Cushendall scored a convincing victory over the Cuchullains when they travelled to Dunloy on Tuesday evening and came away winners by 4-16 to 1-16 to keep their league hopes alive.
Cushendall were dominant in the early stages and opened up a 1-06 to 0-1 lead after thirteen minutes, the goal coming from Conlaoith McNaughton on seven minutes, while Shane McQuillan (2), Conlaoith McNaughton (2), Conal Og Traynor, Cahir McCambridge and Brian McNeill
Dunloy pulled a couple of points back through Jay McAlonan but Cushendall were dominating throughout the field and they pushed on to lead by 3-10 to 0-05 at half time, the other two goals coming from Conlaoith McNaughton and Cahir McCambridge.
Dunloy opened the second half with two unanswered points from McAlonan and James McGarry but Cushendall hit back with two points and when Conlaoith McNaughton completed his hat-trick of goals on 42 minute they were back in full control. The gap was out to 4-14 to 0-09 by the 48th minute, but Dunloy never gave up the fight as they produced a storming finish.
A goal in the fiftieth minute gave the home team they boost they need and they followed up with eight points without reply with Jay McAlonan, Eunan Curry and John Ferguson all hitting excellent scores in the run-in.
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Daniel Smyth was in sparkling for as he led Sarsfield’s to the U21B Hurling title when they overcame a young All Saints side at Whitehill on Monday night. Condition were certainly not conducive for good hurling with rain falling throughout the 60 plus minutes.
Despite this these sides served up an excellent game of hurling and matters seemed to be in the balance as they headed for the dressing rooms at half time tied on seven points apiece.
Indeed the Ballymena side will feel that the half time whistle came at just the wrong time as they came from five down to hit six of the last seven scores with Darach Bradley in sparkling form from the placed ball.
Daniel Smyth who was in superb form as Sarsfields deated All Saints in the U21B Hurling final at Whitehill on Monday night
He was matched all the way by the excellent Daniel Smyth for the Stewartstown Road side who finished with 1-8 to his name as he gave a commanding performance around mid-field.
Two goals early in the second half turned the game on its head and the Ballymena side will feel they could have been prevented.
The first came after only 30 seconds when keeper, Luke Walsh got caught in possession when he had time to clear with Conlai Mervyn applying the finish with a simple tap in.
All Saints looked to have recovered as their own sharp shooter, Darach Bradley replied from two pointed frees to close the gap to the minimum but when Daniel Smyth fired a 25 meter free through a packed goalmouth in the 9th minute the game swung decisively in favour of the ‘Paddies’.
They went on to play some great hurling and added a further 1-8 as the All Saints challenge flounder with their only response coming from two Darach Bradley pointed frees.
It was fitting that Daniel Smyth would be the man to receive the cup from Antrim committee member Danny McLarnon. Smyth scored 3-6 last week in the semi-final against Tir na nOg and added another 1-8 tonight and looks one for the future.
Antrim committee member, Danny McLarnon presents the U21B Hurling Cup to Sarsfield’s captain, Daniel Smyth
It certainly wasn’t a one man show however with Oisin Coleman, Eoin McBriarty, Conlai Mervyn, Jay Maguire, Fionn Jemfrey and Brendan Jackson catching the eye in a good all round Sarsfield’s side.
All Saints will be disappointed at their second half performance but a side who are all under age next year can be proud of the effort they put in this year in the clubs first ever U21 Hurling campaign.
Peadar McGuckian, Archie McGreevey, Sean McDermott and Jakub Kaczmarek gave it everything on the night while Darach Bradley was their outstanding performer and contributed all of his side’s 0-11 total.
Sarsfields: 2 Daragh Coleman 3 Oisin Coleman, 4 Ahmad Soda 5 Jay Ward 6 Anthony McGarrigle 7 Jay Ward 8 Eoin McBriarty 6 Michael Johnson 18 Conlai Mervyn, 9 Tiernan Ward, 28 Daniel Smyth, 7 Eamonn O Cuinneagáin 9 Tiernan Ward, 10 Jay Maguire, 13 Brendan Jackson 0-1, 14 Anthony McGarrigle, 17 Conal Jemfrey, 23 Fionn Jeffrey 0-1, 15 Oisin Coleman 0-1, 18 Brian Healy 0-2, 25 Andrew McStay
All Saints: 1 Luke Walsh 2 Finn Connon, 3 Peadar McGuckian, 4 Diarmuid Casey, 5 Senan O’Boyle, 6 Harry Connon, 7 Archie mcGreevey, 8 Sean McDermott, 9 |Daniel Kelly, 10 Jakub , 11 Darach Bradley, 12 Fintan Brady, 13 Eddie McKendry, 14 Patrick Murphy, 15 Michael Connolly.
