U13B League Final

Naomh Pádraig 6-6 Shane Úi Néill 0-6

By Rian Laverty

Cushendall provided the venue for the U13B league showdown between Shane Úi Néill and Naomh Pádraig. Fresh off the back of the Championship title, Naomh Padraig got off to a blistering start with a Rhys Murray goal, deflected from thirteen yards out. Glenarm were quick to respond with 2 points in quick succession from PJ Kelly and Hugh McKay.

Naomh Padraig’s first point of the match was the next score on the board an excellently executed free from John Og Darragh, who didn’t miss from 20 yards out. With a series of quick goals in succession from Calum Murphy, Ollie-Joe McAlonan and John Og, the half time scoreboard perhaps didn’t reflect the battle on the field, with both sides hitting the changing rooms at 4.04 to 0.02.

An early injury in the second half to Glenarm’s joint captain Cormaic McMullan, saw the side weakened in mid-field. Rian Laverty, Patrick O’Kane and Cormaic Bailey were a force for the Naomh Padraig halfway line and keeping the ball heading up to the Naomh Padraig’s forwards, resulted in 2 further goals for on-target Calum Murphy who sealed his hat-trick.

Oliver Henry found his name on the scoresheet along with another point from Ollie-Joe, but the scores continued with a wonder point from Glenarm’s Oisin Daly and 2 frees from PJ Kelly, settling the final score as 6.06 to 0.05.

A great display of hurling on the field from both sides and the end of a super season for the Naomh Padraig side, sealing the deal and completing the double.

Antrim Under 19 Hurling Championship Semi Final

Mc Quillan’s Ballycastle 1.15 Loughgiel Shamrocks 0.17

The home crowd held their breath as the final play of this eagerly contested U19 Semi Final saw Ronan McCollam’s shot on goal drift high and over the bar, and sighs of relief and celebrations came as the ref blew time. Loughgiel had heaped on huge pressure on the McQuillan’s defence in the final 10 minutes going in search of the winner, Roan McGarry being denied by the brilliant Anthony Mullan in nets who had also saved Jack McCloskey’s shot minutes earlier, but the town held on for a one point win.

McQuillan’s would have rued the many missed opportunities they had created in the  first half putting 11 wides. It was the ‘Town’ who made the better start with a point in the first minute from James Bakewell, followed closely by the first of Criostai McAuley’s tally of 7 points. Loughgiel got their scoring started after 4 minutes from Tiago McGarry to leave the bare minimum between the teams. Bakewell added another long range point from midfield while Jack McCloskey responded for the Shamrocks. The decisive score in this game came after Orran Donnelly caught a high ball in defence and ripped up the field to lob a high ball which ended up in the back of the net to leave the score at 1.03 to 0.2.

McQuillan’s managed to keep out in front with the half time score at 1.09 to 0.9. In the second half, it was Loughgiel who were clocking up the wides, while at the other end scores from Connor Donnelly 0.3, Darragh Kelly and Captain James Bakewell, Criostai McAuley from placed balls just kept the ‘Town’ ahead. Jack McCloskey was accurate from frees and from play alongside Ronan McCollam, Roan McGarry all pointed for Loughgiel. Conall Magee got the final score for McQuillan’s  to stretch their lead to 2 points going into injury time. With just over 2 minutes to go, Loughgiel piled on the pressure and could have snatched it at the end but the home side battled hard to book their place in the 2023 final.

1. Anthony Mullan
2. Cian Baudant
3. Paddy McAlonan
4. Ardan Kelly
5. James Bakewell (Captain)
6. Orran Donnelly
7. Jack Colgan
8. Darragh Kelly
9. Conal Magee
10. Niall McClean
11. Tiernan Heggarty
12. Conor Donnelly
13. Cathair Donnelly
14. Criostaí McAuley
15. Gavin McToal
16. Cormac Dallas
17. Aidan Hamilton
18. Fionnn Mullan
19. Eddie McCaughan
20. Angus Killough
21. Connor Mooney

U19B Hurling Championship

Sarsfields 1-16 St. Paul’s 2-8

Photographs: John Lawell

Neighbours and deadly rivals, Sarsfields and St. Paul’s must be sick of the sight of each other. They have met in the Intermediate hurling and football championships recently and on Tuesday night they faced each other again in the U19B Hurling Championship quarter-final at Dunsilly.

There hasn’t been a lot between them in any of these meetings and that was the case again at Dunsilly in this U19 clash with Sarsfields threatening to run away with it at one stage.

The Paddies led 0-11 to 0-3 at half time and looked on their way to a comfortable win but their Shaw’s Road neighbours came back strongly with two goals to close the gap to one at one stage and threatened to grab the semi-final spot.

Sarsfield’s pushed on to win by five in the end and book a semi-final spot against Ruairi Og’s, Cushendall this Sunday as a great season for the Stewartstown Road club continues.

Sarsfield’s have already qualified for the final of the Intermediate Hurling championship where they will meet Kickham’s Creggan next weekend and will be hoping that the ‘feel good factor’ that exists within the club continues.

Great friend of the Saffron Gael and superb photographer, John Lawell was there to capture the best of the action

CPC 6-18 St Louis 0-6

Ulster Colleges Hurling – Mageean Cup – Round Robin 1

Cross & Passion College 6-18 St Louis Ballymena 0-6

The opening round of the Mageean Cup turned out to be a damp squib at Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel on Tuesday as holders St Louis and their north Antirm rivals Cross & Passion College fielded badly understrength teams due to forthcoming club championship games, the Under 17 Hurling final between Loughgiel and Dunloy on Saturday week and this weekends Under 19 hurling semi-finals.

St Louis were short up to a dozen of their starting line-up while CPC were not far from that number as well, but the Ballycastle school showed that they probably have more strength in depth as they scored a resounding win.

St Louis started well enough and were level ont two points apiece after four minutes but once CPC got in for their first goal the gap began to widen and by half time they were 1-11 to 0-4 to the good, the goal coming from full forward Conor Donnelly.

Playing with the breeze at their backs in the second half it looked like St Louis might still be in the game, but four early points from CPC showed that this would not be the case. The goals began to flow as well for the Ballycastle school with Connor Donnelly adding two more to his total (he ended with 3-6), while centre forward Darragh Kelly plus substitutes Anthony Mullan and Liam Magee also got in on the act. Kelly also added three points, as did Ronan Casey while Aidan Richmond and Caeden Crawford got two.