tom Clarkin, Cathal McKillop and 2 superb efforts from Ryan McDonnell, (1 sideline cut) kept the visitors very much in touch.

Indeed Latharna Og might have had a goal themselves but Ronan McAllister in the All Saints goals pulled off a good save to deny Mark Petticrew.

Damian Gillan for the home side and Ryan O’Donnell exchanged points on the restart before Paddy Doherty drove a 20 meter free to the Larne net to open up a 9 point lead by the 5^th minute as All Saints moved up a gear.

Doherty would finish off his hat trick after being set up by Damian Gillan and complete a memorable evening’s hurling with his fourth with time almost up.

In between Latharna og kept plugging away with their goal arriving through Darren Martin after 5 minutes but despite pushing hard for the remainder of the half they could not breech a tight All Saints defence, well marshalled by Dwayne McKee, the Brady’s and Daniel Gray.

Ryan O’Donnell continued to impress for the visitors with a number of excellent points from distance with Mark Petticrew and Darren Martin also on target.

It was the Ballymena side who pushed on however with Damian Gillan driving his side forward and hitting a number of fine scores and Jack Magill, Cormac Magill and Paddy Doherty all raising the white flag.

This win keeps All Saints in touch with Ardoyne at the top of the leage, the Ballymena side suffering only one defeat to date but Latharna Og’s position at the other end of the table certainly doesn’t do their performance justice and it won’t be too long before they get their first win if today is anything to go by.

All Saints: 1 Ronan McAllister, 2 Kevin Brady, 3 Dwayne McKee, 4 Aodhan Casey, 5 Fiontan Brady, 20 Gary Miskella, 7 Daniel Gray, 8 Vincent Esler, 9 Jack Magill, 10 Michael Connolly, 11 Cormac Magill, 12 Tiernan McGurk, 13 Damian Gillan, 23 Patrick Doherty, 21 Daniel McCoy.

Subs: Paddy Murphy for Vinny Esler, Finn Connon for Gary Miskella

Latharna Og: 1 Rori Millar, 2 Lee Magill, 3 Mark Petticrew, 4 Francis McCambridge, 5 Brian Rogan, 6 Cathal McKillop, 7 Eoin Walsh, 8 Ryan O’Donnell, 9 Kieran Mulvenna, 10 Ryan Millar, 11 Darren Martin, 12 Kieran McKillop, 13 Tom Clarkin, 14 Matthew Magill, 15 Dara Kerr, 19 Jim McGrann

Referee: Ryan O’Reilly (Glenravel)

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