Subs: Pearse Martin
Referee: Piarais McCaffrey
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Brendan McTaggart reports from Pairc Mac Uilin, Ballycastle
For anyone who braved the mid-summer weather and attended the U21 final, they were treated to a contest that had everything we love about our game. Thrills, spills, goals and a game played at 100 mph. At the end of a pulsating 60 plus minutes, it was Dunloy who claimed the victory and cup by the narrowest of margins in a contest that was every bit as close as the scoreline suggests.
The pendulum swing of momentum was in full force in this contest with the game ebbing and flowing in a proper ding dong battle between two evenly matched sides. Cushendall’s ability to create and take their goal chances looked to be the winning of this game yet Dunloy just kept ticking along and a series of scoring bursts at the beginning and end of each half proved to be the winning of the game.
Aodhan McGarry would top score for the Cuchullains with 0-10 beside his name while Joseph McLaughlin was top of the charts for the Ruairi’s and 1-6. Both had plenty of support with Oisin McCallin and Padraig Martin impressing for Dunloy while Padraig McKillop was a real handful for the Dunloy defence. The ‘Dall full forward scored 1-2 and caused the Dunloy defence a lot of problems.
Neither side really put their stamp on this game in the opening 10 minutes. Dunloy held a one point lead at 0-3 to 0-2 with a couple of goal chances going begging, McCallin denied by ‘keeper Joseph McNaughton while Ryan Mort was denied by a brilliant last gasp block from Daire Mort.
At the other end of the pitch, the speed of Thomas McLaughlin and Oran McCambridge was yielding success for the Ruairi’s but three wides in the opening exchanges did little for their challenge.
A series of three points in just over two minutes from Joseph McLaughlin (free), McKillop and Oistin Birt put Cushendall ahead while they kept the Cuchullains scoreless for closing in on 10 minutes. A brace of frees from McGarry either side of Joseph McLaughlin’s second of the game (free) put the minimum between the sides going into the final 10 minutes of the half.
Cushendall struck the first meaningful blow of the final with a major in the 23rd minute. McKillop had just put his side two clear once more when Bradley tore down the left and as McKillop dropped into space, Bradley sent the sliotar his way and McKillop riffled his shot to the back of the net to give Eoghan Richmond no chance between the sticks for Dunloy.
Dunloy’s answer to that Cushendall goal was exactly what they needed. A run of four points in barely two minutes from Jack and Padraig Martin and McGarry frees (two) brought them to within the minimum and while Cushendall replied from a Joseph McLaughlin ’65, Dunloy had the final say of the half. McGarry firing over a brace of points (one free) to leave the sides tied at 0-11 to 1-8 at the short whistle.
If anything, half time came at the right time for Cushendall as Dunloy really turned the screw at the end of the first half, outscoring the Ruairi’s 0-6 to 0-1 in the space of just over six minutes.
Dunloy would continue that momentum at the start of the second half when they scored their opening goal in the second minute. They sent a long, high ball into the danger area and while Cushendall forced Padraig Martin out wide, he cut inside and riffled his shot to the back of the net from an acute angle. It was a ridiculous angle and Martin had no right to score from there but it was a touch of brilliance that lit up the final and was a sign of things that would come.
Martin would fire over a point soon after to take the Dunloy lead to four for the first time in the game but it was the Ruairi’s who found a way back into the game once more. McKillop the tormentor in chief once more and while the Dunloy defence looked to have dealt with his threat, he dropped the sliotar low and passed to Joseph McLaughlin in space. He made no mistake with a pulled, first time effort.
The sides traded scores before Dunloy took a three point lead in the 41st minute. Cushendall found another gear however with Joseph McLaughlin splitting the uprights with a quite brilliant score when he had neither time nor space but still managed to get an accurate shot away. His brother Thomas would split the uprights before McCallin raised another white flag for Dunloy.
Cushendall’s third goal came in the 48th minute and again, McKillop was at the heart of it. Dunloy swarmed and looked to quell his danger but he managed to pass unorthodoxly to Bradley and despite an acute angle, he found the back of the net.
Once again, Dunloy found another response. Three points in as many minutes from Luke and Eoin McFerran before McGarry’s eighth free of the final cancelled out the Cushendall major to put Dunloy two clear going into the final five minutes.
Joseph McLaughlin (free) and McCallin swapped scores before the Cushendall man would leave the minimum between the sides as the clock ticked into injury time.
