Ulster Minor Hurling Championship

Derry 1-13 Antrim 3-19

At Owenbeg

Antrim produced a commanding performance at the Derry Centre of Excellence in Owenbeg to book their place in the Ulster Minor Hurling Cup final against Wicklow, defeating the hosts on a scoreline of 3-19 to 1-13. Despite playing against the wind in the second half, the Saffrons (who are made up of the Under 16 Development squad) showed their quality with a clinical display of finishing, particularly from full-forward Joe Casey and a high-impact bench.

With wind assistance in the first half, Antrim made a lightning start. Connlaodh McNaughton opened the scoring after just ten seconds, followed quickly by a point from Jude Gamble in the first minute. Although Karl Friel responded with a point for Derry on two minutes, Antrim hit a devastating purple patch shortly after. In a blistering thirty-second spell around the tenth minute, Antrim rattled off 1-02, including a goal from Joe Casey and another point from McNaughton, putting them firmly in the driving seat early on.

Derry settled as the half progressed, with their number ten, Callum McLaughlin, finding his range from frees. Antrim kept the scoreboard ticking over with a long-range effort from midfielder Gerard Delaney, but Derry began to find gaps in the defense. Peadar Kelly pointed well after a solo run, and a goal from Callum McLaughlin helped the Oak Leaf county drag themselves back into contention. By the halftime whistle, Antrim held a five-point lead, going in 1-10 to 1-05 ahead.

With the wind at their backs for the second half, Derry would have fancied their chances of overturning the deficit. However, Antrim extinguished those hopes almost immediately. Joe Casey remained in fine form, hitting the first score of the half in the opening minute, followed by a point from Cody McGarry. When Casey pointed again in the fourth minute following good approach work by McNaughton, Antrim had stretched their lead to eight points, effectively killing Derry’s momentum before it could build.

Derry continued to battle, relying heavily on the excellent free-taking of Callum McLaughlin, who slotted over a series of placed balls, including a superb effort from the sideline. However, Antrim’s attack remained potent. Good movement created an opening for Joe Casey to blast home his second goal of the game, cementing Antrim’s grip on the tie.

As the game entered the final quarter, Antrim’s substitutes made a significant impact, highlighting the depth of their squad. In the 19th minute, a flowing move involving four players ended with substitute Cillian Cunning firing home a great goal just minutes after entering the fray. Fellow substitute and Dunloy clubmate Ronan Elliott also impressed, scoring two excellent points shortly after his introduction, while Damian Laverty also chipped in with a fine score. Despite late resistance from Derry, Antrim ran out comfortable 12-point winners, finishing 3-19 to 1-13 to set up a decider with Wicklow this weekend.

Antrim –

1 Aidan Johnston, 2 Matthew O’Neill, 3 Oran Baudant, 4 Cormac Bailey, 5 Seàn Cunningham, 6 Lorcan Murtagh, 7 Lorcan Martin, 8 Cahir McErlean, 9 Gerard Delaney, 10 Jude Gamble, 11 Connlaodh McNaughton, 12 Cahir McCloskey, 13 Cody McGarry, 14 Joe Casey, 15 Rian Laverty, 16 Sean Vasille, 17 Ruairi McIlhatton, 19 Cillain Carabine, 20 Damian Laverty, 21 Daire Rainey, 22 Cillian Cunning, 23 Conan Digney 24 Ronan Elliott.

Derry

1 Pádraig Campbell, 2 Cathal Duggan, 3 Ben Douglas, 4 Pearse Murphy, 5 Odhran Clark, 6 Conor McCloskey, 7 Anton Farren, 8 Conan Gillan, 9 Cormac O’Kane, 10 Callum McLaughlin, 11 Eoin McGuigan, 12 Eoghan Murray, 13 Peadar Kelly, 14 Karl Friel, 15 Davin Hassan, 16 Ciaran Crawford, 17 Killian Doyle-Kennedy, 18 Fionn Connery, 19 Ryan McKenna, 20 Cody McCullagh, 21 Sean O’Neill, 22 Ben Haran, 23 Cathair Mullan, 24 James Óg O’Kane, 25 Ruairi Haran, 26 Johnny McKenna, 27 Dara Cassidy, 28 Shea Kearney, 29 Eoghan Smith 30 Liam O’Kane.

To see more pics from the game click on the link below

https://myalbum.com/album/3PAM54amwet3MM/?invite=df76a615-f269-400a-8f4b-8050b29e3f28

Ulster Under 20 Hurling Championship

Antrim’s U20 hurlers scored facile win over Wicklow on Saturday, brushing aside visitors challenge with a staggering 8-23 to 0-10 victory in the final round-robin stage of the Ulster Championship. From the first whistle, the “Saffron and White” showed why they are red-hot favorites to retain their title. Ronan ‘Rosy’ Fitzgerald set the tone with an early point, followed quickly by Orrin O’Connor . While Wicklow’s Adam Lifely attempted to keep his side in touch with long-range frees, Antrim’s firepower was simply overwhelming. By the 11th minute, McCallin found the net for his first goal, sparking a scoring spree that included goals from Fitzgerald and a scrambled effort from Conor Donnelly

The middle of the first half was a whirlwind of Saffron scores, with Liam Glackin leading from the back and midfielders Charlie Mc Auley and Callagh Mooney controlling the engine room. McCallin completed a sensational first-half hat-trick with back-to-back goals in the 26th and 27th minutes, leaving the halftime score at a daunting 6-10 to 0-07. Wicklow’s Tom Brennan and captain Fionn Darcy provided some resistance from play, but the gap in quality and physicality was evident as the teams headed to the tunnels.

The second half saw Antrim utilize their bench depth without losing any momentum. Replacements Oisin Woodhouse and Oisin Gillen made immediate impacts, picking off points at will. Despite a few defiant scores from Lifely, Antrim continued to hunt for goals, with Fiontan Bradley coming off the bench to hammer home a late green flag and a point. Further scores from Oisin Mc Camphill , Jack Martin and Jay Mc Alonan rounded out a 37-point demolition. The current holders now march into the final with where they are set to face Down this Saturday, February 28th at a Down venue.

Antrim U20 Hurling Team & Substitutes

TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PHOTOS OF THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/VA2KMqb3MyeeyN/?invite=b73dc4b5-84e7-46d8-beb8-55283a3af1cf