James McNaughton led the way as last year’s beaten finalists Loughgiel travelled to Hightown and beat Naomh Eanna in the first game of this season’s campaign. The right half forward scored 10 of this team’s points on their way to a decisive victory and now face a trip to Ballycastle on Saturday in good shape.
2019 Intermediate champions Naomh Eanna fought all the way but Loughgiel always had that little bit extra scoring power and won in the end by a 14 point margin
James McNaughton had his first two points from frees in the opening minutes, and though Cormac Ross came back with a point, and Daniel McCloskey followed with a goal and a point to pull Loughgiel six clear by the sixth minute. Cormac Jennings and Joe Maskey came back with points but the Shamrocks hit a run of points without reply, three of them from James McNaughton and one each from Callum McKendry and Christy McGarry. The Cormacs, Jennings and Rossa kept Naomh Eanna in touch but three points inside two minutes by James McNaughton just before the half time whistle had the Shamrocks 10 clear. (1-14 to 0-7)
The first ten minutes of the second half saw the teams go score for score with Cormac Ross (2) and Ruairi Diamond answering points from Paul Boyle, Donal McKinley and Callum McKendry. Three on the trot from the Shamrocks Shan McGrath, James McNaughton and Paul Boyle put a little more daylight between the sides, and when John Francis Connolly grabbed his team’s second goal there was no way back for the home team.
NAOMH EANNA
Martin Curran, Dara Maguire, Eoin Conlon, Rian Bogue, Mark Donaghy, Rian O’Connor, Eddie O’Connor, Diarmuid Maguire, Kuke O’Connor, Cormac Ross, Ruairi Diamond, Joe Maskey, Daniel Lowry, Cormac Jennings, Killian Jennings.
LOUGHGIEL
Chrissy O’Connell, Tiernan Coyle, Tony McCloskey, Ronan McCloskey, Declan McCloskey, Seamus Dobbin, Damon McMullan, Paul Boyle, Shan McGrath, James McNaughton, Callum McKendry, Donal McKinley, Christy McGarry, John Frances Connolly, Daniel McCloskey.
St John’s travelled to Randalstown on Tuesday evening to take on SHC new boys Tir na nÓg in Group 2 of the Senior Hurling Championship and came away with both points after a hard fought battle.
Going into the championship most pundits had Tir na nÓg down as the whipping boys of this group, but the men from Whitehill proved they can mix it with the best. St John’s won in the end by eight points and in truth were always reasonably comfortable, but last year’s Intermediate champions gave a performance they can be proud of, scoring 3 goal and 15 points, which is more that Dunloy and Cushendall managed in their drawn game in Dunloy.
St John’s will be glad to get the first win under their belt, while running up a good score, which could be very important in this tight group and with Dunloy and Cushendall drawing in their opener in Dunloy they now have an edge on the other two and will look forward to Saturday’s clash with the ‘Dall in Corrigan Park.
St John’s opened with a point from Shea Shannon, and though Ciaran Logan brought Tir na nÓg level a minute later, four in a row from Shannon (2), Aaron Bradley and Mick Bradley had them 0-5 to 0-1 ahead, though Sean Duffin closed the gap to three for the home team by the first water break.
When corner forward Donal Carson grabbed the Johnnies opening goal on 20 minutes and Domhnall Nugent added a point there was some daylight beginning to appear between the teams’ but Eamon Og McAllister hit back with a brilliantly taken goal and the home side produced a great finish to the half with a second goal from Niall Devlin and three points in as many minutes from Sean Duffin to trail by just two at half time. (2-6 to 1-11)
The opening minutes of the second half saw the teams hit three points each and that gap was still at two, but St John’s were getting back on top and points from Micheal Dudley and Donal Carson were followed by a goal from full forward Conor Johnston. Tir na nÓg hit back with a goal of their own through Eamon Og McAllister to bring themselves right back into contention, but St John’s reacted well and a goal from Domhnall Nugent and a series of well taken points from Conal Bohill, Aaron Bradley and Micheal Dudley had them ten clear by the second half water break.
That was to prove a decisive break for though Tir na nÓg had the better of the final quarter the Johnnies were home and hosed and now sit top of the group.