Dunloy packed their defence and looked to the speed of McCallin on the break while Cushendall threw the kitchen sink in the closing stages. They had a free from distance where McLaughlin took aim and with the sliotar dropping, there was carnage on the edge of the square but Dunloy managed to clear the danger with referee Ciaran McCloskey calling time.
This was a quite brilliant advertisement for hurling within our county with two sides that just refused to lay down or give in. The Ruairi’s more than played their part in what was an incredibly entertaining final and even the most ardent of Dunloy supporter wouldn’t have denied them an extra 20 minutes for extra time. But, it was the Cuchullains who claimed the silverware.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Eoghan Richmond; Reece Cunning, Sean Og Blaney, Michael Traynor; Daire McMullan, Ben O’Kane, Joseph Magee; Jack Martin, Aodhan McGarry; Eoin McFerran, Luke McFerran, Barry McCloskey; Padraig Martin, Ryan Mort, Oisin McCallin
Subs: Tom McFerran for J Magee (HT)
Scorers: A McGarry 0-10 (7fs 1’65); P Martin 1-2; O McCallin 0-3; L McFerran 0-3; E McFerran 0-1; J Martin 0-1
Cushendall: Joseph McNaughton; Aodhan Campbell, Daire Mort, Michael Quinn; Alex McCambridge, Callagh Mooney, Conor McCollam; Oistin Birt, Charlie McAuley; Oisin Woodhouse, Joseph McLaughlin, Oran McCambridge; Fiontan Bradley, Padraig McKillop, Thomas McLaughlin
Subs: Mark Emerson for C McCollam (37); Stephen McAuley for O Woodhouse (44)
Scorers: J McLaughlin 1-6 (3fs 1’65); P McKillop 1-2; F Bradley 1-00; O McCambridge 0-2; T McLaughlin 0-2; O Birt 0-1
Referee: Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel)
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Underdogs, All Saints will be hoping to cause a major upset when they take on a strong Sarsfield’s in tonight’s U21B Hurling Final at Whitehill as they field an U21 Hurling team for only the second time in the club’s history.
The Ballymena club made their U21 debut in last week’s semi-final where two goals from Jakub Kaczmarek saw them overcome the challenge of Lamh Dhearg at Slemish Park in front of a good crowd.
They face a strong opponent tonight in Patrick Sarsfields who defeated Tir na nOg at Whitehill in the other semi-final and the Stewartstown Road club will be confident of taking the honours tonight.
Daniel Smyth was the star of the show for Sarsfields in the semi-final as they ran out 3-14 winners of a spirited Randalstown side who led 1-7 to 0-5 at the halfway stage.
Whatever happened during the half-time break, Smyth came out and put on a master class in scoring for Sarsfields as he picked up 3-06 during a second half in which Tír na nÓg just failed to get a handle on the men in green. Smyth dominated and a score looked on the cards every time he got his hands on the sliothar.
Anthony McGarrigle, Jay Ward, Fionn Jeffrey and Brian Healey were others to shine in a strong all round Sarsfields side who will go into tonight’s decider as firm favourites.
Luke Walsh, Peadar McGuckian, Harry Connon, Archie McGreevey, Sean McDermott, Darach Bradley and Kaczmarek will spearhead the All Saints challenge tonight but it will take everyone to be in top form if they are to cause an upset.
On a sunny Friday 5th July Kickhams Creggan hosted a Hurling Development Day with Conor McCann and special guests Conal Cunning and Paul Boyle. This was the first of it’s kind but was a fun-filled day, where many memories were made for those in attendance with their friends and coaching colleagues.
With around 100 girls and boys in attendance from ages 2-16, they all descended on Creggan to learn some new skills or develop others whilst having lots of fun in the process.
The day began with a group warm-up lead by Conor, with the groups descending on their area to start a range of fun hurling and camogie activities in their age groups.
Conor McCann was at the helm but assisted by talented Creggan Hurling and Camogie coaches.
The various activities were fun focussed but still incorporated a variety of skills and led up to small All-Ireland style matches at the end of the day.
Antrim stars Coby Cunning and Paul Boyle made a special appearance during the day, they kindly lent their time to demonstrate frees, sidelines and more indicating the proper technique and the kids clung to every word of advice.They had a question and answer session with each group and followed up with autographs for all those little smiling faces.
Kickhams Creggan would like to say a massive thank you to their sponsors of the event Bourke Sports and Ben’s Ice Cream Studio who kindly contributed to the day and made it a marquee date in the summer calendar for all our young players. The day finished up with a presentation and each went away asking parents when a followup session would be organised, so the goal for the day to develop Hurling and Camogie in Creggan was achieved
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