U21B Hurling Semi-Final

Shane O’Neill’s 4-15 All Saints 1-17

Shane O’Neill’s, Glenarm are through to the final of the U21B Hurling Championship after an epic battle with All Saints, Ballymena at Feystown on Monday night.

The game turned into a personal scoring shootout between Glenarm’s county panellist, Niall McGarrell and All Saints Darrach Bradley who was superb for the Ballymena side.

Seven points separated the protagonists in the end but the scoreline slightly flattered the home side with three of their four goals of the soft variety and down to poor defending by the visitors defence.

It was McGarel who got Shane O’Neill’s off on the front foot when he fired past Luke Walsh in the All Saints goals after 20 seconds to give the Feystown side the perfect start.

Darrach Bradley got All Saints off the mark with a couple of pointed frees and the Ballymena number 9 would play a major part in his side’s challenge as he struck 0-9 of his side’s first half total to give them a 0-10 to 1-6 half time lead.

Their other score came from a long distance Pearse Martin free as Shane O’Neill’s continued to keep in touch with McGael adding all six of his sides opening half points.

John Scullion became only the fourth player to raise a white flag as he fired over the equaliser on the restart with McGarel pointing his side ahead before the excellent Bradley tied matters once more from a ‘65’.

A great catch and point on the turn by Michael Connolly saw the Slemish Park side edge ahead once more but Glenarm were starting to get on top and John Scullion cut in from the left to fire home their second goal with 8 minutes gone.

The Feystown side continued to press and Niall McGarel 0-3 and Robbie McDonald added points with Bradley again responding for the visitors to leave three in it after 18 minutes play.

McGarel pointed again before disaster struck for the visitors as Gerald Burns got in for a very soft goal to put more daylight between the sides.

Points from Pearse Martin and another converted Bradley free had it back to six with five minutes remaining before disaster struck again and this time it was substitute, Ronan Rodgers who was on hand to punish a defensive mistake for his side’s fourth goal of the evening.

Niall McGarel added a point and Ryan O’Boyle followed with another to put it well out of All Saints reach but the Ballymena side kept going to the end and man of the match, Bradley drove his free through a packed goalmouth with McGarel concluding the scoring with the game’s final point.

Shane O’Neill’s will now meet Tir na nOg in the final and in the end they were worthy winners but All Saints will be disappointed by the final result but their management should take great pride in their commitment on the night and the quality of their hurling.

Niall McGarrell was excellent for the Feystown side and began to influence the contest when they moved him further out the field in the second half and he finished with 1-12 of his side total while Darrach Bradley contributed 1-14 for the Slemish Park side.

Shane O’Neill’s: 1 Blaine Mitchell, 2 Odhran Daly. 3 Michael Furey, 4 Robbie McDonald, 5 Ciaran McLoughlin, 6 John Scullion, 7 James O’Kane, 8 Charlie Black, 9 Sean McDermott, 10 Charlie Ward, 11 Shea McConnell, 12 Ryan O’Boyle, 13 Niall McGarel, Gerald Burns, Niall Rodgers.

Subs: Ronan Rodgers for JamesO’Kane

All Saints: Luke Walsh, 2 Robert Crooks, 3 Paddy Murphy, 4 Finn Connon, 5 Harry Connon, 6 Pearse Martin, 7 Connor O’Hara, 8 Archie McGreevey, 9 Darrach Bradley, 10 Sean O’Brien, 11 Jakub Kaczmarek, 12 Tiernan McGurk, 13 Michael Connolly, 14 Daniel Kelly, 25 Antoin Martin

Referee: Fergus McAlister (Cushendall)

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U-21 B Hurling Championship, Preliminary Round 

Lámh Dhearg 1-13-2-11 All Saints, Ballymena 

Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown 

DARACH BRADLEY popped over an injury time winner as All Saints came out on top in a ding-dong battle with Lámh Dhearg in the U-21 B Prelim clash at Hannahstown on Monday evening. 

Adam Murray converted an early free and Aaron Kennedy added a second point from play as the Lámhs opened the evening scoring on a soggy and dull evening in Hannahstown. 

Darach Bradley replied from a free and added a second between a further Murray placed ball. 

The opening goal fell to the visitors after a strike came off the post and Bradley stabbed the loose ball over the line to give All Saints a 1-2-0-3 advantage. 

Murray closed the gap with his third free of the half before Darach Bradley (free) and a Fintan Brady score from play opened up a goal lead. 

Lámh Dherarg closed the deficit to a single point through successive Murray frees late in the half and the hosts could have led at the interval, but Luke Walsh parried Murray’s penalty as All Saints held a narrow 1-4-0-6 lead. 

Parity was restored within sixty seconds of the restart as Murray added his sixth of the evening and he edged his side back in front from a further placed ball a few moments later. 

