St Dominic’s Belfast 2-5 High Cross College, Tuam 2-0
St Dominic’s became the first Belfast college to reach and All Ireland Camogie final when they beat High Cross College Tuam in Saturday’s All Ireland semi-final at Colaiste Feirste
On top from the start St Dominic’s dominated the game from the early stages and when Amy Gault, (granddaughter of former Antrim legend Jim Nelson) put them ahead from a pointed free they never looked back.
They came close to grabbing their first goal when Aoife Fitzsimons rattled a shot off the Tuam crossbar but their supporters did not have long to wait and Erin Stewart’s raised a green flag with a shot that dipped below the crossbar.
Fitzsimons’ pace was causing the Tuam defence a lot of problems but despite their dominance St Dominic’s were not making it pay on the scoreboard. However a second point from Gault just before the break game them a 1-02 to 0-00 lead at the interval.
Gault was again the scorer when they stretched their lead just after the break and the St Paul’s player added another ten minutes into the second half. Erin Stewart’s luck was out when her goal bound shot came back of the upright but they still looked very comfortable overall.
However not having scores on the board can leave a team vulnerable and when High Cross got a somewhat fortunate goal from a Meabh Dooley free the complexion of the game suddenly changed. An excellent Aoife Fitzsimons point settled the nerves for the Belfast girls, but their was more anxiety for the St Dominic’s fans to endure when Dooley grabbed a second goal for Tuam, driving the ball low through a packed goalmouth to the net on 53 minutes.
Thankfully the St Dominic’s fans on the steep Colaiste Feirste terracing did not have long to wait for their nerves to settle again and when a long delivery by Gault deflected off a Tuam defender and into her own net the celebrations got underway.
The Tuam college never gave up the fight and pushed hard to try and salvage the game, but the St Dominic’s defence held firm and there were scenes of great celebration when the final whistle blew. The now face Gaelcholáiste Cill Dara in the final in three weeks’ time in what will surely be a great occasion for the school.
ST DOMINIC’S: A Austin; T Culbert, A McNally, M Monaghan; R McCourt, A Gault (0-4f), K McAllister; E Stewart (1-0), C McKee; A Annett, A Fitzsimons (0-1), A McGivern; E Kelly, R McElhatton, S McNama. Sub: A McDonnell for S McNama (40).
TUAM: C Higgins; R Greaney, E Lardner, A Waldron; S Morris, E Burke, G Adeyeye; C Doyle, A Higgins; S Hayes, A Heffernan, I Comer; M Dooley (2-0 frees), S O’Connor, G Galvin. Subs: E Flynn for S hayes (40), R Hynes for S O’Connor (40), K Gilmore for C Doyle (50), E Curley for S Morris (56), S Daly for R Geaney (58)
TO SEE MORE OF BERT’S PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Antrim Under 17s scored a runaway win over Derry in Sunday’s opening game in the Ulster Minor Cup at Dunsilly. An understrength Oak Lea side were no match for a razor sharp Saffron side for whom full forward Cadhan Crawford was superb, the Ballycastle man scoring 3-4 in the opening half.
Crawford struck for his first goal in the third minute and added a second five minutes later. The gap stretched by the minute and by the time he completed his hat-trick in the 28th minute the gap was out to twenty points. Oisin Gillen, Christy Leach, Daire Jemfrey, James McDonnell, Sean Smyth and Canice McIntosh all adding their names to the scoring list and by half time the point were sealed.
Oisin Gillen, Sean Smyth and Caolan McCollum all added points at the start of the second half before Ultan McCloskey and Michael McCusker pulled a couple back for Derry. The scores kept coming from the Antrim side, despite making a series of substitutions and though McCloskey and McCusker kept the scoreboard ticking for the visitors Antrim finished strong with their fourth goal from Christy Leech.
