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by thesaffrongael

Kickham’s should have the edge going by previous meetings

ACFL Division 1 Final

Kickham’s Creggan v All Saints Ballymena

Dunsilly 7-00pm

Kickham’s Creggan and All Saints, Ballymena meet in the ACFL Division 1 final tonight (Wednesday) at Dunsilly in a fixture that both camps could probably have done without at this stage of the season.

Tonight’s opponents meet again in the opening game of the Senior Football Championship in Ballymena in 10 days-time and both clubs will have their primary focus on that competition.

Both sides are drawn in what some have dubbed the ‘Group of Death’ with St. Galls and Lamh Dhearg and a win at Slemish Park on the 1st August would set up either side with a strong chance of qualification from Group 3 but there is tonight’s league final to get out of the way first.

There is a growing feeling within the county that the top-four competition should be scrapped with last year’s winners, St. Brigid’s withdrawing from their semi-final meeting with Creggan, handing the Kickham’s a place in the final.

Their opponents, All Saints came through a tough semi-final against an understrength Cargin just five days ago, that one going to extra time and then penalty kicks against the reigning county champions.

It’s a quick turnaround for the Ballymena side who lost Kavan Keenan to a straight Red card and were already short a number of players through injury and they would hope to have back for the championship clash in 10 days-time but tonight’s fixture will come too soon for them.

Creggan have had a chance to clear up niggles due to their period of inactivity due to the St. Brigid’s withdrawel but are unlikely to take any chances with players less than fit.

Never the less there is a league final to play and a trophy to play for and neither Joe Cassidy nor Liam Bradley will want to pass up the opportunity of silverware at this stage of the season.

All Saints have suffered heavy defeats at the hands of the Staffordstown Road side in the league over the last two years and a win here would be a major confidence booster for the Ballymena men.

Creggan will start tonight’s final as firm favourites to claim the title and claim the bragging rights over neighbours Cargin for now but All Saints have made steady progress over the past two years under ‘Baker’ Bradley, ‘Honda’ Mullan and Gerard O’Callaghan and should give it a real rattle.

by thesaffrongael

Another great day in Dublin as Tipp turn in on in an extraodinary second half

By Curly

Sunday’s All Ireland Hurling final produced probably the strangest second half I have witnessed in all the finals I have attended. Sunday’s game was my 57th in succession (counting the three replays) and I have never seen anything like Cork’s total collapse.  When the Rebels scored their goal in first half injury time I was sure they would push on and end their 20 year drought, but Tipp had other ideas and what a display they gave to win their first title in six years.

It has to be said Lady Luck completely deserted the men in red during that second period, hitting the post three times and the crossbar once, having a man sent off and having a penalty saved. Nothing would go right for them at all but that is not to take anything away from Tipp who were sensational.

Antrim county chairman Seamus McMullan and his wife Siobhan with Cork superfan Cyril Kavanagh outside Croker on Sunday

Once again the whole occasion was fantastic. It is always the place to be on All Ireland final day and Sunday’s meeting of the two Munster giants made it even more special. Cork appeared to have twice as many followers as Tipp, but maybe it is just the red jerseys stand out more than the blue and gold. Of course one of the great things about final day is that every county in Ireland get a good share of tickets, and of course Antrim are no exception. Having said that there didn’t appear to be as many Saffs about on Sunday, when I was outside with the camera before and after the game. Bringing a camera to the games is something I have done for almost forty years, many of them working from pitch side, but since I stopped working for the Kilkenny People that has become more difficult.

I got a few action shots from my seat in the Lower Cussack stand on Sunday but mostly the pics are of the fans who attended.  Another fantastic day and one that will live long in the memory.

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM SUNDAY CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/74Cfbfrq3B7Yez/?invite=0646a271-6b71-4171-aebd-7f52a4060c81

by thesaffrongael

Cushendall Camogs are presented with the League trophy

Cushendall were presented with the Division 1 League trophy on Tuesday evening after their final league game against Dunloy at Pairc Mhuir.

