This was a typical Derby, contested decisions, frayed tempers, plenty of scores and spells of good hurling from two committed teams.
Unfortunately though the game will be remembered for the raft of free accumulated by both sides.
In the first half Conlaoth McNeill converted 5 frees for the Eemmets with Conal McGlynn doing likewise for the Faughs, with James Black and Conleth McKinley on 2pts each and Calum Cane and Fiachra McVeigh picking up their other points, while Eoin Magee tagged on a couple of points for the visitors. Half time score Faughs 0.11 Emmets 0.7.
The second half saw the Emmets making a determined effort and on the 43rd minute they drew level, however a switch by the Carey management saw Conlith McKinley moving to full forward and on the 45th minute he despatched an unstoppable shot past McGee in the Cushendun goal to restore his sides 3point lead.
Loaf McNeill kept his side in the frame with some impeccable free taking which included a 55th minute “stellar” to the Carey net which gave his side a one point advantage. This set up a frantic last 9 minutes including added time, in which the home side raised the intensity of their game and were awarded a 65, which McGlynn converted , he repeated the act a couple of minutes later after James Black was fouled on his way through to leave the full-time score 1.18 to 1.16 in favour of the Faughs. Second half scorers were Conal McGlynn on 6 pts with McKinley getting the goal and young Calum Cane the other point. For the Emmets Loaf McNeill had 1.7 with McHugh and Kilgore on points apiece.
In a game of two halves, only 3 points separated the sides at the break. Creggan had the upper hand with a 3-point lead, with a fortunate second goal from Conor McCann. With the second half underway, there was only one team in it. Creggan controlled the play adding 1.11 to their tally as All Saints failed to score.
A confident Creggan won the toss and played with a strong breeze while All Saints went in search of their first win of the season. The home side registered the first score 3 minutes in from Conor McCann from play. Eoin McGuigan levelled 2 minutes later with a 20 metre free.
From here until the short whistle both teams matched each other, score for score’ at 10 minutes gone it was 3 apiece, two additional frees, tapped over by Creggan’s Morgan Nelson and one each from Eoin McGuigan and Damien Gillen.
McCann added a goal followed by 2 quick points to increase the home side’s lead by 5 points. McGuigan responded from the next puck out finding the net from the edge of the square leaving little between the sides.
As the contest progressed into the second quarter, Creggan increased their lead by 3 points with 2 frees from Morgan Nelson, a fine point from Lee Johnston and another from Conor McCann.
The visitor’s response kept them within touching distance with a point from Sean McDermott and 2 converted frees from Eoin McGuigan, to leave it finally balanced with 24 minute gone.
As half time neared, Conor McCann got a second goal to the delight of the home supporters but the 6-point lead was short lived when Liam Cassley rattled the Creggan net from close range.
HALF TIME SCORE: CREGGAN 2.10 – ALL SAINTS 2.07.
Referee, Danny O’Neill, got proceedings underway for the second half. The home side’s Sean Duffin scored a point from the throw in and this was quickly followed by a second goal from Conor McCann, to put 7 points between the sides.
At this stage in the contest, Ballymena seemed to have run out of steam while Creggan’s ability to control most of the possession afforded them the opportunity to attempt scores from distance and difficult angles which increased their wides-tally.
As the contest approached the final quarter, the game was well and truly over. The home-side’s Morgan Nelson added 4 further points from frees while Sean Duffin equalled his tally with 4 points from play while Conleith McGrenagan scored his first which was the last score of the game. All Saints battled on with several attempts on goal which were confidently cleared by Creggan’s Oran McCann.
CREGGAN: No.1 Oran McCann, No.2 Paedar McGuckian, No,3 Aidan Maguire, No.4 Dylan Hinfey, No.5 Senan O’Boyle, No.6 Keelan McCan, No.7 Jake McAteer, No8 Niall McAuley, No.9 Sean Duffin (0.05), No.10 Morgan Nelson (0.09), No.11 Lee Johnston (0.01), No.12 Thomas McCann, No.13 Sean McAuley (0.01), No.14 Conor McCann (3.04), No.15 Conleith McGrenagan (0.01), No.16 Brendan Maguire, No.17 Michael Maguire, No.18 Joseph Smyth, No.19 Cormac Rice.
ALL SAINTS: No.1 Ciaran Cassley, No.2 Kevin Brady, No3 Eoin McAllister, No.4 Archy McGreevy, No.5 Padhraig Magill, No.6 Cormac Magill, No.7 Daniel Gray, No.8 Cathaoir Cunning, No.9 Vincent Esler, No.10 Sean McDermott (0.01), No.11 Eoin McGuigan (1.05), No.12 Daniel Kelly, No.13 Damian Gillen (0.01), No.14 Liam Cassley (1.00), No.15 Niall Savage, No.17 Dermott Casey, No.18 Frank Casey, No.19 Luke Walsh.
Clooney Gaels maintained their place at the top of what is turning out to be the closest ACHL Division 2 race for years when they travelled to Carryduff on Wednesday night and recorded a two point win over the Down men.
They certainly didn’t get it all their own way and trailed by five at the break in a sometimes bad tempered contest but a goal from Fionnbar O’Neill, direct from a free, at the end of the third quarter turned it in the way of the Ahoghill men.
Carryduff scored their last point with ten minutes remaining as a James O’Connell added three to his total and another from Dan O’Neill saw them over the line and maintain their top of the table birth.
It was Carryduff who edged the exchanges during the opening half with James Lavery, Oran Teague, Eoin Rooney, Donal Rooney and Conor Cassidy on target as both sides went toe to toe with Ronan Graham leading the charge for the visitors with three points in the opening 10 minutes.