Darach Bradley levelled with his fourth free of the contest and a converted Pearse Martin free nudged the Ballymena outfit ahead again. 

They extended their advantage with another Bradley free and Tiernan McGurk then popped the ball over to open up a 1-8-0-8 gap. 

Adam Murray landed a free from range in response and after Sean McCarthy cleared to Calum Fegan in defence, he in turn picked out Murray to land his first from play of the evening and make it a single point game. 

The tide was turning from the resulting puck-out, Calum Fegan gathered and tried his luck from range with a shot that dropped over Walsh and into the net to give the Hannahstown side a 1-10-1-08 lead. 

Lámh Dhearg opened up a three-point lead with Adam Murray clipping over his 10th score and ninth from the placed ball. 

Both sides traded fantastic points from play courtesy of Darach Bradley and Calum Fegan and after Ronan Webb won a puck-out and the hosts a free, Murray pointed the placed ball to make it 1-13-1-09. 

The four-point gap remained until the 54th minute when Pearse Martin rifled low past Rhys Camlin and a single point separated the sides. 

The visitors were buoyed and Martin then popped over a leveller with Bradley keeping his nerve late on and swinging over the eventual winner as All Saints ran out 2-11-1-13 winners at the conclusion. 

LÁMH DHEARG: R Camlin, C Tubridy, S Doran, D O’Connor, F Clenaghan, C Fegan (1-1), C Camlin, E Stanley, S McCarthy, O Lee, A Murray (0-11, 0-10f), A Kennedy (0-1), R Webb, C McGuigan, R Armstrong. Subs: A Brady for C McGuigan (26). 

ALL SAINTS: L Walsh, A Martin, P Murphy, F Connon, H Connon, P Martin (1-2, 0-1f), C O’Hara, A McGreevy, D Bradley (1-7, 0-6f), S O’Brien, D McCoy, T McGurk (0-1), M Connolly, D Kelly, F Brady (0-1). Subs: R Crooks for A Martin (16). 
REFEREE: Chris Brown (ST PAULS)

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Under 21 Hurling Championship – Preliminary round

O’Donovan Rossa 0-19 Ruairi Og Cushendall 5-23

Cushendall qualified for a semi-final meeting with Ballycastle after beating Rossa in Wednesday evening’s U21 Hurling Championship preliminary round at Rossa Park. The Cushendall side were in top form and after a dominant first half display they lead by 3-15 to 0-07 at half time, the goals coming from corner forward Oisin Woodhouse, right half back Austin Birt and full forward Joseph McLaughlin.

After the change of ends the home side fared better but they could not get the goal they needed to really spark a revival and two more goals, one from left-half forward Killian McNaughton and a second goal of the game from Oisin Woodhouse kept them firmly in control.

Woodhouse got the first score of the game when he sent over a point and after Austin Birt and Joseph McLaughlin added further points Woodhouse got in for the first goal of the game. Rossa centre forward Liam McEnhill got Rossa up and running with a point but The Ruairis came back with six in a row before McEnhill interrupted the run with his second score of the game. The visitors piled on the pressure aas the first half advanced and by half time they had stretched the lead to 3-15 to 0-07, the other two goals coming from Austin Birt and Joseph McLaughlin, while McEnhill (4) and Corey Walsh got the Rossa points.

Three in a row from Rossa’s McEnhill, Dairmuid Rogan and Oisin Boyle got the home team off a better start, but goal number four soon arrived for the Ruairis through Killian McNaughton.  Midfielder Corey Walsh and centre forward McEnhill kept the scoreboard ticking for Rossa and twelve points overall in the second half was a good showing, but Cushendall had always that bit extra and goal number five arrived from Killian Birt put the icing on the cake

CUSHENDALL

1. Shane coulter

2. ⁠Conor McCann

3. ⁠Sean McKay

4. ⁠Paddy Morgan

5. ⁠Diarmuid McManus

6. ⁠Callagh Mooney

7. ⁠Austin Birt

8. ⁠Aiden Campbell

9. ⁠Charlie McAuley

10. ⁠Thomas McLaughlin

11. ⁠Joe McNaughton

12. ⁠Killian McNaughton

13. ⁠Nicholas McLaughlin

14. ⁠Joseph McLaughlin

15. ⁠Oisín Woodhouse

Subs used

Mick Quinn

Stephen McAuley

Frankie McCormick

John Mitchell

U21B Hurling Final

Sarsfields 3-17 All Saints 0-11

Daniel Smyth was in sparkling for as he led Sarsfield’s to the U21B Hurling title when they overcame a young All Saints side at Whitehill on Monday night. Condition were certainly not conducive for good hurling with rain falling throughout the 60 plus minutes.