Although the game was a ‘dead rubber’ as the home team had already secured the trophy in Ballycastle two weeks ago, nobody appeared to have told the players on each side who served up a cracking contest, with last season’s league winners Dunloy winning out by three points in the end on a scoreline of 1-13 to 1-10.

Both teams went flat out from start to finish in an absorbing game as their preparations for the forthcoming championship get going in earnest. Cushendall made a very good start and were 0-04 to 0-00 ahead before Dunloy got on the scoreboard through top score Aine Magill. A Katie Molloy goal brought the sides level and it was nip and tuck for the remainder of the first half, the visitors just edging it by 1-05 to 0-07 at the interval.

Cushendall had a strong third quarter and boosted by a Cara O’Boyle goal they soon drew level. By the midway point of the half they had moved three points clear and appeared to be set to keep their unbeaten league record, but Dunloy came strong in the final quarter and with Nicole McAtamney brilliant at midfield and Aine Magill in great scoring form they hit the last six points of the game to win by 1-13 to 1-10.

Cushendall captain Anna McNeill with the Feargal McNally Memorial Cup

After the game Antrim Camogie Board Treasurer Angela Boyle presented the cup to Cushendall captain Anna McNeill and while celebrations were somewhat muted because of the defeat it was still a historic event in the club’s history.

These two don’t meet again until September 9th in the penultimate game in the round-robin series in Dunloy and if that game is half as good as this one it will be worth the admission fee.

Cushendall

Louise Mulholland, Anna McNeill, Caoimhe McNaughton, Catherine O’Boyle, Aoife mcClafferty, Abi McNeill, Laura Black, Cara O’Boyle, Eva McNeill, Dervla Cosgrove, Siobhan McKillop, Laura McMullan, Kady McNeill, Orlagh Burke, Orlaith McAllister

Dunloy

Kirsty Mc Ferran, Katherine Mullan, Brid Magill, Sarah McIlhatton, Casey Crawford, Katie Laverty, Eilis Kearns, Nicole McAtamney, Eimear McMullan, Kyra Doherty, Caoimhe Molloy, Erin McMullan, Eimear Johnston, Katie Molloy, Aine Magill

Subs Mary McArthur for Kyra Doherty

Referee – Declan McGarry (Loughgiel)

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/qyzHECxRzH9TC6/?invite=d3db5ca4-f9fb-46d0-9e2d-3d07e6cde49a

by thesaffrongael

Red warnings in Ballycastle as a Shamrock storm passes through

Ballycastle 1-09 Loughgiel 6-18

Antrim Camogie Senior Division 1a league report and photos from Michael Corcoran

Two red cards coupled with a strong performance from Loughgiel left Ballycastle with an uphill battle for the duration of tonight’s game. And tonight’s game interestingly enough, would be the last in the Antrim senior division 1 league, but the first opportunity for returning County players to gather up some competitive club time ahead of the Championship starting on the 19th August.

In less than a minute of referee Jerome McAllister’s starting whistle, Loughgiel’s dynamic duo of Roísín McCormick and Caitrín Dobbin started to make their mark with the lifting of the game’s first green flag from Dobbin coming from a nifty ball dropped into Dobbin’s running path, after the striker had already pointed in less than twenty seconds. The Town made amends with points from sisters Janey and Elen McIntosh but four minutes later McCormick would return to the clubhouse end and strike into the heart of Ballycastle’s goals after a perceptive pass from full back, Charlene Campbell.

Ballycastle’s Maebh O’Neill feels the squeeze from Loughgiel’s Caela Dobbin and Roísín McCormick

Playing in a half back position, Loughgiel’s Lucia McNaughton started a move using McCormick to find Dobbin, who subsequently slotted the sliotar at pace past Ballycastle’s goalkeeper, Becky Ellis for Loughgiel’s third in the first half. Although Dobbin would feed Loughgiel’s Annie Lynn for a fourth Shamrock goal in fifteen minutes, Ellis would foil many Loughgiel attempts up to the short whistle, with one batch of saves coming from a torrent of shots from Dobbin within the 13 metre line.

