Antim Senior Reserve Hurling Cup – Group 1

Ballycastle 0-8 Cushendall Ballycastle 1-15

By Colum Thompson

A final score of 1-15 to 0-8 for Cushendall would usually indicate a routine victory but this game was competitive in every way. The only real difference between the sides was Cushendall’s greater spread of scoring forwards. Lorcan Donnelly opened the scoring for The Town with a pointed free but Aidan McNaughton tied the game when he got on the end of a Conor Carson pass to convert form 40 yards. Shane McNaughton, making his first appearance in a few years, hit two points, one a free and one from play to move The Dall into a 2 point lead.

Ballycastle answered back with a pointed free from Lorcan Donnelly and a point from long range from the stick of James McShane to tie the game. Scott Walsh then stamped his authority on the game with two points either side of an effort from Castle danger man Donnelly. As half time approached, aided by a stiff breeze Cushendall pulled clear with the final three points of the half from Aidan McNaughton(0-2) and Shane McNaughton to leave the half time score Cushendall 0-9 Ballycastle 0-5.                  

Scott Walsh was first to strike in the second half with a tidy point after being sent on his way by Aidan McNaughton but Ballycastle were giving it everything but they were finding the Dall defenders Joe McCurry and Paddy Sharpe tough nuts to crack. In the tenth minute Donnelly converted a free to give the home side hope, but the Dall had moved Dominic Delargy, starved of supply at full forward in the opening half, to wing forward and the move reaped immediate rewards when he tagged on a point for the visitors. Shane McNaughton pushed Cushendall’s advantage to six points with a free from an acute angle as the game entered the final ten minutes. Donnelly and McNaughton traded frees on two occasions as Ballycastle began looking for goals but it was The Dall who finished the stronger with closing points from McNaughton and Dominic Delargy and in injury time Conor Carson hammered home a superb goal to put the icing on the cake for Cushendall.

Senior reserve Cup – Group 2

St Gall’s 0-2 Loughgiel 1-24

In the other Reserve Cup game played at Milltown Loughgiel had a runaway win over St Gall’s in their first outing of the season and now top Group 2 on score difference

Cushendall scores: S McNaughton(0-7) C Carson(1-0) A McNaughton(0-3) S Walsh(0-3) D Delargy(0-2)
Ballycastle scores: L Donnelly(0-7) J McShane(0-1).      

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All County Hurling League Division 3

Cloughmills St Brigid’s 2-14 Cushendun Emmet’s 2-16

With no football to worry about Cloughmills and Cushenun were at a loose end this weekend and sensibly brought forward their league game which was actually scheduled for October. Initially the clubs made contact to arrange a friendly but one of the parties suggested that playing the league game would be a better idea and so it was hurriedly arranged in Cloughmills.

And what a useful workout it turned out to be as both teams played some great hurling in a hard fought contest which was close all the way through, the Emmet’s just getting the edge in the end by a two point margin

Cloughmills started with an early point from full forward Joseph Smyth but Cushendun came back strongly with points from Pearse Bannon, Conaloith McNeill, Davy Morgan (2) and Donal O’Hara to go 0-5 to 0-1 clear. A goal from James Doherty got the Biddies back in the game and for the remainder of the first half they held to upper hand as they went on to lead by 1-5 to 0-7 at the break.

After the break the Emmet’s came out strongly and boosted by a Davy Morgan goal in they hit 1-4 in the first four minutes to go six up. Three pointed frees from Mickey Devlin got Cloughmills going again but because of the Emmet’s early second half blitz the home side were always playing catch up. However when Joseph Smyth scored his second goal in the 59^th minute the gap was suddenly down to a single point, but Cushendun reacted well and late points from ‘Loaf’ McNeill and Davy Morgan, in reply to one by Steven Smyth for Cloughmills, sent the visitors home to the Glens with a two point winning margin.

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Creagh Concrete Minor Hurling Championship – Group 2

Loughgiel 2-15 Cushendall 0-7

County champions Loughgiel Shamrocks safely negotiated the first hurdle in their bid to retain their title when they saw off the challenge of Cushendall in the first of the round robin games at Fr Healy Park on Saturday afternoon. There were times in the first half when the young Shamrocks looked a little ‘ring rusty’ and hesitant, but once they got going in the second half there was no stopping them as they hit a succession of fines scores to get their campaign off to the perfect start.

During their first thrity minutes the champions hit a lot of wides, but they were creating the chances nonetheless and got the first two points through Rian McMullan and Damien Quinn. Fiontann McQuillan brought Cushendall back level with two sweetly struck frees in the third and fourth minutes and though Dylan Devlin briefly edged Loughgiel back ahead Killian McNaughton tied it up again with his team’s first score from play.

Cushendall edged in front as McQuillan sent over a 65 and Ciaran Magill put them two ahead just after the water break, but Loughgiel finished the half strongly and three points on the trot from Rian McMullan sent them in at half time leading by a point – 0-6 to 0-5.

With the freshening breeze at their backs in the second half Dylan Devlin put Loughgiel two clear, and though Fiontann McQuillan cut it back to a point again with his first point from play it was clear that Loughgiel were taking control. The Shamrocks were finding their men is space time after time and while their accuracy was letting them down in the first half they were now finding their range.

Two more by Dylan Devlin opened the gap a bit more and though Cushendall kept in touch with a great long range effort from Padraig McKillop, it was to be their last score of the game. The final quarter turned out to be one way traffic and the slick moving Shamrocks carved openings in the Ruair Og defence. The last ten minutes was all one way traffic as the home side hit six points and added two goals for good measure, and had it not been for the heroics of Cushendall goalkeeper Colm McKeegan then the gap could have been much more that the fourteen points that separated the sides at the end.