Subs used – Caolan McCollum for Cadhan Crawford, Nicholas McLaughlin for James McDonnell, Liam McGarry for Canice McIntosh, Liam Smyth for Darragh Kinney and Matthew Rice for Liam Magee
Subs – Matthew Rice, Aaron Quinn, Liam McGarry, Dylan Donnelly, Nicholas McLaughlin, Caolan McCollum, Anthony Cochrane, Ciaran McCann, Liam Smyth
DERRY
Padraig Campbell, Aaron McGuigan, Cailean Gallagher, Pearse Murphy, Cathal McCloskey, Declan Kelly, Brendan O’Kane, Lorcan Murphy, PJ Glover, Cathal McNicholl, Michael McCusker, Martin Og Bradley, Peadar Pio Peoples, Ultan McCloskey, Ryan Tohill
Subs – James Russell, Ben Douglas, Anton Farrell, Dylan Irwin, Daniel Kane, Aidan Kelly, Peadar Kelly, Péadraic Leadon, Rhys McCorriston, Fiachra McGill, Owen O’Neill.
Referee – Derek Argue
TO SEE MORE OF MICKEY MORGAN’S PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON HTE LHE LINK BELOW
Brendan McTaggart reports from Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore
And the mystery of Antrim’s ‘away day’ blues continue. On an afternoon that promised plenty, it transpired to be a largely forgettable journey to the Faithful County as the Saffrons succumbed to their second defeat of their league campaign.
It was a difficult watch for the vast majority of the 70 plus minutes with Antrim contributing a worrying amount to their own downfall. I didn’t take note of the number of turnovers either forced or unforced but it can’t have made for pretty reading for the Saffrons as Offaly romped to a comfortable and thoroughly deserving win.
Yet, with seven minutes of the first half remaining, the home side led by just two points. Offaly did have the lion’s share of possession and did the majority of the hurling in that opening 20 odd minutes but Antrim were plugging away and Ryan Elliott performing his own heroics between the sticks with two brave, brilliant and bewildering saves. Roy Keane might say that: ‘He’s a keeper, it’s his job’ but Antrim’s netminder produced the unimaginable.
Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B
Offaly v Antrim in Tullamore
Antrim goalkeeper Ryan Elliott in action against Offaly’s
Charlie Mitchel and and Oisin Kelly. Pic by Brendan McTaggart
In the seven minutes and a few more of injury time that followed, Offaly hit 1-5 without reply to leave 10 between the sides and another giving Antrim another indication if it were needed, that if you take your eye off the ball at this level, you get punished.
Brian Duignan put in another top performance for Offaly with a near faultless display from frees and open play while Charlie Mitchell was a real handful for the Antrim defence at full forward. The impish abilities of Daniel Bourke were evident throughout while Killian Sampson and Dan Ravenhill’s goals added gloss to the score board.
Defensively, it was a tough for Antrim. They were rocked by the absence of Conall Bohill who was replaced by Joe Maskey in the starting 15 while Gerard Walsh’s game lasted 13 minutes. Offaly’s ability to create space and pull the Antrim defence into places they just didn’t want to go was bewildering. Speed, agility, movement, they had it in spades. Antrim on the other hand looked like a team who were drained of confidence and lost among a swathe of a slick Offaly side who were in no mood to let a stuttering Saffron side off the hook.
James McNaughton continued his good form with nine white flags while Keelan Molloy top scored from open play with three points. Molloy showed glimpses of his mesmeric brilliance but it was all too fleeting as Antrim struggled. Nigel Elliott worked his socks off again along with Joe Maskey but there were too many in Saffron not leaving Tullamore with plus marks as Offaly cruised.
Molloy opened the scoring in the second minute, moments before Mitchell was denied by Ryan Elliott from point blank range. The sides were tied on two points apiece when the Antrim ‘keeper denied Duignan and had the presence of mind to clear the sliotar in the face of the rushing Offaly attack coming his way from close range as the home side looked to go for the Antrim jugular early.
