ACHL Division 3

Rasharkin 1-14 Na Magha 1-13

A pointed free from Conor McKeever as the game edged into injury time earned St. Mary’s Rasharkin the points in a tight game of hurling that could have gone either way and was perhaps cruel in the end to visitors, Na Magha.

The Derry side’s talisman, Deaglan Foley looked to have earned his side a point when he pointed frees in the 28^th and 29^th minutes to draw the side’s level but there would be one last play remaining and McKeever gladly accepted the opportunity.

It was Na Magha who made the early running and aftewr Conor McFerran edged the home side ahead, they came back with a rather fortuitous goal when a long range free from Deaglan Foley dropped to the Rasharkin net.

Foley followed with a point from play and points from Ruairi Crossan and Timoth Rankin had the visitors four in front at the end of the opening quarter.

Donagh Quigg struck Rashrkin’s second point in the 17^th minute with Tommy Gallagher replying for Na Magha and another pointed free by the impressive Deaglan Foley moved the Derry side five in front after 23 minutes and the South West side looked in a bit of trouble.

They finally came to life as the opening half neared conclusion with Donagh Quigg firing to the net and Tiernan O’Boyle splitting the uprights to leave just two between the sides at the break.

Conor McKeever closed the gap to the minimum on the restart but that man Foley replied at the other end to restore his side’s two point advantage as play swung from end to end.

McKeever and Foley exchanged further points before Ryan mcAdams extended the Na Magha lead to three with a point in the 10^th minute and it looked like the visitors might push on at this stage.

Rasharkin had been second best up to this stage of the contest but they suddenly came to life with Conor McKeever, Donagh Quigg 0-2 and Tiernan O’Boyle from a sideline cut striking unanswered points to see them hit the front at the end of the third quarter.

The visitors replied through Tommy Gallagher to tie the contest once more but a Conor McFerran point from play and a pointed free from Conor McFerran moved the home side two in front by the 20^th minute.

Deaglan Foley for Na Magha and Conor McKeever for the home side exchanged points as the free count increased in this keenly contested encounter and another from mid-fielder Tommy Rankin left matters finely balanced with six minutes remaining.

A Rasharkin pointed free from Conor McKeever looked to be enough to seal it for the Dreen men but Na Magha quite simply would not go away and Deaglan Foley looked to have earned them a share of the spoils with those latew pointed frees.

That late winner from Conor McKeever for the home side must have been a bitter pill to swallow but Na Magha’s division 3 future for next season looks to have been secured and on the evidence of what they produced on Sunday they deserve to be there.

Deaglan Foley was excellent for na Magha and ended with 1-7 while Conor |McKeever with 7 pointed frees for the Dreen side was vital for Rasharkin in a game of fine margins that could have gone either way

Rasharkin :

• 1. Liam Tunney;
• 2. Conor Doherty, 3. Daniel Doherty, 4. Connor McKillop;
• 5. Ruairi O’Boyle, 6. Tiernan O’Boyle, 7. James Higgins;
• 8. Emmet McFerran, 9. Shane Hasson;
• 10. Cathair Henderson, 11. Conor McFerran, 12. Daniel Hasson;
• 13. Aidan McKeever, 14. Conor McKeever, 15. Donagh Quigg
•  
• Subs:
• Caelan Maria for Shane Hasson (inj) 21mins
• Connor Donaghy for James Higgins 51mins
•  
• Scorers:
• Conor McKeever 0-7 (7f)
• Donagh Quigg 1-3
• Conor McFerran 0-2
• Tiernan O’Boyle 0-2

Na Magha: 1 Barry Robinson, 3 Diarmuid Shiels, 4 Daniel Doherty, 5 Adam Rankin, 6 Breandan Quigley, 7 Adam Breslin, 8 Timothy Rankin, 9 Aidan Cutliffe, 10 Tommy Gallagher, 11 Deaglan Foley, 12 Ryan McAdams, 31 Ruairi Crossan14 Conor McGoran, 15 Conor O’Donovan, 16 Oisin Duddy, 17 Odhran Clenaghan, 18 Keelan Doherty, 19 Conaire Meehan.

Na Magha scorers:

Deaglan Foley 1-7 (1-4f)

Timothy Rankin 0-2

Tommy Gallagher 0-2

Ruairi Crossan  0-1

Ryan mcAdams 0-1

Referee: Declan McGarry (Loughgiel)

O’Neill’s Sportwear Hurling League – Division 1

Ballygalget 2-12 Loughgiel 7-22

A real exhibition of scoring by Loughgiel Shamrocks saw them seal the Division one title at Ballygalget on Sunday and with one game left to play they cannot be caught. Their nearest opponents Ballycran came unstuck when they visited Dunloy, and though they have two games left to play and could theoretically match Loughgiel on points, should they win their last two games against Ballycastle and Ballygalget (and Loughgiel lose their home game with St Enda’s), the Shamrocks still would still win it on the head to head between the two sides.

The first half was well contested with Ballygalget matching their visitors for most of it, but goals from James McNaughton on six minutes and Cathal Hargan on nineteen helped the Shamrocks to a 2-9 to 0-11 lead at the break.

Things took a dramatic turn after the change of ends when the wind assisted Shamrocks started to pull away. The scores were coming thick and fast and early goals from corner forward Rian McMullan and midfielder Paul Boyle saw the gap widening.

Tim Prenter pulled a goal back for the Ards men on 36 minutes but Loughgiel centre back Damon McMullan got in on the scoring act when a long delivery deceived the Ballygalget defence and ended in the net.

