ACHL Division 3 

Lámh Dhearg 2-17-0-11 Gort na Mona 

Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown 

Lámh Dhearg claimed their first league win of the campaign with a 2-17-0-11 win over Gort na Mona at Hannahstown on Wednesday evening. 

Both sides lost their opening encounters at the weekend and would have been desperate to get up and running with two points at the first opportunity. 

It was Gort na Mona who edged ahead early on through a Neil Henry free, though Daniel Murray levelled at the other end. 

A chop down on the stick of Emmet Loughran led to David Dixon restoring his sides lead from the placed ball. 

Adam Murray would tie things up for a second time from the same scenario after Gerard Smyth was illegally upheld. 

The hosts hit the front when Niall McGarry picked out Michael McGuigan for a point, but Dixon landed his second free of the evening to make it 0-03 apiece. 

Gerard Smyth immediately restored the Lámhs lead, getting on the end of a long puck-out from Rhys Camlin and measuring his shot to perfection. 

A further free from Adam Murray doubled his sides advantage with Dixon reducing arrears to from his third placed ball of the half. 

Lámhs talisman Murray brought his personal tally to 0-04, converting a 65’ and his third free of the half, in between a fantastic long-range point from Emmet Loughran that was the Gort’s first from play and left the score 0-07-0-05 at the interval. 

The hosts extended their lead after the break with Murray adding to his increasing tally of and Michael McGuigan doubling his account after Donal Martin’s shot was smuggled clear and Murray turned provider. 

David Dixon hit back with his fourth converted free and Adam Murray replied with a nice conversion from a tight angle. Points from Ciaran Boyd and a first from play for Murray had their side 0-12-0-06 ahead. 

Although Manus MacMaoliain replied for the Gorts, the gap stretched to back to six on three further occasions. 

Adam Murray conjured up his second score from play following a neat move involving Niall McGarry and further scores followed through Daire Cunningham and Odrán Waldron (free) and Neil Henry (free) and Emmet Loughran had temporarily cut the gap. 

Lámh Dhearg wrapped up the points with 2-02 late on, Daniel Murray popped over his second point of the evening and Gerard Smyth netted a brace in the space of two minutes. 

The first after Michael McGuigan’s shot dropped short and Smyth’s initial effort was kept at bay by John Kelly, the full forward followed up with success. 

Smyth then got on the end of a delightful cross field pass from Joel Brady and squeezed a further effort beyond the reach of Kelly and into the net to make it 2-16-0-09. 

There was still time in the aftermath for Adam Murray to swing over his ninth of the evening for the host’s final score. 

Gort na Mona finished with the last two scores through a Neil Henry 65’ and a converted free from substitute Ryan Cahill- though the final outcome was settled well beyond the replies as Lámh Dhearg claimed the spoils.

Lámh Dhearg: R Camlin, C Nolan, C Boyd (0-01), T McKenna, SP Gibson, O Waldron (0-01f), D Murray (0-02), E Stanley, J Brady, D Martin, A Murray (0-09, 0-05f, 0-01 65’), N McGarry, M McGuigan (0-02), G Smyth (2-01), C McGuigan. Subs: D Cunningham (0-01) for C McGuigan (21), A McCauge for N McGarry (59). 

Gort na Mona: J Kelly, C Healy, C Devlin, L Dixon, N McGivern, N Gibson, A Hicks, J Connolly, N Henry (0-03, 0-02f, 0-01 65’), G Doyle, G McKenna, E Loughran (0-02), D Dixon (0-04f), M Carlin, M MacMaolain (0-01). Subs: R Cahill (0-01f) for M Carlin (36), T O’Cadhlaigh for G Doyle (60), C Scullion for N McGivern (60). 

Referee: Mark McDonald (St Galls)

Antrim Hurling League Division 3

All Saints Ballymena 0-12  Glenravel Con Magees1-13

Four points separated these teams at the end of a hard fought game on a heavy sod in Quinn Park under floodlights. Heavy rain all week meant free flowing hurling was in short supply as both teams tried their heart out on a turf that in horse racing parlance was “soft to medium”. It was a night for free takers and both teams can lay claim to having experts in that department with Ciaran Neeson for the home side and Ciaran Laverty for the visitors providing half of their team’s scores from placed balls. 

The wind went from significant to non existent on several occasions during the match probably confusing both teams equally. Glenravel played into it in the first half and with eight wides and four shots falling short into the keeper’s hands they would have been happy enough to go in at half time all square 0-06 to 1-03. Ciaran Laverty hammering home the Glenravel goal from short range. In that first half Ballymena dominated possession with full forward Ciaran Neeson ably assisted by Damian Gillan and Liam Cassley on the half forward line giving Con Magees plenty to think about. That trio would deliver nine of the dozen points All Saints amassed over the hour. 

Two resurgent teams appeared in the second half with both recording a brace of points each before the half was three minutes old. But Glenravel started to edge in front by a few points and were playing the better hurling at this stage. The Ciaran’s, Laverty and Neeson were putting frees over like it was  the shoot out at the O. K. Corral but try as they might the home side could not close the gap. As the clock strode towards thirty minutes Glenravel had a three point lead forcing All Saints to go for goal but the Green & White rearguard held out. The final counter attack of the evening saw Conleth O’Loan stretch Glenravel’s lead to four points and effectively kill off the game. 

Both teams would have gone into this game with high expectations, buoyed by first round victories at the weekend in Division 3 and Ballymena will definitely think back on a first half dominance which they should have benefitted better from on the scoreboard. They now have a tough encounter next time out away to Cloughmills whilst Glenravel will entertain Lamh Dearg at Maginn Park. Both games throw in at 2pm next Sunday. 