TIR NA NÓG
Kevin Sheerin, Daniel Martin, Ryan O’Neill, Neill Shannon, Ciaran O’Neill, Caoimhin Duffin, Declan Mallon, Aaron McNeilly, Ciaran McKeown, Sean Duffin, Ciaran Logan, Kevin Kerr, Niall Devlin, Eamon Og McAllister, Sean McKinley.
ST JOHN’S
Simon Doherty, Aidan McMahon, Ryan McNulty, Conor Carson, Ciaran Kerr, Conal Morgan, Conal Bohill, Shea Shannon, Jim Peolpes, Micheal Dudley, Oisin Donnelly, Michael Bradley, Donal Carson, Conor Johnston, Aaron Bradley.
Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship Group One
O’Donovan Rossa 0-26 McQuillan’s Ballycastle 2-16
A great display of scoring taking from home side Rossa steered them to a six point win over Ballycastle in Tuesday evening’s opening game in the Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship at Shaw’s Road. Eighteen times in the opening half Rossa raised a white flag, but it was their performance in the second quarter of the game in particular that gave them the edge, outscoring the visitors by 10 points to three, after the sides were tied at 0-8 to 1-5 at the first water break.
During that second quarter the men in blue and gold hit points from every angle, to take a grip on the game that Ballycastle could not get free from, hard though they battled during the second half.
Rossa hit the ground running and they went 0-5 to 0-0 clear through Deaglan Murphy (2), Aodhán O’Brien, Aidan Orchin and the dangerous Dominic McEnhill. It was seven minute before Ballycastle troubled the scoreboard operator, Conor Boyd opening his team’s account with a fine point from distance and when Tiernan Smyth laid a ball off to Ciaran Clarke the county star finished brilliantly to leave just a point between the sides.
Although the ‘Town’ improved in the second half, the hosts always had enough in hand with James McLister scoring his side’s second goal in final minutes of the game. Boyd added another excellent point to bring the sides level and they were still tied at the first water break as Ciaran Clarke and Deaglan Murphy exchanged points.
As is often the case in games the water break broke the momentum and Ballycastle restarted a shadow of the team they had been minutes earlier. Rossa on the other hand were back to their best and for the next fifteen minutes they gave an exhibition of score taking with corner back Aidan Orchin and half back Aodhan O’Brien hitting some exceptional points and by the time the half time whistle sounded they were eight to the good on a scoreline of 0-18 to 1-7
Ballycastle started the second half with two early points from Ciaran Clarke and Seamus McAuley but Rossa kept their opponents at arm’s length as Stephen Beatty, Deaglan Murphy and Gerard Walsh all found the target.
To their credit Ballycastle kept battling away but they could not get the goal they needed to make the breakthrough until James McLister found the target late in the game. Rossa will be delighted with their positive start and will go into Saturday’s round 2 game against Naomh Eanna knowing they are in the knock-out stages, and with a great chance of securing a semi-final spot.
Ballycastle now face Loughgiel, conquerors of Naomh Eanna on Tuesday evening, knowing they need to get a result to keep their championship hopes alive, and that should be a game worth watching at Pairc MacUlillin. Throw-in 4pm
ROSSA: D Armstrong; C Orchin, Stephen Shannon (0-1), A Orchin (0-3); A O’Brien (0-5, 0-1f), M Armstrong; G Walsh (0-1), Deaglan Murphy (0-5, 0-4fs); Dáire Murphy, Seaghan Shannon (0-2), C McGuinness; T Morgan, S Beatty (0-3), T Murphy (0-3).
Subs: D Rocks for Morgan (46), E Trainor (0-1) for Dáire Murphy (50), C Shannon for A Orchin (52), C McGettigan for Beatty (60).
BALLYCASTLE: R McGarry; O Kearney, T McIlroy, R Laverty; C Boyd (0-3), M Donnelly, N McAuley; R McClean, S McAuley (0-1); C Butler (0-1), KB McShane, C Donnelly; T Smyth (0-1), J McLister (1-0), C Clarke (1-7, 0-6fs, 0-1 ’65).
Subs: M McClean for R McClean (HT), F McKiernan for Smyth (44), L Donnelly for McShane (49), E Elliot for S McAuley (50), J McGowan for C Donnelly (53).
