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by thesaffrongael

Antrim U20s face Westmeath in Mullingar

Leinster Under 20 Hurling Championship – Tier 2

Westmeath v Antrim at Cussack Park, Mullingar

Antrim Under-20s step into the unknown tomorrow (Saturday) when they take on Westmeath in the Leinster Championship in Cussack Park, Mullingar. (Throw-in 2pm).

Liam Glackin who played at full back in the Ulster final for Antrim in their win over Down and at centre back in CPC’s Paddy Buggy final win. The selectors will have to decide what suits him best in Mullingar

When we spoke to team manager Michael McShane he sounded upbeat about things, saying that training has been going really well since beating Down in the Ulster final three weeks ago. The four senior players in the panel, Sean McKay, Cormac McKeown, Aodhan McGarry and Joseph McLaughlin were away last weekend with the senior squad at their warm-weather training camp in Portugal, returned a few days ago and trained with the rest of the squad last night.

Michael and his management team will not name the starting 15 until they arrive at Cussack Park as there are a couple of players with slight niggles and they want to asses them in the morning to be sure they are good to go. However the Ballycastle man assures us that the spirit in the camp is very good. They have worked very hard for a few months now and are really looking forward to the challenge of playing in Tier 2 in Leinster.

Aodhan McGarry
Niall Magee
Callagh Mooney

Their group in the second tier contains Westmeath and Meath and McShane stressed that nothing short of a win on Saturday will suffice. One team of the three advances to Tier 1 and that is something the management team have set their sights on since the campaign started. They have seen Westmeath in action on a couple of occasions and have been impressed with what they saw.

“I have got to see the opposition in action in a couple of games. They are a very big, strong team and they play a very distinctive running game. We know that any time you go into Mullingar to play Westmeath you are going to be up against it.” Like ourselves their aim is to get into Tier 1 and to do that they need to win tomorrow. McShane added “ To be honest whoever loses tomorrow will be more or less out of it.”

The way the group works sees whoever loses out tomorrow facing Meath next weekend, while the winners of tomorrow’s game face the same opposition the following weekend on April 12th.

Summing up McShane added “We are all very excited about this game, which should have a real championship feel about it, We are really looking forward to it and hopefully we get the win.”

The Saffrons have qualified for this stage of the competition by winning the Ulster title which saw them beat Derry and Down in the round robin section, and them beat Down in the final in Ballycastle. Down provided stiff opposition in that final and at half time there was only four points between the sides. However they pulled away in the second half and were comfortable enough winners in the end.

McShane and his team have had a wide selection to pick from, especially with St Killian’s winning last season’s Paddy Buggy Cup (All Ireland Colleges B Championship) and Cross & Passion doing the same this year. There is deep pool of talent available and they have been given their chance during a series of challenge games, plus their Ulster campaign.

Oran Donnelly
Charlie McAuley
Ben O’Kane
Fiontann Bradley who was top score in the Ulster final win over Down

We would expect to see a team along the lines of the one that beat Down in the Ulster final. Cormac McKeown did not start that day because he selected to start on the senior team the following day against Laois in the National Hurling League Division 1 B game at Corrigan Park. However he did get a run out during the second half of the Down game and looks certain to start tomorrow.

Team manager Mickey McShane

The team who beat Down in that Ulster final was

Antrim: Eoghan Richmond; Ciarán McAllister, Liam Glackin, Malachi McGibbon; Charlie McAuley, Ben O’Kane, Niall Magee; Sean McKay, Calum McIlwaine; Aodhan McGarry, Oran Donnelly, Thomas McLaughlin; Callagh Mooney, Joseph McLaughlin, Fiontan Bradley

Subs: Sean Óg Blaney for C McAllister (28); Cormac McKeown for O Donnelly (38); Orrin O’Connor for J McLaughlin (58); Austin Birt for L Glackin (58)

Scorers: F Bradley 0-10 (5fs); A McGarry 1-1 (1f); J McLaughlin 0-3; S McKay 0-2; O Donnelly 0-2; C Mooney 0-2; O O’Connor 0-2; N Magee 0-1; C McIlwaine 0-1; C McKeown 0-1

THE WESTMEATH LINE-OUT

Tomorrow is the biggest game most of these young men have faced. The stakes are high and it promises to be a great contest. Get yourself down to Mullingar to cheer them on.

