February 25, 2024February 26, 2024 by thesaffrongael

Antrim outclassed by razor sharp Galway

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B game at Corrigan Park.

Antrim 1-13 Galway 2-35

Galway came to Corrigan Park on Sunday and gave Antrim’s inexperienced team a hurling lesson as they swept to a 25 point victory with a devastating display of fast and accurate play. The tribesmen were simply on a different level in every aspect of the game, their first touch, their score taking ability from all distances and angles, and most of all their ability win the ball.

Antrim gave it everything they got but they were on the back foot for long parts of the game. They recovered from a horrible start, when they conceded a goal in the opening minute following a defensive mistake, but they fought back and got themselves back in the game with some well taken points and a goal from full forward Joseph McLaughlin. They were never really going to trouble Galway, but their first half showing was more than respectable.

***Thomas McLaughlin celebrates after scoing Antrim’s goal, while Niall McKenna, who set up the score, shows his delight***

However after the break Galway, came out and blew the home side away, scoring at will to stretch their lead by the minute as they recorded their second win in the division.

The home team had no answer to Galway’s play and that ability they had of winning prime possession gave them time and space to pick out the target. Flynn grabbed his team’s second goal soon after the restart and they set displaying their wide range of skills with scores from all over the field. Evan Niland ended the day with 0-13 to his name, ten of them from play while Flynn grabbed 2-1 Tom Monaghan 0-6, Conor Cooney 0-4 and Seán Linnane 0-3.

***The games top scorer, Galway corner forward Evan Niland wore 13 on his back and scored 13 points***

Antrim goalscorer Thomas McLaughlin came close to grabbing a second major when he lobbed the ball over the advancing Galway goalkeeper, but the ball rebounded off the crossbar. Corner back Paddy Burke loves to get forward and have a pop at the posts, and he did it again today, grabbing two points, and fellow defender Niall O’Connor did the same, but it wasn’t to be a day for the forwards, who largely struggled, though Niall McKenna worked his socks off from beginning to end.

The Fibrus Antrim player of the match award went to full back Rory McCloskey who did well to hold Galway full forward Conor Whelan to just two points. Overall it was a day to forget the men in Saffron, and their fans and the thoughts must turn to Mullingar and a basement battle with Westmeath.

**Antrim’s Niall McKenna and Galway’s Ciaran Fahy battle it out below the dropping ball**

Scorers – Galway: E Niland 0-13 (10f), J Flynn 2-1, T Monaghan 0-6, C Cooney 0-4, S Linnane 0-3, C Fahy 0-2, C Whelan 0-2, J Ryan 0-2, G Lee 0-1, J Cooney 0-1.

Antrim: J McLaughlin 1-0, E Campbell 0-2, P Burke 0-2, C Cunning 0-2 (1f), C McCann 0-2, R McMullan 0-1, N O’Connor 0-1, R McGary 0-1, N McKenna 0-1, C McGarry 0-1.

ANTRIM: T Smyth; P Duffin, R McCloskey, P Burke; N O’Connor, R McGarry, S Walsh; R McAteer, E Campbell; R McMullan, A O’Brien, N McKenna; C Cunning, J McLaughlin, F McCurry Subs: E Trainor for R McAteer (45), E Og McGarry for E Campbell (45), C McCann for F McCurry (45), C McGarry for A O’Brien (56), A Bradley for J McLaughlin (63)

GALWAY: D Fahy; D Morrissey, F Burke, P Mannion; A Tuohey, C Fahy, Daithí Burke; David Burke, S Linnane; G Lee, T Monaghan, C Cooney; E Niland, C Whelan, J Flynn. Subs: R Glennon for G Lee (52), J Ryan for C Whelan (52), D O’Shea for David Burke (54), C Mahoney for Daithí Burke (57), J Cooney for C Cooney (58)

It may not have been the result we hoped for but Sunday’s game against Galway was a very special day for one Antrim fan. Eleven year old Seancasey Quinn, from Creggan, who has just completed his treatment for cancer at the Christie NHS Foundation in Manchester, was the Antrim team mascot for the day, meeting the Antrim team and management, leading out the Saffrons with his dad Fran and team captain Eoghan Campbell, (above) He accompanied Eoghan when he took the toss with match referee Thomas Gleeson from Dublin (below) and Galway team captain Conor Whelan. We all take our hurling very seriously, probably a bit too serious to be honest, but meeting Seancasey and hearing about the battle he has gone through gives us a bit of perspective in life. You were a star today Seancasey and we all wish you the very best of luck in the future.
**PHOTOS by SEAMUS LOUGHRAN**

***Seancasey Quinn has his photo taken with the Antrim team before the game***

Antrim’s Conor McCann with young Creggan fans who attended Sunday’s game.

February 24, 2024February 25, 2024 by thesaffrongael

Antrim team to play Sligo announced

The Antrim team to play Sligo in Sunday’s Allianz National League division 3 game at Markievicz Park has been announced and shows one change from the side who started against Down at Corrigan last week.

Lamh Dhearg’s Declan Lynch comes in for Eoin Hynds of Glenravel and is named at corner-forward but is likely to operate further out the field while Niall Burns is named at full-forward after lining out in the number 11 shirt last week.