LOUGHGIEL

Kevin McAuley, Finn Henry, Ruairi McCloskey, Tiernan McCaughan, Conal McCloskey, Enda Og McGarry, Conor Dickson, Eunan Lavery, Christy McGarry, Conor O’Mullan, Ryan McMullan, Dylan Devlin, Conor McCormick, Damian Quinn

Subs – Ruairi McCormick, Jack McCloskey

CUSHENDALL

Colm McKeegan, Michael Quinn, Liam McLoughlin, Mark Emerson, James McAlister, Padraig McKillop, Conor McCollum, Shane McKenna, Calum Kilgore, Fiontann McQuillan, Ciaran Magill, Killian McNaughton, Frankie McCormick, Pierce McKeegan, Sean McKay

Referee – Vincent Boyle (Dunloy)

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Creagh Concreate Minor Hurling Group 1

Corpus Christi Gaels 1-08-2-17 Dunloy

From Kevin Herron at Davitt Park

Dunloy opened their account in the Minor Hurling Championship with a straight-forward 2-17-1-08 win over Corpus Christi Gaels at Davitt Park this afternoon.

The North-Antrim men weathered an uneasy start in west Belfast as Damien Fitzsimons slipped in Daniel Walsh at the back-post but Walsh was unable to guide his strike to the net.

Corpus Christi were first off the mark through a 4^th minute Marcus Toner free but Barry Scott quickly drew Dunloy level and Padraig McGilligan converted a free in the aftermath.

Ryan Mort then saw his high shot fumbled by Jamie McNally and Scott popped the ball over from point-blank-range.

Dunloy should have claimed the opening goal just short of the midway point – but Jamie McNally produced to a smart save to deny Barry Scott.

A terrific point followed from Padraig McGilligan with Oisin Elliott converting a free shortly after. The same duo were on target from further free’s as Dunloy had opened up a six-point lead with 10 minutes of the first half remaining (0-07-0-01).

Conal Kelly and Barry McCloskey both popped off further scores between a second converted free from Marcus Toner which ended a 20-minute scoreless period for the hosts.

McGilligan conjured up his fourth point of the half from a free and on 28 minutes the opening goal arrived.

Oisin Elliott collected Jamie McNally’s puck-out and burst forward, before rifling low to the net to give his side a 1-10-0-02 lead.

The visitors were further boosted by a quickfire second as Barry Scott prevented the ball going out of play and picked his spot from the tightest of angles.

Elliott added a further free before the break as Dunloy held a 2-11-0-02 lead at the midway point in proceedings.

The visitors picked up where they left off as Elliott and Barry McCloskey found range in the early stages of the second period. Barry Scott and Oisin Elliott (free) followed-up with further scores.

It took Corpus Christi Gaels until the 52^nd minute to register their third score through a third Marcus Toner free and the full-forward produced a fantastic point in the aftermath to give his side a lift.

Barry McCloskey and Elliott free added  their sides final scores of the afternoon but it was Corpus Christi who ended the game on the front foot.

Marcus Toner ended the afternoon with 0-07 to his name, thanks to another point from play and two further frees.

Then Caoimhin Heaney got in on the act with a point and just when Heaney went bursting towards the target he was halted at the expense of a free- which was rifled to the net by Damien Fitzsimons as Corpus Christi ended the afternoon with 1-08 to show for their hard work.

Dunloy took the spoils though and entertain Ballycastle on Thursday evening, hoping to make it two wins from two.

Corpus Christi Gaels: J McNally, E Neeson, L Boyd, E Roberts, A McLaughlin, C Heaney (0-01), J Mulvenna, M Walsh, D Fitzsimons (1-00f), M Mallon, A Robinson, D Robinson, S og Fay, M Toner (0-07, 0-05f), D Walsh. Subs: S McCallin for L Boyd (HT), C Carbery for M Walsh (56).

Dunloy: C Mullan, S Martin Ryan, C McCloskey, C McAleese, C Martin, D McMullan, F Martin, E McFerran, R Mort, O Elliott (1-06, 0-05f), P McGilligan (0-04, 0-03f), R Doherty, C Kelly(0-01), B Scott (1-03), B McCloskey (0-03). Subs: D Watterson for R Doherty (43), D O’Hagen for C Kelly (52).

Referee: Colm McDonald (St Galls)

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Creagh Concrete Minor Hurling Championship – Group 1

Ballycastle 3-18 Oisins 0-10

In the end it was an easy win for Ballycastle, but for a good part of Saturday’s Minor Hurling Championship round robin game Glenariffe were competitive. The home team lead at the break by 1-7 to 0-8, but their task was made a lot easier in the second half as the Oisins had two players sent off and they took full advantage to pull away and win convincingly in the end.

Ballycastle got the first three points of the game through Joe McToal, Tiernan Smyth and Feargal McKiernan, but Nial McGarel opened the visitors account on five minute and Jack Leech closed the gap to just one with a points soon afterwards. Ballycastle got back on top with points from Rueben McClean and Tiernan Smyth and when a Smyth free was dropped in around the Oisins goal in the eleventh it was flicked to the net to put them 1-5 to 0-2 clear. Nial McGarel got Oisins back into with two points in a row and when Daniel Kearney landed another from long range the gap was down to three. James Bakewll and Tiernan Smyth added points for the home team, but McGarel hit his sixth point of the half to leave his team trailing by just two at the interval. (1-7 to 0-8)

Tiernan Smith and Feargal McKiernan stretched the Ballycastle lead to four after the break and though Niall McGarel pulled one back Ballycastle took control of the game. Cailin O’Connor started it all with a goal on 42 minutes before Tiernan Smyth added three quick points. McGarel grabbed another from a free on 51 minutes but it was Ballycastle from there on and after hitting six points without reply O’Connor grabbed his team’s third goal to seal an emphatic win.

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