For those not able to travel the game is being streamed live on Clubber

by thesaffrongael

CPC win Gaelfast Year 8 Cup

Gaelfast Year 8 Antrim Cup Final

This year’s edition of the Year 8 Antrim Cup culminated this afternoon at the Dunsilly Training Complex, with hurlers from Cross and Passion, Ballycastle and St Killian’s College, Garron Tower competing in a high quality, high scoring encounter with the former coming out on top after establishing early daylight in the tie and retaining their Antrim Cup crown for a third straight year, despite a valiant late fight back from the St Killian’s lads.  

Cross and Passion came sprinting out of the blocks into an early lead, with Oisin Richmond splitting the posts in style to open the scoring. This was quickly followed up with points from Ronan Smith, Ruairi Hennessy, a fine score from range from captain, Sean Johnson and two really classy points from Ruairi McQuillan – something which became a running theme throughout the afternoon.

Sevie Trowlen responded well from a free to get St Killian’s underway in the tie, after good work from Niall McKay. However, further CPC scores from McQuillan and the ever-impressive Iarla Gillan restored daylight in the tie, before Joe Richmond rifled home his first goal of the afternoon to consolidate CPC’s early dominance.

Dogged defensive work from Odhran McLaughlin and Fionnbhar Atcheson in the heart of the St Killian’s defence, accompanied with fine saves from keeper, Patrick Harris, kept them in the tie, however the onslaught from CPC continued throughout the first half. A goal for the industrious Jake Feetham was followed by Joe Richmond’s second of the day, before Ruairi Hennessy found the back of the net to wrap up a supremely impressive first half display for the Cross and Passion side.

The second half saw St Killian’s coming out with a point to prove, with end to end action throughout. Early goals were exchanged by Ronan Smith, Sevie Trowlen and Jake Feetham, with a few fine points struck by Conrad Bailey to continue the rapid scoring trend of the first half. St Killian’s began to battle hard in the midfield through Ronan O’ Loan and Niall McAuley, picking up much more possession now and looking inside to find their forwards. However, the immovable Conall McAuley was often there to put a stop to any imposing danger.

Noah McAuley entered the fray and immediately found the net, before Jude Montgomery responded in equal form, finding the back of the net for St Killian’s in stylish form. This inspired a fight back in the St Killian’s corner, with the determined Trowlen finding the net for the second time, before Niall McAuley helped himself to a brace of goals too. With their tails up, St Killian’s continued to attack, with Jack Black putting one between the posts. However, CPC continued to be ruthlessly efficient in attack with Oisin Richmond finding the net, and Oisin McCaughan and Ruairi McQuillan putting the game to bed with more quality scores for the winning side.

It was a game that was played in good spirits on both sides, with the two year 8 sides boasting a truly impressive amount of skill all around.

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

https://myalbum.com/album/ep8MsyCwYpyjZ7/?invite=f2904797-47f5-4d7c-a83f-da44ce3b67ab

by thesaffrongael

McKavanagh leads Aquinas to victory

Rosina McManus Camogie Shield final 

Aquinas Grammar 4-13 St Aidan’s, Cootehill 5-3

Aquinas Grammar battled back in the final quarter of Wednesday’s Rosina McManus Shield final to beat St Aidan’s Cootehill and seal their first Ulster Camogie title for the school.

Éabha Slowey gave St Aidan’s the lead with a goal in the fourth minute and they appeared to be in control, but a goal from Aquinas captain Katie Christie eight minutes into the second half pulled her side level.

In what had been a low scoring affair up to this stage suddenly transformed and Rose Geoghegan sent over a point for Cootehill to put them back in front. Less than a minute later Katie McKavanagh fired in a goal for Aquinas but Geoghegan hit back with a brilliant individual goal to make it 4-3 to 2-8 with 13 minutes to go.

Aquinas, pushed on and McKavanagh’s accuracy from frees saw them take control again. The St Bridget’s player had edged her side into the lead before Maisie Quilton blocked a clearance and raced through for a goal. A minute later McKavanagh’s long-range free went all the way to the net.

Máiréad Markey grabbed a goal at the other end for St Aidan’s, but it was Aquinas who finished strongest with a point from Ciara Doyle and two from McKavanagh, bringing her personal total to 2-8