ACHL Division 2

Clooney Gaels 0-20 Carey Faughs 0-20

The top two in division 2 of the ACHL Division 2 couldn’t be separated after a thoroughly entertaining and competitive hour’s hurling in Ahoghill on Saturday evening.

As has become the norm, James O’Connell top scored for the ‘Gaels’ who looked to be heading for the win when they led by two with only a couple of minutes of normal time remaining.

The visitors looked to have turned the game around however as Conlith McKinley gave them the lead, deep into injury time and it took a splendid response from O’Connell to earn his side a share of the spoils with virtually the last piece of action of the game.

It was nip and tuck throughout with the side’s level on seven occasions and in the end both sets of management teams will probably reflect on the number of wides their respective teams shot in the difficult cross-field breeze over the 60 plus minutes action.

James ‘Rocket’ Black gave the visitors the lead with a point in the opening minute with James O’Connell tying the contest in the third minute with his first of the evening.

Conlith McKinley restored the Carey lead with Eoin Graham bringing the sides level for the second time in the 7^th minute before Paedar McVeigh nosed the Ballyvoy side ahead once more.

James O’Connell squared matters before the Faughs hit the front again with Conall McGlynn pointing a couple of frees and another from play to move his side 0-6 to 0-4 ahead by the 16^th minute.

 Clooney Gaels reply came from James O’Connell and a well struck 70 meter free from Fionnbar O’Neill and another from Ronan Graham had it all square again with 18 minutes gone.

Eamonn Brady edged the Ahoghill side ahead once more and then they were awarded an opportunity to put some daylight between the sides when referee Terry Reilly signalled for a penalty.

Up stepped fee taker O’Connell but Christopher Butler got down to deny the Ahoghill number 12.

O’Connell pointed a 24^th minute free to make atonement for his miss but the visitors came back through their own free taker, Conall McGlynn with three on the bounce before O’Connell tied it at 0-9 apiece at the short whistle.

The second half became something of a rerun of the first with both sides taking turn to get on top but neither able to shake of the shackles of the other.

James O’Connell and Ronan Graham for Clooney Gaels and Conall McGlynn and Conlith McKinley for Carey left it all square again by the 9^th minute before Clooney Gaels briefly threatened to take control with O’Connell leading the way with three for the home side.

Once again the Ballyvoy men responded through McGlynn and McKinley to leave just one in it again with 12 minutes remaining and it looked like this one would go right down to the wire.

And so it continued as Donal Graham and another couple of converted O’Connell frees edged the league leaders three in front for the first vtime by the 24^th minute but the visitors just would not go away.

The excellent Conall McGlynn came back with two of his own, either side of a point from Conlith McKinley to make it 0-18 each as Referee Reilly signalled four minutes added time.

Ronan Graham restored the Clooney lead again before McGlynn fired over the equaliser and Conlith McKinley’s point brought the loudest cheer of the night for the visitors.

It looked that the Faughs would be heading back to North Antrim with both points at this stage but there would be one more piece of action and not for the first time, that man O’Connell would come up with the saving score.

Clooney Gaels: 1 Aiden Graham, 2 Conall Walls, 3 Diarmaid Graham, 4 Joseph Logan, 5 Fionnbar O’Neill, 6 James Magee, 7 Conor McGarry, 8 Eamonn Brady, 9 Dan O’Neill, 10 Donal Graham, 11 Ronan Graham, 12 James O’Connell, 13 Owen Neeson, 14 Eoin Graham, 15 Noah Friel

Subs: Charlie McCloskey for Conall Walls, Jack McFall for Noah Friel

Carey Faughs: 1 Christopher Butler, 2 Somhairle Mathers, 3 Sean McBride, 4 Zach McCaughan, 5 Eoin Hill, 6 John McBride, 7 Michael McVeigh, 8 Caolan McCaughan, 9 Callum Cane, 10 Conall McGlynn, 11 James Black, 12 Patrick Butler, 13 Paedar McVeigh, 14 Conlith McKinley, 15 Fiachra McVeigh

Subs: Brendan McQuaid for Patrick Gillan, Daniel McKinley for Eoin Hill

Referee: Terry Reilly (Gort na Mona)

ACFL Division 3

Creggan 3-21 All Saints 2-7

 In a game of two halves, only 3 points separated the sides at the break.   Creggan had the upper hand with a 3-point lead, with a fortunate second goal from Conor McCann.  With the second half underway, there was only one team in it.  Creggan controlled the play adding 1.11 to their tally as All Saints failed to score.

 A confident Creggan won the toss and played with a strong breeze while All Saints went in search of their first win of the season.  The home side registered the first score 3 minutes in from Conor McCann from play.  Eoin McGuigan levelled 2 minutes later with a 20 metre free. 

From here until the short whistle both teams matched each other, score for score’ at 10 minutes gone it was 3 apiece,  two additional frees, tapped over by Creggan’s Morgan Nelson and one each from Eoin McGuigan and Damien Gillen. 

McCann added a goal followed by 2 quick points to increase the home side’s lead by 5 points.  McGuigan responded from the next puck out finding the net from the edge of the square leaving little between the sides.  

As the contest progressed into the second quarter, Creggan increased their lead by 3 points with 2 frees from Morgan Nelson, a fine point from Lee Johnston and another from Conor McCann. 

The visitor’s response kept them within touching distance with a point from Sean McDermott and 2 converted frees from Eoin McGuigan, to leave it finally balanced with 24 minute gone. 