A brace of points from Seaan Elliott, the first from a rasping drive that was deflected over the bar from Offaly ‘keeper Mark Troy had the deficit at two points in the 28th minute. Antrim wouldn’t register another score and Offaly finished the half on top. Punishing errors and indecision from Antrim. Offaly’s first goal came from an unforced turnover in the middle of the pitch and as the sliotar was passed into Dan Ravenhill, he used the momentum of the pass and his own body to evade the tackle and leave himself one on one with Ryan Elliott. It was third time unlucky for the Antrim ‘keeper however as Ravenhill fired home. Points followed from Duignan, Mitchell and Killian Sampson as Offaly put daylight between the sides and left the half time score 1-14 to 0-7 in the home sides favour.
Antrim made changes at half time with Ryan McCambridge and Conor Boyd introduced and almost made the perfect start to the second half. Paul Boyle and Seaan Elliott combining but Elliott’s effort was saved superbly by Troy and sent out for a ’65 that McNaughton duly obliged in raising his seventh white flag of the match.
Any thoughts on an Antrim comeback or turnaround were soon compounded however with Duignan (two), Oisín Kelly and Ross Ravenhill firing over.
A 44th minute free from McNaughton gave Antrim some form of respite but it was all one way traffic as Antrim struggled in the middle third to provide any sort of meaningful ball into the forward line.
Ryan Elliott was called into action again when he denied Kelly after good work from Duignan but the home side stretched their lead to 16 points by the half way mark in the second half.
Scott Walsh, Molloy and McNaughton split the uprights in the space of five minutes with Mitchell the solitary response from Offaly in the same period of time before the home side scored their second major. Killian Sampson with the finish and what turned out to be his last action of the game as Offaly looked to the bench in the closing 10 minutes.
The lead had stretched to 19 going into the final minute of the 70 before a late flurry of four unanswered scores from McNaughton (two), Maskey and Molloy tried to put some respectability on the score line.
In a match that plenty around the country were predicting to be close, Antrim never delivered. This was another awakening for Davy Fitzgerald and his backroom team against a side who Antrim have had a good record against in the recent past.
There is a welcome break now before our next league game with Waterford coming to Corrigan Park in two weeks time. On the back of this showing and evidence, player confidence is waning. A timely break with the Saffrons management team having their work cut out for them before the Deise come calling.
TEAMS
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Gerard Walsh, Paddy Burke, Declan McCloskey; Scott Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Joe Maskey; Niall O’Connor, Nigel Elliott; Paul Boyle, Niall McKenna, Keelan Molloy; Seaan Elliott, James McNaughton, Conor Johnston
Subs: Eoin McFerran for G Walsh (13); Ryan McCambridge for N McKenna (HT); Conor Boyd for D McCloskey (HT); Eoin O’Neill for P Boyle (47); Cormac McKeown for C Johnston (62)
Scorers: J McNaughton 0-9 (6fs 1’65); K Molloy 0-3; S Elliott 0-2; S Wlash 0-1; N O’Connor 0-1; J Maskey 0-1
Offaly: Mark Troy; Padraig Cantwell, Ciarán Burke, James Mahon; Ross Ravenhill, Donal Shirley, Jason Sampson; Colin Spain, Cathal King; Oisín Kelly, Daniel Bourke, Killian Sampson; Dan Ravenhill, Charlie Mitchell, Brian Duignan
Subs: Sam Bourke for P Cantwell (17); David Nally for K Sampson (60); David King for J Sampson (62); Luke Watkins for C Spain (64); DJ McLoughlin for D Shirley (68)
Scorers: B Duignan 0-12 (9fs 1’65); K Sampson 1-4; D Ravenhill 1-2 (1f); C Mitchell 0-4; D Bourke 0-1; O Kelly 0-1; R Ravenhill 0-1; S Bourke 0-1
Referee: Seamus Hynes
Allianz National Hurling League Division 1B
Offaly v Antrim in Tullamore
Antrim’s Cormac McKeown in action against Offaly’s David King. Pic by Brendan McTaggart
TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PICS FROM TODAY’S GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Antrim were pushed to the pin of their collar on Saturday afternoon as they made it two wins from two in the Ulster U20 Cup to reach the decider. Two points separated the sides but it was the Saffrons who cast a relieved figure at the end of the hour as Down ran out of time.