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Dunloy’s Eoin McFerran and Keelan Molloy challenge Cushendall’s Paddy Burke and Ruairi McCollam for the high ball at Pearse Park on Tuesday evening
There is nothing quite like the intensity of championship hurling. These two sides went toe to toe for the 60 plus minutes in Pearse Park, neither giving an inch with no quarter spared but they couldn’t be separated. Yet again, Dunloy and Cushendall played out a thriller but had to settle for a share of the spoils.
In a game of fine margins, both will feel like they left it behind them, even though it took a late free from Christy McNaughton to bring the Ruairi’s level for the sixth time in the match. Seaan Elliott’s 47th minute major looked to be the decisive score of a game that saw Keelan Molloy purr through the gears, playing close to his brilliant best but Cushendall kept nipping away at the Cuchullains with Christy McNaughton finishing with 12 points beside his name and a watertight defence lead superbly by Arron Graffin. Playing as a sweeper, Graffin was in the right place, at the right time on numerous occasions for Cushendall as Dunloy looked to find a way through in the second half after an early blitz.
Dunloy started superbly with three points on the board inside the opening five minutes as they took advantage of a sloppy start from the Ruairi’s and that lead extended to four by the first half water break. It could have been more but for Coby Cunning’s effort coming back off the foot of the upright but the let off stung Cushendall into action.
The champions handed a senior championship debut to Eoin McFerran with the 18 year old starring, in the first half especially with two points and creating plenty more for his team mates. The Ruairi’s called Shane McKenna into the starting 15 for the first time in the championship and he too had a fine performance in the full back line that allowed Graffin to sweep in front of them.
Elliott’s goal came just after the water break with Cushendall ahead by the minimum. McFerran reacting to Eoin Gillan’s poc out first and finding McMahon. He weaved his way through the Cushendall defence before passing to Elliott and he made no mistake from close range to give the Cuchullains any momentum they could at that time.
Chrissy McMahon comes under pressure from Eoghan Campbell and Shane McKenna
But momentum for either side was short lived. This contest ebbed to and fro throughout the hour with the intensity simmering at full pelt in the second half. It wasn’t exactly the purest game of hurling either will have played or been part of and both Brian Delargy and Gregory O’Kane will know they have work ahead but it all added to the occasion. Spilled possessions, misplaced passes, agonising wides and every call by referee Tarlach Conway questioned and examined like never before.
Both sides pushed each other physically to the limit and landed what felt like game changing scores. Neil McManus with a point from a different postcode just before the second half water break gave Cushendall the lead for the first time in the match while some 10 minutes later with the Ruairi’s calling for a penalty in search for a goal, Dunloy and Paul Shiels broke clear. The sliotar found Keelan Molloy wide on the right and with his feet on the whitewash, Molloy fired over his sixth point of the contest from an outrageous angle and under extreme pressure. That did not matter. It seems the more ridiculous the occasion, the more he thrives to do the impossible and it brought the biggest roar of the game and Dunloy a three point lead. Both scores felt significant and game changing but neither side relinquished enough to yield to the other enough in the closing stages.
Majestic as Keelan Molloy’s score was, little did the Cuchullains know that it would be their last score of the game as the Ruairi’s turned the screw. Dunloy lost Paul Shiels to a second yellow card as the game went into injury time and the visitors threw everything they had at the Cuchullains. The home side defended for their lives but Christy McNaughton’s free taking and coolness under pressure ensured both sides shared the championship points on offer.
It’s fair to say championship fever swept through Pearse Park this evening under the summer sun. If this was an appetiser for what lays ahead, we could be in for a treat this year.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Ryan McGarry; Phelim Duffin, Conor McKinley, Conor Kinsella; Ryan McGarry, Aaron Crawford, Ronan Molloy; Paul Shiels, Keelan Molloy; Eoin McFerran, Kevin Molloy, Eoin O’Neill; Chrissy McMahon, Conal Cunning, Seaan Elliott
Subs: Nicky McKeague for E O’Neill (47); Liam McCann for A Crawford (51); Shane Dooey for E McFerran (60)
Brendan McTaggart previews the Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
The county season has come and gone, we dared to dream and Darren Gleeson’s men gave us one heck of a rollercoaster. The boys in Saffron danced with the best the country has to offer this year and after a chance to take a breather, it’s the turn of the clubs.
