Antrim Junior Hurling Championship, Group One

Ardoyne 0-10 Davitt’s 3-16

Pics by Brian McKee

Davitt’s made a great start to their 2024 Junior Hurling Championship campaign when they travelled to the Cricky on Friday evening in their first round robin game of the campaign. With both team’s missing a few regulars Davitt’s took full advantage and going ahead in the early stages they maintained their dominance until the end. With Stephen Thompson leading the line with 2-1 for the Davitt’s Park outfit they scored a significant win and with just three in their group they are all but assured of a semi-final spot before Rasharkin at home in two weeks’ time.

Early scores from Stephen McGivern, Peter Og Carleton and Christopher Gallagher gave Davitt’s a good base to work from and though Ardoyne came back with a point from Patrick McGreevy, the gap was back out to three when Marcus Toner split the posts for the visitor. Matt McKillen pulled one back for the home side, but Davitt’s stretched their lead to four when Toner and Gallagher found the target for Davitt’s.

The decisive period of the game came on twenty minutes when Ardoyne were desperately unlucky to see Dean Goodall’s shot rebound of the post when a goal seemed certain. Davitt’s took full advantage and when the ball was cleared up the field, Stephen Thompson found space near to goal and fired to the Ardoyne net. To make matters worse for the home side Thompson grabbed his second goal soon afterwards when what appeared to be a shot for a point dipped at the last second and ended up in the net to put the visitors 2-8 to 0-5 clear at the short whistle.

Ardoyne now had a mountain to climb and they kept battling hard, but each time they reduced the gap Davitt’s found an answer. As weather conditions worsened as the game progressed it became ever harder for the home side to get themselves back in contention and when Davitt’s grabbed their third goal as the deluge hit hard in the dying minutes, there was simply no way back.

Ardoyne have the consolation on knowing they will be in the knock out stages no matter what way the other games go, but they have a four week wait before travelling to Rasharkin on August 24^th, and that is far from ideal. Davitt’s on the other hand have home advantage when they face the men from Dreen in two weeks’ time and are now in a very strong position.

ARDOYNE: JP Agnew; P Clarke, P Baker, E Mac Lochlainn; C Wallace, K McCallin, C Barnes; D Goodall, P McGuigan; D Moore (0-1), P McGreevy (0-6, all frees), M Cromie; M McKillen (0-1), P Heaney (0-2), C Trainor.

Subs: C Curran for C Barnes (HT), P Hull for M Cromie (45), S Hill for M McKillen (58), P O’Neill for C Mac Lochlainn (59)

DAVITT’S: G Cosgrove; L McCaffrey, J Parke, O Cosgrove; P Og Carleton (0-1), C Heaney, D Mooney (0-1); M Og Rowntree, C McKee (0-4); M Toner (1-4, 0-2f), S McGivern (0-3), C Maguire; S Thompson (2-1), A Rowntree, C Gallagher (0-2, 1f).

Subs: G Nelson for O Cosgrove (19), D Whelan for A Rowntree (59), E Gallagher for G Nelson (60)

REFEREE: Kevin Parke (Naomh Éanna)

For more pics by Brian McKee click on the link below

https://myalbum.com/album/wTntTUephbhJDf

Junior Hurling Championship Group 2

Lamh Dhearg 1-12 All Saints 0-11

A Donal Martin goal for Lamh Dhearg after 15 minutes proved the decisive score in the end as the Hannastown side fought off a sustained challenge from All Saints in this Group 2 opener in Belfast on Friday night.

Both sides played their hurling in division 3 this year with Lamh Dhearg recording a big league win over tonight’s opponents who suffered relegation back to division 4 despite putting in some good performances.

It was Lamh Dhearg who opened the scoring when Daniel Murray pointed them ahead from a 45 meter free in the 5^th minute before Damian Gillan struck an excellent point for the visitors to bring it all square after 7 minutes.

It was the home side who took control at this stage as they struck points through Mark Finnegan, Donal Martin and Fionn Mervyn to move three ahead by the 10^th minute.

All Saints might have been back on terms soon after when a good move opened the way for Eoin McGuigan but he pulled his goal attempt just wide of the post.

The visitors replied with a pointed free from Damian Gillan but then had an appeal for what looked a good point waved away and when Donal Martin placed his shot out of reach of Saints keeper, Ciaran Cassley at the other end in the 17^th minute, the Hannastown side were six in front and looking comfortable.

A minute later Cormac Magill struck a fine long range effort at the other end and it heralded a good period for the visitors as Magill again, Damian Gillan and Eoin McGuigan added further points in reply to one from Mark Finnegan and just a goal separated the sides.

Harry Connon and Jack Magill had now assumed control at mid-field as the visitors began to dominate and a late pointed free from Damian Gillan saw the Lamh Dhearg lead cut to two at the short whistle.