The Mourne Men scored a goal with what was turned out to be the last puck of the game after a brilliant catch from Shea Pucci. Amongst a crowd, Pucci rifled the sliotar high to the net as Down staged a dramatic ending to a good game of hurling.
The Saffrons were guilty of squandering possession on numerous occasions, more so in the second half and being wasteful with their final delivery. There are positives to take from the hours hurling with Cormac McKeown, Joseph McLaughlin, Charlie McAuley and Callagh Mooney all impressing. Joseph and brother Thomas would bag first half goals along with Calum McIlwaine while substitute Fiontan Bradley scored their fourth with his first touch in the second half.
Of the 4-19 scored, 4-14 came from open play and the scores coming from a range of players. McKeown’s ability to find space, break tackles and speed from a standing start will always mean he’s a threat while the work rate of Oran Donnelly and Calum McIlwaine was exemplary.
However, the efficiency in front of target and decision with ball in hand certainly won’t be pleasing for Mickey McShane and his backroom team. Down squeezed up on Antrim with the game largely played on the home sides terms. The Saffrons were unable to play with any fluidity for long periods and while Down were a physically imposing side, they were graced with some excellent players with top hurling ability also.
Midfielder Cathal Coleman top scored with 12 points and an awesome display from placed ball while Luke McCabe and Noah Rogers had the green flag raised along with Pucci. John Duggan and Sean McCarthy also caught the eye in the middle third but Antrim did enough to book their place in the Ulster final.
The sides were tied on two points each when Down scored the opening goal after seven minutes. McCabe rifling the sliotar beyond Eoghan Richmond with power and precision from an acute angle.
The Saffrons responded well with Joseph McLaughlin and McKeown to the fore before Thomas McLaughlin scored their first goal of the game. With a side line ball 30 yards from goal, Paudie Martin showed impeccable vision before delivering the perfect pass into the rushing McLaughlin. Thomas would finished expertly to give Cian Clarke no chance between the sticks.
With 10 minutes of the half remaining, Antrim struck two majors in as many minutes to put daylight between the sides. Calum McIlaine and McKeown combing to send Joseph McLaughlin through on goal and he finished expertly.
Barely 60 second later and an almost carbon copy of the previous move, McIlwaine was put through after Orrin O’Connor and Martin combined to create the chance. McIlwaine made no mistake to put eight between the sides.
Down responded well Coleman’s frees, McCabe and a brilliant side line cut from Duggan cutting the deficit while Antrim were guilty of a number of wides in the closing stages of the half.
Five points separated the sides at half time and while the home side had that deficit reduced to four points after the opening nine of the second half, Antrim scored their fourth goal to maintain their advantage. Oran Donnelly breaking from midfield and delivering a cross-field ball to the right hand side. The sliotar fell and substitute Fiontan Bradley pulled first time to give the Down ‘keeper no chance. A rasping drive from Bradley with what was his first touch of the game.
Six points separated the sides going into the last five minutes of the hour when Down scored their third goal. Diminutive forward Noah Rogers gathered the sliotar and looked to evade any Antrim tackles and while the angle was far from kind, his finish was top drawer with the sliotar coming back off the post and nestling into the back of the net.
Antrim responded with scores from Bradley and Joseph McLaughlin and should have scored another major but both McKeown and Joseph McLaughlin fluffed their lines when presented with the chance.
The final goal of the game came with what was the last action of the contest and fittingly, Coleman was involved. The Down midfielder had a brilliant game and his delivery from a free was plucked from the air by Pucci who finished with aplomb. It was too little, too late for the Mourne Men however as Antrim hung on.
Down will travel to Derry next week with what will effectively be a semi final and while Antrim have booked their place in the decider in four weeks time, there is plenty of work to do between now and then.