Lovely stuff.
Who will be the Pride of the Parishes this year? Who will follow in the footsteps of St Pauls and Tir na nOg? Both clubs recorded memorable wins in the Intermediate and Junior championships last September and their crowns are on the line.
Can the Cuchullains retain the senior championship once more? They have won the last two and three of the last four. They are the side with a bullseye on their back and the team to beat this year.
All questions that we will have the answers for by the end of October. After the hectic schedule of 2021, this year there is some breathing space. Unless you’re a dual club with serious aspirations for lifting silverware but that’s a story for another day. You can’t please everyone.
Tir na nÓg make a return to Senior Hurling with a home game against St John’s
The format for the Senior Hurling Championship has been retained with Tir na nOg replacing St Galls as they return to the senior championship for the first time in a few generations. Dunloy begin the defence of their crown at home to Cushendall before travelling to Randalstown and Corrigan Park to complete their group. The Ruairi’s won the 2021 league after defeating Rossa in the final and being defeated just once. Dunloy had an indifferent campaign but considering the number of players they were without due to county duty, knocks and niggles, it’s unsurprising. Brian Delargy is the man at the helm for Cushendall this year and after last years disappointment, they will hope to make their mark on this years championship early doors.
It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago Domhnall Nugent was performing heroics in Dunsilly with one arm with goals galore and night falling in extra time. What a night that was in such an advertisement for Antrim hurling. An epic and mesmerising double header. The Johnnies came as close as they ever have to finally breaking their semi-final voodoo but Loughgiel denied them. St Johns championship journey begins in unfamiliar surroundings as they travel to Randalstown. The Tir na nOg men were knocking on the door for some time as they attempted to finally win the Intermediate Championship. Tuesday night will be like all their Christmas’ have come at once as they step up to the big leagues and good luck to them. It probably was as tough a group as they could have hoped for but they will relish the opportunity and will look for a scalp given a sniff of a chance.
Loughgiel travel to Glenormley to take on St Enda’s
The other group sees Rossa entertain Ballycastle while Naomh Eanna play hosts to Loughgiel. Rossa will be out to prove last year didn’t happen by chance and dispel any lingering suggestion that they were helped with the pandemic. They should have beaten Dunloy in the group phase last year, some might argue they did but for some peculiar time keeping while they will be sick at the sight of Chrissy McMahon as he scored the equalising point that day and the winner in the semi-final at Dunsilly. Colly Murphy’s side had a solid league campaign, reaching the final before Cushendall held off their second half comeback to take the honours.
Ballycastle travel to Shaw’s Road to take on Rossa
Ballycastle’s championship started so well in 2020 and like Rossa, could have beaten Dunloy. The opening round of fixtures saw the McQuillans travel to Pearse Park and once again the Cuchullains got out of jail to snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat but disappointing defeats to St Johns and Tuesday evenings opponents, Rossa, meant the McQuillans exited at the group stage.
Last years beaten finalists Loughgiel make the journey up the Hightown Road on Tuesday as they face Naomh Eanna in their first match. The Shamrocks are steeped in the history of the senior hurling championship and will fancy their chances of going one further this year. They have begun to unearth the talent from recent minor championship success’ as the rebuilding continues at Fr Healy. They will go in as hot favourites to win against a Naomh Eanna side who have had their first full year of Division One league hurling completed. A campaign that saw them take the scalp of Dunloy at Pairc Eanna. The Hightown Road men will relish the opportunity to take on the Shamrocks and get their teeth into the senior championship once again.
Champions Dunloy meet Cushendall in the glamour tie of round one at Pearse Park.
I’ll put my predictions out there and stick my £1 bet on Dunloy, St Johns, Rossa and Loughgiel. Some might call it predictable given it is the semi-final line up from the 2020 championship but there will be some close calls in there.
Let the games commence…
Fixtures (all games begin at 7pm)
Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
Group 1
Rossa vs Ballycastle
Referee: Fionntan McCotter
Naomh Eanna vs Loughgiel
Referee: Mark O’Neill
Group 2
Dunloy vs Cushendall
Referee: Tarlach Conway
Tir na nOg vs St Johns
Referee: Kevin Parke
Andersonstown Social Club Intermediate Hurling Championship