Michael Dorian added another goal for the men in green but Loughgiel were picking off the scores and further goals came from Rian McMullan and Shan McGrath as they stretched their lead minute by minute By the time Mark O’Neill sounded the final whistle they were 25 to the good.

Overall their forward line were the stars of the show, five of the six sharing 6-22 between them in a memorable display. The new league champions will be presented with the league trophy on Sunday 16^th of July when they host Naomh Eanna in their final league game.

1 Chris O’Connell

2 Enda Og McGarry

3 Declan McCloskey

4 Rory McCloskey

5 Odhran McMullan

6 Damon McMullan 1.00

7 Caolan Blair

8 Conor Dickson

9 Ruairi McCormick 0.01

10 Donal McKinley

11 James McNaughton 1.02

12 Cahal Hargan 1.02

13 Shan McGrath 1.10 5F

14 Paul Boyle 1.03

15 Rian McMullan 2.04

Subs Christy McGarry for Donal McKinley

Eoin McGarry for James McNaughton

Ballygalget scorers

8 Eoin Pucci 0.02

11 John McManus 0.04

12 Michael Dorrian 1.01

13 ? McDermott 0.01

14 Danny Toner 0.03

15 Tim Prentor 1.01

Referee – Mark O’Neill

ACHL Division 3

Glen Rovers 2-18 Cuchulainn Armagh 0-18

A win in Armoy on Sunday would probably have secured the division 3 league title for Armagh club, Cuchulainn. They went into this game against second placed Glen Rovers with a four point lead over the North Antrim club and a win would have put them six clear with just three games to play.

Things didn’t quite go to plan for the visitors however and at a wet and windy Armoy they came up against a Glen Rovers side who have shown a lot of improvement in recent weeks and who clearly haven’t given up the chase for the title themselves.

Cuchulainn’s chose to play with the wind in the opening half but in an error ridden opening period both sides were guilty of missed chances before Joe Burke pointed the visitors ahead from an 8^th minute free.

Owen Kinney levelled from a 40 meter free into the wind and the big number 11 would play a major part in his side’s eventual success.

David Ryan eased the Armagh side back in front but Emmet O’Hara levelled matters for the second time in the 13^th minute and edged them ahead for the first time, a minute later and when Kinney drove another long range free between the posts, the momentum was with the men from the glen.

Cuchulainn’s responded and their keeper, Paddy Heaney drove a free from over 80 meters over Conor Devlin’s bar and Lee Murtagh brought the sides level with a point from play in the 21st minute but Ciaran Coyles replied immediately to restore the home sides lead.

Given the strength of the wind, the Armagh side needed scores going into the final stages of the half and they finished with a flurry as Rhys Stevens, Connor Devlin, and the excellent Jordan Murtagh 0-2 edged them four in front as Fergus ‘Skinner’ McAlister sounded the half time whistle.

Given the severity of the elements the question was, ‘would four points be enough?’ as Armoy turned with the proverbial wind in their sails and Emmet O’Hara landed a massive point in the opening minute.

A minute later Owen Kinney got on the end of a tantalising delivery before turning and firing to the Cuchulainn net and the sides were level and the league leaders looked in trouble.

They responded however as their talisman, Jordan Murtagh fired over a couple of good points at the other end to move them two in front once more but Glen Rovers now had the bit firmly between their teeth.

Owen Kinney replied with a point at the other end and another Emmet O’Hara long range special had the side’s level once more with 11 minutes of the new half gone.

Caolan Rice briefly restored the visitors lead with a point at the end of the third quarter but the momentum was very much with the home side as Owen Kinney equalised once more from a ‘65’ and Emmet O’Hara 0-2 and PJ McBride moved them three in front.

The league leaders have been excellent this year and they showed just why they are top of the division as they responded with points from Lee and Jordan Murtagh to leave just one in it again and when Jordan Murtagh fired over the equaliser with 8 minutes remaining the fat was very much back in the fire.

Armoy quite simply refused to concede however as the excellent Kinney fired another ‘65’ between the uprights and added another from play with Murtagh again replying with a point for the visitors.

The ‘Hoops’ struck a telling blow however as Trevor Linton fired home from close range in the 29^th minute and although Jordan Murtagh closed the gap to three as the game entered time added on it would be as close as the visitors got.

Trevor Linton, Owen Kinney with his third ‘65’ of the evening and Emmet O’Hara ensured that there would be no way back for the league leader with three unanswered points to move the Glen Rovers to within two points of the league leaders and keep their own ambitions very much alive.

Armoy: 1 Conor Devlin: 2 Calum Coyles, 3 John Dillon, 4 Liam Dillon, 5 Tarlach McBride, 6 Emmet O’Hara, 7 Ciaran McKenna, 8 PJ McBride, 9 Joseph McFetridge, 10 Eoin O’Boyle, 11 Owen Kinney, 12 Ciaran Coyles, 13 Trevor Linton, 14 Cormac Doherty, 15 Daniel Connolly. Subs: Timmy Burns, Conor Waterswon

Cuchuliann Armagh: 1 Paddy Heaney, 2 Rona n O’Hagan, 3 Oisin Richards, 4 Jack Scallon, 5 Stephan McParland, 6 Brian Bell, 7 David Ryan, 8 Gerald Barton, 9 Tom Marley, 10 Rhys Stevens, 11 Caolan Rice, 12 Connor Devlin, 13 Joe Burke, 14 Jordan Murtagh, 15 Lee Murtagh Subs: Dermot Hicks, William Wong

Referee: Fergus McAlister (Cushendall)