TEAMS
Antrim: Eoghan Richmond; Callagh Mooney, Sean Óg Blaney, Malachi McGibbon; Charlie McAuley, Niall Magee, Reece Cunning; Oran Donnelly, Calum McIlwaine; Ronan Fitzgerald, Orrin O’Connor, Thomas McLaughlin; Cormac McKeown, Joseph McLaughlin, Padraig Martin
Subs: Fiontan Bradley for R Fitzgerald (39); Joe McNaughton for O O’Connor (39); Brogan O’Connor for P Martin (46)
Scorers: J McLaughlin 1-7 (3fs, 2 ‘65s); C McKeown 0-5; F Bradley 1-2; T McLaughlin 1-2; C McIlwaine 1-00; R Fitzgerald 0-1; O O’Connor 0-1; B O’Connor 0-1
Down: Cian Clarke; Dominic McGrath, Daniel Cunningham, Rory Taggart; Ben Taggart, Rory McCamphill, Connaire Monan; Cathal Coleman, Sean McCarthy; Shea Pucci, Luke McCabe, John Duggan; Noah Rogers, David Morrissey, Sean McCollum
Subs: Sean O’Neill for R Taggart (35); Liam Blaney for S McCollum (43); Calum O’Neill for D Morrissey (56); Conor O’Neill for R McCamphill (59); Manus Gilmore for C Monan (60+2)
Scorers: C Coleman 0-12 (9fs 1’65); L McCabe 1-2; N Rogers 1-2; S Pucci 1-00; J Duggan 0-2; S O’Neill 0-1; L Blaney 0-1
Referee: Aidan McAleer (Derry)
TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
The u20 hurlers continue their Ulster campaign on Saturday afternoon by making a trip down the Ards Peninsula to face the Mourne Men in their second group game. Having accounted for Derry last weekend in a strong performance, Mickey McShane will take his squad to Ballycran with confidence brimming.
That win against the 2024 Ulster champions in Ballycastle was every bit as emphatic as the final score suggested and while the size of victory was impressive, the manner in which the young Saffrons went about their business was the main take away from the match. A definite style of play where they played with composure, accuracy, incisiveness and an unrelenting intensity.
After the game, McShane said that they were prepared for every eventuality with the conditions on the north coast: “There was a stiff breeze out there, Derry won the toss and elected to play with it.
“We talked about it before we went out. We’d have one half where we’d be playing into the wind and one half with it. We talked about how we needed to be very resilient, very solid in our defensive work and just try and play the game that we play. Be composed and not just lump the ball up the field, we want to carry the ball into the forwards and we done that very well.”
Leading 0-12 to 0-2 at half time and with a massive wind at their back, the second half was largely all one way traffic. The visitors to Ballycastle did play with more intensity in the second half but never looked like troubling Antrim. The Saffron forwards were lively with Aodhan McGarry, Joseph McLaughlin and Cormac McKeown all impressing while Orrin O’Connor and substitute Oisin McCallin bagged the goals. McShane added: “Derry came out with a lot of fire in their belly and we matched that, we took some really good scores.
“We have a certain style of play that we have and are trying to implement. Where are we at with it after today? We’re probably at 50% to where we want to be but that comes from hard work on the training pitch over the last number of weeks.”
It takes a massive effort to concede just four points from open play over 60 plus minutes of hurling and the Saffrons rarely looked like gifting any goals also. Sean Og Blaney and Ben O’Kane formed a strong spine with plenty of support from Charlie McAuley, Niall Magee and Callagh Mooney. McShane applauded the willingness of this group when he added: “I have a group of lads here who are very, very eager to learn. They are great students and they’re listening and doing what they have to do in training. When you work hard in training the performances will come like they did today.”
With the Ulster championship playing out a round robin format, the first two games come within seven days of each other. A match against our neighbours in their back yard promises to be a sterner test of the squads metal and with the likes of Jack McCloskey and Sean McKay waiting in the wings, there was a feeling that despite how impressive the performance was, there is more in the tank and to be potentially expected from McShane’s side: “We had nine players injured today. Some of them very experienced at this age group. We’re blessed to have a strong panel and we hope to maybe get one or two of them back next week. If we win next week then we’re into the final, four weeks later. I’d hope, if we’re in the final, that we’d have all those boys back for then.”