Despite this these sides served up an excellent game of hurling and matters seemed to be in the balance as they headed for the dressing rooms at half time tied on seven points apiece.

Indeed the Ballymena side will feel that the half time whistle came at just the wrong time as they came from five down to hit six of the last seven scores with Darach Bradley in sparkling form from the placed ball.

He was matched all the way by the excellent Daniel Smyth for the Stewartstown Road side who finished with 1-8 to his name as he gave a commanding performance around mid-field.

Two goals early in the second half turned the game on its head and the Ballymena side will feel they could have been prevented.

The first came after only 30 seconds when keeper, Luke Walsh got caught in possession when he had time to clear with Conlai Mervyn applying the finish with a simple tap in.

All Saints looked to have recovered as their own sharp shooter, Darach Bradley replied from two pointed frees to close the gap to the minimum but when Daniel Smyth fired a 25 meter free through a packed goalmouth in the 9^th minute the game swung decisively in favour of the ‘Paddies’.

They went on to play some great hurling and added a further 1-8 as the All Saints challenge flounder with their only response coming from two Darach Bradley pointed frees.

It was fitting that Daniel Smyth would be the man to receive the cup from Antrim committee member Danny McLarnon. Smyth scored 3-6 last week in the semi-final against Tir na nOg and added another 1-8 tonight and looks one for the future.

It certainly wasn’t a one man show however with Oisin Coleman, Eoin McBriarty, Conlai Mervyn, Jay Maguire, Fionn Jemfrey and Brendan Jackson catching the eye in a good all round Sarsfield’s side.

All Saints will be disappointed at their second half performance but a side who are all under age next year can be proud of the effort they put in this year in the clubs first ever U21 Hurling campaign.

Peadar McGuckian, Archie McGreevey, Sean McDermott and Jakub Kaczmarek gave it everything on the night while Darach Bradley was their outstanding performer and contributed all of his side’s 0-11 total.

Sarsfields: 2 Daragh Coleman 3 Oisin Coleman, 4 Ahmad Soda 5 Jay Ward 6 Anthony McGarrigle 7 Jay Ward 8 Eoin McBriarty 6 Michael Johnson 18 Conlai Mervyn, 9 Tiernan Ward, 28 Daniel Smyth, 7 Eamonn O Cuinneagáin 9 Tiernan Ward, 10 Jay Maguire, 13 Brendan Jackson 0-1, 14 Anthony McGarrigle, 17 Conal Jemfrey, 23 Fionn Jeffrey 0-1, 15 Oisin Coleman 0-1, 18 Brian Healy 0-2, 25 Andrew McStay

All Saints: 1 Luke Walsh 2 Finn Connon, 3 Peadar McGuckian, 4 Diarmuid Casey, 5 Senan O’Boyle, 6 Harry Connon, 7 Archie mcGreevey, 8 Sean McDermott, 9 |Daniel Kelly, 10 Jakub , 11 Darach Bradley, 12 Fintan Brady, 13 Eddie McKendry, 14 Patrick Murphy, 15 Michael Connolly.

Subs: Pearse Martin

Referee: Piarais McCaffrey

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U21 Hurling Championship Final

Dunloy 1-20 Cushendall 3-13

Monday August 5

Brendan McTaggart reports from Pairc Mac Uilin, Ballycastle

For anyone who braved the mid-summer weather and attended the U21 final, they were treated to a contest that had everything we love about our game.  Thrills, spills, goals and a game played at 100 mph.  At the end of a pulsating 60 plus minutes, it was Dunloy who claimed the victory and cup by the narrowest of margins in a contest that was every bit as close as the scoreline suggests.

The pendulum swing of momentum was in full force in this contest with the game ebbing and flowing in a proper ding dong battle between two evenly matched sides.  Cushendall’s ability to create and take their goal chances looked to be the winning of this game yet Dunloy just kept ticking along and a series of scoring bursts at the beginning and end of each half proved to be the winning of the game.

Aodhan McGarry would top score for the Cuchullains with 0-10 beside his name while Joseph McLaughlin was top of the charts for the Ruairi’s and 1-6.  Both had plenty of support with Oisin McCallin and Padraig Martin impressing for Dunloy while Padraig McKillop was a real handful for the Dunloy defence.  The ‘Dall full forward scored 1-2 and caused the Dunloy defence a lot of problems.

Neither side really put their stamp on this game in the opening 10 minutes.  Dunloy held a one point lead at 0-3 to 0-2 with a couple of goal chances going begging, McCallin denied by ‘keeper Joseph McNaughton while Ryan Mort was denied by a brilliant last gasp block from Daire Mort.

At the other end of the pitch, the speed of Thomas McLaughlin and Oran McCambridge was yielding success for the Ruairi’s but three wides in the opening exchanges did little for their challenge.

