Antrim Hurling League – Division 2

Carey Faughs 1-26 Gort na Móna 0-12

Division 2 league leaders Carey Faughs recorded their seventh straight win with a comprehensive victory over their city rivals Gort naMóna at Ballyvoy on Sunday. Though they won convincingly in the end this game was still “,up for grabs” at half time after a determined and fit young Gorts side held their own for long periods of the opening half.

At the end of the first quarter the home side led by 1.8 to 0.4 with points each from Sean McLaughlin,  Conlith McKinley,  Mick McVeigh and Fiachra McVeigh,  Paddy Gillan getting the goal midway through the half, while Caolan McCaughan and John McBride added a further two points each. Darren Boyd hit three points for the visitors with the others coming from the talented Dessie McLean replied for the Turf Lodge outfit.

Entering the second quarter the Belfast side looked threatening and created a good few chances but they found Doug McAuley in the Faughs nets a formidable challlenge.  Further points for Carey from Paddy McBride, Conlith McKinley and Paddy Gillan, along with two from Fiachra McVeigh took their tally to 1.13 at halftime with Gorts replying points from Dessie McLean, David Dixon and Boyd getting a further couple to leave the half time score 1.13 to 0.9.

On the resumption a few tactical changes saw the hosts impose their authority on the game and by the forty fifth minute they had extended their lead to 1.22 to 0.10. In this period Gorts only score was a Darren Boyd point, while James Black, now playing in a more familiar forward position, knocked over three points. Further scores came from Mckinley, getting in the act with four, Caolan McCaughan and mick McVeigh getting two each. The final fifteen minutes saw the Faughs ease further ahead with points from Dan Martin, Con McKinley and two more each from from James Black, Aiden McDonagh as they pulled away to win convincingly.

Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

Loughgiel 3-22 Rossa 1-17

Loughgiel kept their league title hopes alive when they beat Rossa at Fr Healy Park on Sunday. There was little between the sides in the opening half and just a point separated them at half time, but after the break the Shamrocks began to get the upper hand and they pushed on to win by eleven points.

Early points from Eddie McCloskey and Ciaran McKay gave Loughgiel the lead but Rossa came back with points from Stephen Beatty, Jamesie Connolly and Conal McPartland to edge ahead.

Shan McGrath then got the first of Loughgiel’s three goals when he fired home on seven minutes, and when Eddie McCloskey and Rian McMullan added points a bit of gap began to appear. However the Belfast men hit back with a goal of their own from Rian O’Neill to keep themselves in touch, and though Bubbles McMullan came back with two for the home side, two from Beatty and one from Connolly brought the sides level by the 20^th minute.

As half time approached Rossa edged a point ahead, but and Eddie McCloskey goal on 25 minutes put Loughgiel two ahead again, and it took an injury time point from Thomas Morgan to cut the gap to a single point at the break.

A run of unanswered points from Shan McGrath, Dan McCloskey (2) Christy McGarry and Rian McMullan stretched the Loughgiel lead to six early in the second half and from that stage on Rossa were chasing the game. However the visitors hit four of the next five points through Jim Connolly, Stephen Shannon and Stephen Beatty to bring themselves back into contention.

A Christy McGarry goal on 47 minutes steered the game back in Loughgiel’s favour, and when Paul Boyle and Shan McGrath added points the gap was out to eight. Thomas Morgan and James Connolly kept their team’s hopes alive with two quick points, but Loughgiel finished with a flourish to wrap up the points.

ROSSA

Phil Crean, Conor Boyle, Christopher McGuinness, Andy McLean, Stephen Shannon, Eoin Trainor, Pearse Short, Chris Boyle, Owen May, Conor McPartland, Stephen Beatty, Thomas Morgan, Dairmaid Rogan, Rian O’Nell, James Connolly.

LOUGHGIEL

1 Chrissy 2. Tiernan Coyle 3 Rory McCloskey, 4. Ronan McCloskey.  5. Enda Og McGarry  6. Declan McCloskey. 7 Ruairi McCormick  8 Shan McGrath. 9 Dan McCloskey. 10 Paul Boyle 11 Ciaran McKay 12 Donal McKinley 13 Rian McMullan 14 Eddie McCloskey 15 Shay Casey

16 Odhran McGrath 17 Maol Connolly 18 Ryan McKee 19 Caolan Blair 20 Mick McGarry 21 Christy McGarry

Antrim Hurling League Division 1

Cushendun 2-9 Ballycran 4-27

When Cushendun won promotion to the top division last season they knew there would be a few tough days ahead this years. Sunday was one of those days, as they faced a Ballycran side who are in top form this season. The Down men were ruthless as they ran up a big score, most of the damage done in the first half, at the end of which they lead by 4-14 to 1-5.

Ballycran’s four goals all came in the opening half as Ayrten Gleeson and Conor Dorian struck early with majors in the 3^rd and 4^th minutes and by this stage it became clear that the home side were in for a tough afternoon. Conlaoith McNeill pulled on back for the Emmet’s in the seventh minute but it was to be a brief lull as the visitors came back with four points in three minutes through Martin (2) Savage and Arthurs. Bannon and McNeill replied with points for Cushendun but the points kept coming at the other end, while Niall Breen and Gleeson grabbed two more goals in their way to a 4-14 to 1-5 lead at the break.

When you are that far ahead you tend to ease your foot off the throttle a bit and Ballycran did. They scored no more goals but they still managed to add thirteen points, which is good shooting in anyone’s book. Loaf McNeill grabbed another goal for the home side, plus a couple of points, and Harry Kilgore grabbed one, but it was mostly one way traffic as Nicholson, Doran, Martn and Savage picked off the points to wrap up a big, big win.

Cushendun will lick their wounds and look forward to their visit to St Enda’s on Wednesday evening, while Ballycran will welcome their Ards rivals, and table toppers, Portaferry to McKenna Park on the same night in what should be a great battle.