February 24, 2024February 25, 2024 by thesaffrongael

Antrim lift the gloom with win against Down

National Camogie League – Division 1B

Down 1-8 Antrim 2-9

It may not have been a perfect performance, but considering the ‘shenanigans’ in the build-up to the game Antrim’s win over Down at Attacal on Saturday in the opening round of the National Camogie Leeague was a very welcome boost.

With Carl McCormick filling in for the management team who stepped down during the week the girls in Saffron did enough to get the vital win against a Down side who were well short of their strongest side. The first touch at times left a lot to be desired, but they showed a great fighting spirit for most of the game to win by four in the end and secure two vital league points.

**Annie Lynn fires in the second of her two goals against Down**

Antrim started the game and went on to dominate the first half with Annie Lynn playing the starring role at full forward, the Loughgiel star hitting 2-2 to help send her team to a 2-5 to 0-3 lead. Lynn and Maeve Kelly got the first two points of the game and though Down came back with a point from Aoife Murphy the Saffrons came back with two quick points to go 0-4 to 0-1 clear. Murphy pulled one back for Down from a free, but Annie Lynn gave the visitors a firm grip of the game with her first goal midway through the half. Maeve Kelly grabbed another point and when Lynn bagged goal number two on 23 minutes it all looked plain sailing for Antrim.

***The Mourne mountains forms a beautuful backdrop as Antrim come out for the second half at Attacal***

Trailing by 0-3 to 2-5 at half time Down made a great start to the second half when they grabbed a goal and a point inside the first minute of the new half to the gap back to four. A pointed free by Roisin McCormick and one from play by Annie Lynn eased the pressure a little but Down were playing well and two well taken points from Aoife McDowell and Grace Cunningham brought the gap back to four again.

Roisin McCormick and Down substitute Saoirse Sands exchanged points and kept the gap at four but when Christine Lavery came up from the back to send over from play the game looked safe. The excellent Grace Cunningham pulled another one back for Down to just on full time but four was as close as the home team would get.

ANTRIM

Caitriona Graham, Colleen Patterson, Caitlin Crawford, Evanne Martin, Erin Coulter, Caoimhe Conlon, Clare McKillop, Fionnuala Kelly, Anna McNeill, Maeve Kelly, Christine Laverty, Elen McIntosh, Roisin McCormick, Annie Lynn, Caitrin Dobbin.

Subs – Sara Fyfe for Elen McIntosh Emily Faloon for Maeve Kelly Maebh O’Neill for Fionnuala Kelly

**Antrim’s Fionnuala Kelly pulls the ball on the ground during Saturday’s win over Down at Attical**

February 24, 2024February 24, 2024 by thesaffrongael

Two changes in Antrim line-up to face Galway in National Hurling League – Division 1B

The Antrim team to play Galway at Corrigan Park on Sunday shows two changes in personnel from the side who lost so cruelly to Dublin last time out at the same venue.

There are two changes in the defence with Phelim Duffin, who was replaced by Stephen Rooney at the ‘11th hour’ against the Dubs, starts this time while Conor Boyd, who started at right half back that day is unavailable, with St Enda’s Niall O’Connor, midfield against Dublin, dropping back to take Boyd’s place.

Ronan McAteer makes his first start in the NHL as he comes in at midfield to take O’Connor’s place, alongside his Ruairi Og team mate Eoghan Campbell.

There are no changes in forward line with Rian McMullan, Aodhan O’Brien and Niall McKenna making up the half forward line with team captain Conal Cunning in one corner, Fred McCurry in the other with Joseph McLaughlin on the edge of the square.

February 24, 2024February 24, 2024 by thesaffrongael

Bradley steers St Louis to Foresters final

Danske Bank Ulster Schools Hurling

Foresters Cup semi-final

St Louis 1-13 St Killian’s 0-13

A man of the match performance by centre forward Fiontan Bradley guided St Louis Ballymena to victory over St Killian’s Garron Tower in Friday evening’s semi-final of the Foresters Cup at Quinn Park, Ballymena.

Bradley’s ability to find the target at regular intervals proved the difference between the two sides, and his goal early in the second half was the score that decided the contest. With Caolan McCollum also a starring role at right half forward it gave the Ballymena boys a decided edge.

An evenly contested opening quarter saw the sides level at 0-3 apiece, but St Louis pushed on with four in a row from Bradley (who ended with 0-9) and one from McCollum to open a five point lead. Two St Killian’s pointed frees closed the gap as Canice McIntosh found the target to close the gap to three at the interval.

Bradley struck early in the second half to increase the St Louis lead and when McCollam broke through to score the only goal of the game soon afterwards it was a long way back for the Garron Tower boys. St Louis could have sealed the win a minute later when Bradley found Domnhal McKay on the edge of the square, but a brilliant point blank save by the Tower goalkeeper Ben Duncan turned the ball around for a 65.

To their credit the Tower boys battled hard and held the upper hand during the last twenty minutes, but they hit a series of bad wides during that time that could have got them back into the game. They did close the gap nearing the end but a well taken point from St Louis Caolan McCollum sealed St Louis place in the final against St Pat’s Maghera.