Ballycastle replied with a goal from Eimear McCaughan after Sionainn Graham dropped in a free short of the goal mouth. An alert McCaughan reacted instinctively and found the back of the the net, for the Town’s only goal in the game. At the break, scores stood at Ballycastle 1-05 Loughgiel 4-09.

On the restart, the Shamrock’s would hold a dominant position for upwards of fifteen minutes; a goal coming from an Amy Boyle, Ceala Dobbin to McCormick move after only three minutes and a clutch of five points before Elen McIntosh brought the Town back to scoring from a well taken free.

Although Ballycastle would build another three points onto their 1-06 score, the Shamrock’s kept pressing to the end, and as McCormick cleverly fed a sweeping Emma McFadden well forward from her half back line, McFadden carried the sliotar all the way to the back of Ballycastle’s net for the sixth and final goal of tonight’s game. A further point from Caitrín Dobbin and two from a hard working Katie McKillop finished the game at Ballycastle 1-09 Loughgiel 6-18.

Loughgiel’s Emma McFadden jabs the sliotar ahead of a marathon goal run

Ballycastle starting panel and scorers

Becky Ellis, Emma Laverty, Enya McShane, Fiadh Sands, Maebh O’Neill, Shannagh Heggarty 0-01 (1f), Catherine McShane, Aoife Toner, Fay McIntosh, Louise McBride, Sionainn Graham, Janey McIntosh 0-01, Eimear McCaughan 1-00, Elen McIntosh 0-07 (3f), Maria Bakewell

Loughgiel staring panel and scorers

Shauna McKillop, Charlene Campbell, Finvola McVeigh, Maria Lynn, Lucia McNaughton, Emma McFadden 1-00, Ciara Laverty, Amy Boyle, Anna Connolly, Katie McKillop 0-10 (5f), Mary McKillen, Annie Lynn 1-03, Ceala Dobbin, Roísín McCormick 2-02, Caitrín Dobbin 2-03

To see more photos from tonight’s game, follow the link here…

https://myalbum.com/album/gzpNZJWWNKoYXj/?invite=852d4acd-8f70-4ab9-8b08-1c9813f23157

by thesaffrongael

Cushendall in control as they see off Ballycastle

Under 21 Hurling Championship – quarter final

Ballycastle 1-11 Cushendall 2-17

Cushendall turned in a strong display when they beat Ballycastle in Monday evening’s Under 21 Hurling quarter final at Pairc MacUílin. The Ruairis were dominant for most of the game and they lead by five points at half time (1-09 to 0-07). The trend continued in the second half and though Ballycastle battled hard but they lacked the scoring power of their opponents who went on to win by nine in the end.

Top scorer Joseph McLaughlin opened Cushendall’s account in the second minute and though Conor Donnelly soon had Ballycastle back on terms. four points in a row, two from Fiontan Bradley and one each by Joseph McLaughlin and Oran McCambridge, saw the visitors put a bit of daylight between the sides. It was score for score over the next ten minutes, before points from Padraig McKillop and Fiontan Bradley stretched the Ruairi Og lead to six.

Ballycastle hit back with four in a row, three of them from Craoisti McAuley and one from Conor Donnelly to cut the deficit back to one,  but Joseph McLaughlin sent one over from a sideline ‘cut’ and one from a free to put Cushendall three ahead at the interval.

Cushendall struck a telling blow early in the second half and after Joseph McLaughlin had increased the lead to four Oran McCambridge struck the first goal of the game to stretch his team’s lead to seven. Cadhan Crawford pulled one back for the Town but two more from Joseph McLaughlin frees put the gap out to eight by the end of the third quarter.

The home team hit three of the next four points, two of them from Crawford and one from Conor Donnelly, but three in a row from the McLaughlin brothers Joseph and Thomas and one from Callagh Mooney virtually sealed the deal.  Conor Donnelly gave Ballycastle a glimmer of hope when he fired home a goal three minutes from time, but it was a case of too little, too late as Cushendall pushed on to a semi-final meeting Glenariffe/Glenravel in a week’s time.

TO SEE MORE OF SEAN PAUL’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/shTRQebnNBi6uw/?invite=11351cc7-e1ba-4970-b7ce-3e5f49a9ff1d