Special mention to All Saint’s Luke O’Rawe who gave a masterclass in sideline cuts over the hour. Despite difficult underfoot conditions O’Rawe’s  artistry in this most difficult skill, made more so by the heavy underfoot sod was a highlight for spectators from both sides. 

ACHL Division Two 

St Galls 4-16-4-16 Bredagh 

Kevin Herron reports from Milltown 

An injury-time strike from Jackson McGreevy insured that St Galls and Bredagh shared the spoils at the end of Sundays thrilling Division Two opener at Milltown as the sides played out a 4-16 apiece draw. 

The duo had relative periods of control in an absorbing contest, and it was Bredagh who started on the front-foot with two early goals. 

Neal Torney saw his flick-on cleared off the line and Sean McGourty was on hand to slam to the net within two minutes. 

Points were traded between Niall McFarland and Cormac Sheehan before the visitors second goal arrived. 

Full forward Torney intercepted a pass and held off the pressure of Niall O’Neill before flicking a shot low to the corner of the net past Joe McDaniel to give his side a 2-01-0-01 lead. 

St Galls responded through an angled score from Mark Napier and a further Sheehan free to close the gap. 

The sides traded the next four scores equally, Tiernan Sheehan converted two frees and Declan McCartney opened his account for the afternoon to give Bredagh a five-point lead on three occasions. 

However, Cormac Sheehan landed his third placed ball of the afternoon and further replies from Fergus Donnelly and Sean McAreavey kept the hosts in touch. 

St Galls moved to within two points through Cormac Sheehan’s fourth conversion and another fine Napier score. 

Tiarnan Sheehan matched his namesake’s tally from the placed ball with two converted frees in-between a floated effort from Dubhaltach Wilson to edge his side 2-06-0-09 ahead. 

Five minutes before the break parity was restored at Milltown. Odhran McIlhatton dropped a diagonal pass into the corner where Sean McAreavey won it and laid the ball off for Mark Napier to fire to the net. 

Neal Torney missed the chance to double his goal tally for the afternoon, firing inches past the post. 

It was St Galls who would lead at the break, Sean McAreavey popped over his second point of the half and goal scorer Napier added his third to give their side a 1-11-2-06 advantage. 

The hosts increased their advantage upon the resumption through a further Cormac Sheehan free, though Declan McCartney doubled his personal account from the same scenario and Mark Patterson then swung over from play to narrow the deficit to a single point. 

St Galls extended their lead with their second goal on the 35^th minute. Joe McDaniel spotted Jackson McGreevy in space and his high ball was helped into the path of Mark Napier by Ferguson Donnelly, Napier then coolly picked out the run of Sean McAreavey- who flicked the ball to the net and made it 2-12-2-08. 

Substitute Ben Christie and Tiarnan Sheehan (free) pointed to half the deficit, though the hosts grabbed their third goal of the game and moved five ahead. 

McAreavey dropped in a short shot that Bredagh keeper Ian Galway gathered and tried to clear, Jackson McGreevy got to the loose ball ahead of Declan McCartney and poked the ball into the path of Fergus Donnelly to fire low to the corner and move St Galls 3-12-2-10 in front. 

Niall McFarland and Declan McCartney (free) responded to cut the deficit to a goal and midway through the half parity was restored for the second time in proceedings. 

Tiarnan Sheehan had the chance to pull a score back with a free from range, but his effort dipped, and Joe McDaniel failed to keep it out as the scores were tied at 3-12 apiece. 

St Galls regained the lead through substitute Lorcan O’Ciarnan and Tiarnan Sheehan levelled again from a long range free- his seventh of the afternoon. 

Bredagh led for the second time in the afternoon through a fine Declan McCartney point and a Ben Christie effort from the tightest of angles that squeezed inside the posts. 

It looked as though their insurance score arrived when Neal Torney gathered a pass from Declan McCartney and steered a low effort inside the right-hand post for his second goal of the afternoon to give his side a 4-15-3-13 advantage. 

Converted frees from Jackson McGreevy and Tomas O’Ciarnan brought things back to a single score game though with a minute plus added time remaining. 

A fifth point of the afternoon from Declan McCartney had his side a four to the good going into time added on with Jackson McGreevy converting a free to keep his side in with a chance of claiming a share of the spoils. 

The hosts would have the opportunity to salvage a point when Niall McFarland clipped the stick of Niall O’Neill and referee Niall Clifford awarded a free. 

Jackson McGreevy seized responsibility and his low effort bobbled low to the net to tie things up at 4-16 a piece. 

Neither side were able to force the winner as Clifford brought proceedings to an end and in truth both sides would probably have settled for a share of the spoils at some point over the course of the sixty minutes. 

St Galls: J McDaniel, E Rush, N O’Neill, D Wilson (0-01), R Irvine, T O’Ciaran (0-01f), O McIlhatton, G Mac Adaimh, G McGreevy, P Friel, C Sheehan (0-05f), J McGreevy (1-02f), F Donnelly (1-01), S McAreavey (1-02), M Napier (1-03). Subs: L O’Ciarnan (0-01) for P Friel (37), D Delaney for C Sheehan (49). 

Bredagh: I Galway, E Maguire, A Carey, PJ Lavery, L Hogan, N McFarland (0-02), T Sheehan (1-06f), M Patterson (0-01), M Lavery, R Curran, D McCartney (0-05, 0-02f), N Smyth, O McFlynn, N Torney (2-00), S McGourty (1-00). Subs: R McCamphaill for PJ Lavery (28), B Christie (0-02) for R Curran (HT), C Blaney for O McFlynn (38). 

Referee: Niall Clifford (Armagh)