Loughgiel breezed past the challenge of Rossa in Monday evening final round robin game in the Under 20 Hurling Championship at Fr Healy Park to set up a semi-final meeting with Naomh Eanna.
Ahead from the opening minute when Michael McGarry pointed them in front they had five on the board before Eoin Trainor got Rossa’s first point on 16 minutes. By the time the whistle sounded for a delayed water break (the Loughgiel goalkeeper was injured in the opening minutes and play was held up) Loughiel led by 0-13 to 0-1 with Michael McGarry, Rian McMullan, Shane O’Boyle and Cathal Hargan prominent among the scorers.
It was 1-16 to 0-3 at half time, the goal coming from Eunan Laverty, and things got even worse after the break when Loughgiel scored two goals inside two minutes. Damian Quinn got his team’s fourth goal soon afterwards as Rossa, by this stage down to 13 men because of injury, understandably struggled and the points came quick and fast for the home team as they cruised through.
LOUGHGIEL
Conor O’Mullan, Conal McCloskey, Ruairi McCloskey, Conor Henry, Enda Og McGarry, Declan McCloskey, Ryan Hill, Shane O’Boyle, Cathal Hargan, Michael McGarry, Eunan Laverty, Damian Quinn, Rian McMullan, Odhran McGrath, Christy McGarry.
ROSSA
Matthew McKernan, Conor Boyle, Ben McAuley, Paddy Moyes, Owen May, Ruairi Murray, Eoin Trainor, Andrew McLean, Ruairc Murray, Finn McIlroy, Dairi Murphy, Michael Murray, Pearse Short, Dylan Magee.
This game had a goal in the first minute and a goal in the final minute, in the other 58 minutes there were 35 scores.
It really was a ding dong contest featuring two fast, physical sides.
Aidan Scullion’s speculative shot from 80yds out in the first minute eluded the travelling keeper to give the home team a perfect start, Niall pointed a free on 5 minutes, before, on 7 minutes Randalstown goaled from a penalty.
A goal apiece on 10 & 11 minutes, and again on 26 & 27 minutes, Ciaran O’Boyle and Sean O’Boyle getting the goals for the hosts. H/T 3-10, 3-04.
The home team gradually built up a 9 point lead thanks to goals by Kevin O’Boyle and another for Sean O’Boyle and seemed to be comfortable.
The Whitehill men were far from beaten though, and outscored Glenarm in the final quarter 3-3, 0-4. But alas, fell short by 3 points.
Crucial goals, scored at crucial times, helped Antrim see off a spirited Down side at Ballycran on Tuesday evening and advance to set up a round two clash against Laois next Tuesday evening in Navan.
Goals either side of the half time whistle from Rian ‘Bubbles’ McMullan and Michael McGarry helped put the Saffron’s in a commanding position but Ronan Sheehan’s side battled gamely and only for a missed penalty in the 45th minute, the final quarter could’ve had a very different look to it.
Tom McGratten who top scored for Down
Speaking after the full time whistle, coach Johnny McIntosh was keen to praise all twenty players that took to the field. “We’re happy, and as we said to the players, we’re very happy with the impact and the attitude of the subs coming on. They made a big difference. We never probably played as well as we would’ve liked. We probably got a lucky break just before the half to get a goal and that put us ten up and that maybe gave us a wee bit more comfort at half time that we probably deserved to be honest. In fairness to the lads, they kept tearing away, they made the chances for themselves.”
While happy with the result, McIntosh knows that next week will require a a step up in performance if they are to advance any further in the competition. “We’ve a load to work on, absolutely tonnes to work on. We know we have a massive challenge on our hands next Tuesday night. We know what we have and we know what we have to do and we know we’ve a big challenge ahead for us, but we have tonnes to improve on and that’s the main thing. We certainly know what went on here today and it will not do next week so we’re looking forward to it and we’ll see how we’ll go.”
It was a cagey opening period with Down’s Tom McGrattan twice putting the hosts ahead with Daire Murphy twice levelling matters for Antrim. These opening four scores all came from placed balls and the fifth one was also a free as Declan McCloskey pushed Antrim ahead for the first time after 9 minutes.
The first score from play arrived in the 10th minute from Loughgiel’s McMullan before McGrattan’s third free cut the arrears to just one point.