HT Lamh Dhearg 1-6 All Saints 0-7

Martin Finnegan extended the Lamh Dhearg lead to three on the restart with Damian Gillan replying with a point for the Ballymena side to cut the deficit to two once more and set a precedence for what was to follow.

Donal Marin for Lamh Dhearg and McGuigan with another massive effort for the visitors kept the gap at two and Fionn Mervyn and Liam Cassley exchanged further minors before Mark Finnegan moved the Hannastown side three in front from a 12^th minute free.

The Ballymena side were giving it everything as McGuigan closed the gap to two again but the free taking of Mark Finnegan continued to keep Lamh Dhearg noses in front as he replied with his 5^th point of the evening.

The visitors were still battling hard for every ball and playing some good hurling and they looked to be in for the equaliser when Harry Connon raced clear but he shot narrowly wide when a goal looked on.

The visitors were then awarded a close range free as the clock ticked down but Eoin McGuigan’s attempt at goal was well saved by Lamh’s keeper, Rhys McCamlin.

Lamh Dhearg had been under pressure for a spell but they broke forward and Donal Martin fired over what was to prove to be the insurance point at the other end and they now join Armoy on two points at the top of Group 2 after the opening round of games.

Lamh Dhearg: 1 Rhys McCamlin, 20 Christopher Nolan, 3 Odhran Waldron, 4 Tiernan McKenna, 5 Daniel Murray, 6 Ryan Diamond, 7 Fionn Mervyn, 8 Ciaran Boyd, 9 Aidan McGuigan, 10 Donal Martin, 18 Mark Finnegan, 12 Niall McGuigan, 13 Michael McGuigan, 14 Michael McGarry, 22 Niall McGarry, 17 Odhran Lee, 21 Conal Megraw, 26 Aaron Ferris

All Saints: 1 Ciaran Cassley, 2 Archie McGreevey, 3 Eoin McAllister, 4 Kevin Brady, 5 Conor O’Rawe, 6 Padraig Magill, 7 Daniel Gray, 8 Jack Magill, 9 Harry Connon, 10 Cormac Magill, 11 Eoin McGuigan, 12 Sean McDermott, 13 Damian Gillan, 14 Liam Cassley 15 Darrach Bradley

Referee: Piaris McCaffrey

For more Bert Trowlen pics from this game click on the link below

https://myalbum.com/album/fXfEDBGHLQbVE3

Ulster Junior Hurling Championship quarter-final at Ahoghill

St Brigid’s Cloughmills 2-9 Castleblaney 1-15

Cloughmills came within a strike of a ball of forcing extra time in Saturday’s Ulster Club Junior Hurling Championship opening round against Monaghan champions Castleblaney at Ahoghill on Saturday.

The Biddies appeared to be dead and buried when they trailed the Monaghan men by seven points with just two minutes of normal time left to play but late goals from Liam Kearns and Corey Blair gave them hope that they could still salvage the game. The Monaghan men hit back with two points to put three between the sides again deep into second half injury time, but with just seconds left of the five minutes extra time allocated by referee James Connors the ball broke to full forward Reece Watt, but his shot was closed down and the Castleblaney men survived.

It all looked too easy for the Blaney boys  when they hit 1-5 without reply midway through the second half, the goal coming from right half back Declan Hughes who finished expertly to the bottom right hand corner  after being put clear. Points followed in quick succession from Thomas Hughes (2), Leo Moloney (2) and Brian McGuigan and suddenly the gap was out to seven.

The Biddies looked dead and buried, but when Liam Kearns fired through a packed goalmouth to the back of the Blaney net it gave Cloughmills a bit of hope. Two minutes into the allotted five of injury time Corey Blair added another goal and suddenly the impossible now seemed possible. The Monaghan champions never panicked and well taken points from Mark Treanor and Niall Garland put them three clear again and though Watt had a late chance the Blaney defence saw off the danger to seal the win.

Cloughmills

C McKiernan, S McKendry, K O’Boyle, S Martin, C Laverty, G Og Laverty, J Duffin, M Dobbin (0-1), O McCurdy, E Dobbin (0-3), R Laverty, L Kearns (1-0), C Butler (0-1), M Devlin (0-2), J Doherty (0-1).  

Subs – Corey Blair (1-0) for J Duffin; Reece Watt for M Devlin Stephen Smith (0-1) for Conaire Butler

Castleblaney

H Byrne, P Heavin, C Merrick, B Flanagan, D Hughes (1-1), P Treanor, C McNally, C McHugh, A Kenny (c), L Maloney (0-8 …8f), F Rafter, N Garland (0-2), B McGuigan (0-1), T Hughes (0-3), Patrick Finnegan.

Subs – Zack McArdle, Nathan Adair, Mark Treanor (0-1) for Patrick Finnegan

Referee – James Connors (Donegal)