At this stage Carryduff led 0-4 to 0-3 and would extend that lead to two by the halfway stage with Dominic Sharkey, Donal Rooney 0-2 and Eoin Rooney 1-1 their marksmen and James O’Connell from two converted ‘65’s and a free, Dan O’Neill and Conor Crossey getting the Ahoghill scores.
Things got heated after the break with Clooney Gaels losing a player to a straight Red after four minutes and the hosts suffering a similar fate after 15 minutes.
Dan O’Neill
Conor Cassidy pointed on the restart for the Down men and then got in for their second goal with only four minutes of the new half gone but Ronan Graham and James O’Connell 0-3 kept the score board ticking for the visitors but it wasn’t looking good as they trailed by 2-11 to 0-13.
The home side would add only one further point however as Fionnbar O’Neill free in the 13th minute sailed all the way to the Carryduff net and this bit of good fortune certainly lifted the ‘Gaels’.
James O’Connell brought his contribution for the evening to 0-10 as the visitors finished with a flourish and Dan O’Neill fired over the final score of the night in the 29th minute to see the visitors home with two points to spare and maintain their place at the top of the division.
Carryduff: 1 Conor McLornan, 2 Conor McCormick, 3 Conor Cassidy, 4 Ciaran Goodwin, 5 Ciaran Rodgers, 6 James Lavery, 8 Ciaran O’Callaghan, 9 Dominic Sharkey, 10 Owen Wyer, 11 James Woods, 13 Conor O’Reilly, 14 Lorcan McCaughey, 15 Oran Teague, 16 Matthew Mooney, , 17 Christopher McConville, 18 Niall McArdle, 19 Michael Conway, 20 Donal Rooney, 24 Eoin Rooney
Clooney Gaels: Aiden Graham, Charlie McCloskey, Harry O’Donnell, Joe Logan, Fionnbar O ‘Neill, Bobby Magee, Dan O’Neill, Eamonn Brady, Conor Crossey, Donal Graham, Ronan Graham, James O’Connell, Colla McDonnell, Niall O’Connell, Owen Neeson
Subs: Eoin Graham for Joe Logan Patrick Graham for Boris Conor McGarry for Charlie McCloskey
O’Neills Sportswear Antrim Hurling League Division One
O’Donovan Rossa 2-21 Naomh Éanna 0-15
Rossa scored a timely win over Naomh Eanna at Shaw’s Road on Wednesday evening, running out decisive winners with twelve points to spare, which all but guarantees their place in the top half of the table when the league splits on Sunday.
The opening quarter suggested that this game could go either way and tied on six points apiece after just 13 minutes it looked to be a hard one to call.
However the Rossa Park men began to gain the upper hand and by the time referee Lorenzo McMullan blew the half time whistle it was clear they were firmly in charge as they outscored their opponents by 2-8 to 0-3, Thomas Morgan and Michael Armstrong grabbing the goals, to move their team into a 2-14 to 0-9 lead the break.
Eleven points in arrears as they emerged for the second half it was clear that the visitors needed a strong start to the new half, and when Dara Maguire pulled a point back inside the first minute there was renewed hope for Michael McCambridge’s men. However they missed several chances to close the gap, and when Rossa started to find the range with points from Rogan and Shannon the gap out to thirteen and it was soon clear that there was no way back for the visitors. Joe Maskey and Eoin Magurie closed the gap with points, but by this stage their team were struggling against a sharp looking Rossa side who coasted home with a dozen points to spare.
Sunday sees Rossa travel to play Ballycastle, a fixture which completes the first half of the league. A win there would give them twelve points and bring them level with leaders St John, should the Johnnies happen to slip up against Loughgiel at Corrigan Park. Of course the Shamrocks would also move to joint top should they win that game, as will the winners of the Cushendall v Dunloy game in Cushendall, so it’s all to play for this weekend.
ROSSA: C Rocks; O McVicker, C McGuinness, N Crossan; J Kerr, G Walsh (0-2f), S Shannon; C Shannon (0-1), D Rogan (0-6, 5f); R Murray (0-1), P Short (0-1), M Armstrong (1-1); D McCartney (0-3), T Morgan (1-2), E Trainor (0-4).
Subs: E McMenamin for M Armstrong (47), C Walsh for D Rogan (57), C O’Neill for R Murray (58), P Moyes for P Short (58).
NAOMH ÉANNA: M Curran; D Maguire (0-1), R Gillan, R Eager; D Magee, M McGibbon, N O’Connor (0-2); B Cormican (0-1), O Quinn; J Maskey (0-5, 4f), C O’Connor (0-1), L O’Connor (0-3); O Kennedy, O Breen, C McAllister.
Subs: E Maguire (0-1) for O Kennedy (HT), C Morgan for B Cormican (53)
Glenarife Oisins came from seven points down in the early stages of the first half to win by nine in the end when they faced Tir na nÓg in the All County Hurling League Division 2 at Whitehill, on Wednesday evening.
The Randalstown side made a great start and goals from corner forwards Daryl Fagan and Joe McCormick put them in control as they lead by 2-3 to 0-2 after twelve minutes. However the visitors fought back well and inspired by man of the match Seanie ‘Tosh’ they hit back to take the lead after twenty one minutes. Tir na Óg steadied the ship and a second goal by Fagan gave them back the lead and they went in at the break with a 3-7 to 1-12 advantage.
Two more McIntosh points in the early stages of the second half edged Glenariffe back in front and when full forward Conor Kerr’s goal was followed by two points from substitute Orrin O’Connor, the momentum had shifted significantly.
Sean Duffin kept the home team in contention was a series of good points, but the Oisins were flying and Seanie McIntosh’s second goal late in the game put the icing on the cake.