A series of three points in just over two minutes from Joseph McLaughlin (free), McKillop and Oistin Birt put Cushendall ahead while they kept the Cuchullains scoreless for closing in on 10 minutes.  A brace of frees from McGarry either side of Joseph McLaughlin’s second of the game (free) put the minimum between the sides going into the final 10 minutes of the half.

Cushendall struck the first meaningful blow of the final with a major in the 23^rd minute.  McKillop had just put his side two clear once more when Bradley tore down the left and as McKillop dropped into space, Bradley sent the sliotar his way and McKillop riffled his shot to the back of the net to give Eoghan Richmond no chance between the sticks for Dunloy.

Dunloy’s answer to that Cushendall goal was exactly what they needed.  A run of four points in barely two minutes from Jack and Padraig Martin and McGarry frees (two) brought them to within the minimum and while Cushendall replied from a Joseph McLaughlin ’65, Dunloy had the final say of the half.  McGarry firing over a brace of points (one free) to leave the sides tied at 0-11 to 1-8 at the short whistle.

If anything, half time came at the right time for Cushendall as Dunloy really turned the screw at the end of the first half, outscoring the Ruairi’s 0-6 to 0-1 in the space of just over six minutes.

Dunloy would continue that momentum at the start of the second half when they scored their opening goal in the second minute.  They sent a long, high ball into the danger area and while Cushendall forced Padraig Martin out wide, he cut inside and riffled his shot to the back of the net from an acute angle.  It was a ridiculous angle and Martin had no right to score from there but it was a touch of brilliance that lit up the final and was a sign of things that would come.

Martin would fire over a point soon after to take the Dunloy lead to four for the first time in the game but it was the Ruairi’s who found a way back into the game once more.  McKillop the tormentor in chief once more and while the Dunloy defence looked to have dealt with his threat, he dropped the sliotar low and passed to Joseph McLaughlin in space.  He made no mistake with a pulled, first time effort.

The sides traded scores before Dunloy took a three point lead in the 41^st minute.  Cushendall found another gear however with Joseph McLaughlin splitting the uprights with a quite brilliant score when he had neither time nor space but still managed to get an accurate shot away.  His brother Thomas would split the uprights before McCallin raised another white flag for Dunloy. 

Cushendall’s third goal came in the 48^th minute and again, McKillop was at the heart of it.  Dunloy swarmed and looked to quell his danger but he managed to pass unorthodoxly to Bradley and despite an acute angle, he found the back of the net.

Once again, Dunloy found another response.  Three points in as many minutes from Luke and Eoin McFerran before McGarry’s eighth free of the final cancelled out the Cushendall major to put Dunloy two clear going into the final five minutes.

Joseph McLaughlin (free) and McCallin swapped scores before the Cushendall man would leave the minimum between the sides as the clock ticked into injury time.

Dunloy packed their defence and looked to the speed of McCallin on the break while Cushendall threw the kitchen sink in the closing stages.  They had a free from distance where McLaughlin took aim and with the sliotar dropping, there was carnage on the edge of the square but Dunloy managed to clear the danger with referee Ciaran McCloskey calling time.

This was a quite brilliant advertisement for hurling within our county with two sides that just refused to lay down or give in.  The Ruairi’s more than played their part in what was an incredibly entertaining final and even the most ardent of Dunloy supporter wouldn’t have denied them an extra 20 minutes for extra time.  But, it was the Cuchullains who claimed the silverware.

TEAMS

Dunloy: Eoghan Richmond; Reece Cunning, Sean Og Blaney, Michael Traynor; Daire McMullan, Ben O’Kane, Joseph Magee; Jack Martin, Aodhan McGarry; Eoin McFerran, Luke McFerran, Barry McCloskey; Padraig Martin, Ryan Mort, Oisin McCallin

Subs: Tom McFerran for J Magee (HT)

Scorers: A McGarry 0-10 (7fs 1’65); P Martin 1-2; O McCallin 0-3; L McFerran 0-3; E McFerran 0-1; J Martin 0-1

Cushendall: Joseph McNaughton; Aodhan Campbell, Daire Mort, Michael Quinn; Alex McCambridge, Callagh Mooney, Conor McCollam; Oistin Birt, Charlie McAuley; Oisin Woodhouse, Joseph McLaughlin, Oran McCambridge; Fiontan Bradley, Padraig McKillop, Thomas McLaughlin

Subs: Mark Emerson for C McCollam (37); Stephen McAuley for O Woodhouse (44)

Scorers: J McLaughlin 1-6 (3fs 1’65); P McKillop 1-2; F Bradley 1-00; O McCambridge 0-2; T McLaughlin 0-2; O Birt 0-1

Referee: Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel)

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