As half time neared, Conor McCann got a second goal to the delight of the home supporters but the 6-point lead was short lived when Liam Cassley rattled the Creggan net from close range.

HALF TIME SCORE:      CREGGAN 2.10 – ALL SAINTS 2.07.

Referee, Danny O’Neill, got proceedings underway for the second half.  The home side’s Sean Duffin scored a point from the throw in and this was quickly followed by a second goal from Conor McCann, to put 7 points between the sides. 

At this stage in the contest, Ballymena seemed to have run out of steam while  Creggan’s ability to control most of the possession afforded them the opportunity to attempt scores from distance and difficult angles which increased their wides-tally. 

As the contest approached the final quarter, the game was well and truly over.  The home-side’s Morgan Nelson added 4 further points from frees while Sean Duffin equalled his tally with 4 points from play while Conleith McGrenagan scored his first which was the last score of the game.  All Saints battled on with several attempts on goal which were confidently cleared by Creggan’s Oran McCann.

CREGGAN:  No.1 Oran McCann, No.2 Paedar McGuckian, No,3 Aidan Maguire, No.4 Dylan Hinfey, No.5 Senan O’Boyle, No.6 Keelan McCan, No.7 Jake McAteer, No8 Niall McAuley, No.9 Sean Duffin (0.05), No.10 Morgan Nelson (0.09), No.11 Lee Johnston (0.01), No.12 Thomas McCann, No.13 Sean McAuley (0.01), No.14 Conor McCann (3.04), No.15 Conleith McGrenagan (0.01), No.16 Brendan Maguire, No.17 Michael Maguire, No.18 Joseph Smyth, No.19 Cormac Rice.

ALL SAINTS: No.1 Ciaran Cassley, No.2 Kevin Brady, No3 Eoin McAllister, No.4 Archy McGreevy, No.5 Padhraig Magill, No.6 Cormac Magill,  No.7 Daniel Gray, No.8 Cathaoir Cunning, No.9 Vincent Esler, No.10 Sean McDermott (0.01), No.11 Eoin McGuigan (1.05), No.12 Daniel Kelly, No.13 Damian Gillen (0.01), No.14 Liam Cassley (1.00), No.15 Niall Savage, No.17 Dermott Casey, No.18 Frank Casey, No.19 Luke Walsh.

REFEREE:                         DANNY O’NEILL.    (Gort na Mona)       

ACHL Division 2

Carryduff 2-12 Clooney Gaels 1-17

Clooney Gaels maintained their place at the top of what is turning out to be the closest ACHL Division 2 race for years when they travelled to Carryduff on Wednesday night and recorded a two point win over the Down men.

They certainly didn’t get it all their own way and trailed by five at the break in a sometimes bad tempered contest but a goal from Fionnbar O’Neill, direct from a free, at the end of the third quarter turned it in the way of the Ahoghill men.

Carryduff scored their last point with ten minutes remaining as a James O’Connell added three to his total and another from Dan O’Neill saw them over the line and maintain their top of the table birth.

It was Carryduff who edged the exchanges during the opening half with James Lavery, Oran Teague, Eoin Rooney, Donal Rooney and Conor Cassidy on target as both sides went toe to toe with Ronan Graham leading the charge for the visitors with three points in the opening 10 minutes.

At this stage Carryduff led 0-4 to 0-3 and would extend that lead to two by the halfway stage with Dominic Sharkey, Donal Rooney 0-2 and Eoin Rooney 1-1 their marksmen and James O’Connell from two converted ‘65’s and a free, Dan O’Neill and Conor Crossey getting the Ahoghill scores.

Things got heated after the break with Clooney Gaels losing a player to a straight Red after four minutes and the hosts suffering a similar fate after 15 minutes.

Conor Cassidy pointed on the restart for the Down men and then got in for their second goal with only four minutes of the new half gone but Ronan Graham and James O’Connell 0-3 kept the score board ticking for the visitors but it wasn’t looking good as they trailed by 2-11 to 0-13.

The home side would add only one further point however as Fionnbar O’Neill free in the 13^th minute sailed all the way to the Carryduff net and this bit of good fortune certainly lifted the ‘Gaels’.

James O’Connell brought his contribution for the evening to 0-10 as the visitors finished with a flourish and Dan O’Neill fired over the final score of the night in the 29^th minute to see the visitors home with two points to spare and maintain their place at the top of the division.

Carryduff: 1 Conor McLornan, 2 Conor McCormick, 3 Conor Cassidy, 4 Ciaran Goodwin, 5 Ciaran Rodgers, 6 James Lavery, 8 Ciaran O’Callaghan, 9 Dominic Sharkey, 10 Owen Wyer, 11 James Woods, 13 Conor O’Reilly, 14 Lorcan McCaughey, 15 Oran Teague, 16 Matthew Mooney, , 17 Christopher McConville, 18 Niall McArdle, 19 Michael Conway, 20 Donal Rooney, 24 Eoin Rooney

Clooney Gaels: Aiden Graham, Charlie McCloskey, Harry O’Donnell,  Joe Logan, Fionnbar O ‘Neill,  Bobby Magee, Dan O’Neill, Eamonn Brady, Conor Crossey, Donal Graham, Ronan Graham, James O’Connell, Colla McDonnell, Niall O’Connell, Owen Neeson

Subs: Eoin Graham for Joe Logan Patrick Graham for Boris Conor McGarry for Charlie McCloskey

Referee: Colm McDonald (St. Gall’s)