Seanie McIntosh registered his firts score of the game on 13 minutes and this proved to be the catalyst for a period of total dominance for the young Saffrons as they outscored their hosts 1-7 to 0-1 before the half time whistle.
Niall O’Connor, Ciaran McQuillan and Cormac Donnelly were the dominant players in the middle sector, and with Conal Bohill’s strong direct running causing Down all sorts of problems, Antrim made the most of playing with a strong first half breeze.
McIntosh and Michael McGarry helped establish a four point lead before Murphy converted a further three frees before Bohill saw his attempt at goal bounce off the inside of Cathal Lavery’s right-hand post.
After McGrattan conjured up a point from nothing for Down, McMullan struck for Antrim’s first goal on the stroke of half time. Murphy’s shot was pushed away by Lavery and the Shamrocks attacker was quickest to the loose ball and pounce to give his side a ten point half time lead, 1-11 to 0-4.
After Sean Hughes had opened the second half scoring for Down, Antrim struck for the games second goal on 33 minutes. Another trademark run through the Down defence, Bohill picked out Michael McGarry who rifled past Laverty to open up a 12 point lead.
McMullan from a free and a further McIntosh point kept Antrim well on top before two Sean Hughes points brought Down to within 10 points when they were given a lifeline to get back into the contest.
Rory McCloskey was adjudged to have been holding Down replacement Francis Caldwell and referee Leon Reynolds awarded a penalty, but Stuart Martin’s effort failed to trouble Paul Doherty, and the Dunloy netminder was able to clear the ball to safety.
Antrim’s Seanie McIntosh runs at the Down defence
Down to their credit kept plugging away and two minutes later McGrattan found a way past Doherty to give the Mournemen a much needed boost, but they still trailed 2-14 to 1-9.
Four minutes later and any sign of a late comeback from the hosts were put to bed. McQuillan’s effort at a point seemed to be drifting harmlessly wide, but while everyone else turned away to await the puck out second half substitute Dannan McKeough kept the ball in play and rounded his marker to fire past Lavery for Antrim’s third goal.
As Down tagged on a few late points Antrim advanced largely unscathed as McMullan brought proceedings to and end as he clipped over his sixth score with the final puck of the game.
Down’s James Clarke in action against Antrim’s Declan McCloskey
Teams & Scorers:
Down: Cathal Lavery, Ciaran Savage, Michael Toner, Eoin Pucci, Rory Brown, Aodhan Furlong (0-1), Ryan Convery, Ciaran McMullan (0-1), Caolan Coulter (0-2), Eoin Magee, Sea Hughes (0-2f), Owen McDermott, James Clarke, Stuart Martin, Tom McGrattan (1-7, 4f).
Subs: Ryan O’Neill for McDermott (33), Francis Caldwell for Clarke (42), Jon Fisher for Magee (47), Oran Young for Savage (47).
Subs: Dannan McKeogh (1-0) for Bohill (47), Caoimhn Heaney for Kearney (50), Ciaran Magill for E McGarry (52), Ryan Hill for McAteer (57), Oliver Kearney for M McGarry (60).
Team captainPaul McLernon lifts the Neill Patterson Memorial Cup for the U21 Hurling Championship after Ballycastle’s win over Cushendall in the 2001 Under 21 final in Loughgiel
A fantastic final quarter saw Ballycastle snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against luckless Cushendall in Saturday evening’s pulsating Under 21 Hurling final at Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel to claim their third title at this grade in six years.
Four minutes into the second-half Cushendall looked winners all the way when they stretched their three point half-time advantage to six, and they were five ahead again entering the final quarter after replying to a brief Ballycastle comeback. The Ballycastle defence had been struggling against a potent Dall forward line, with full forward Dominic Delargy tormentor in chief, but when it mattered most they raised their game and during the final nineteen minutes of play (sixteen normal time and three of injury time) they conceded just one more point, and that came from Cushendall midfielder Paddy McNaughton.
Dominic Delargy celebrates after scoring the Cushendall goal.
At the other end the twin strike partnership of Ciaran Clarke and Conor McGarry got to work and boosted by a goal from McGarry in the fifty-third minute they edged one point ahead to set up a finish which will long be remembered. Paddy McNaughton’s fine point on the run brought the Ruairi Og level in the fifty-fifth minute but in the five minutes of normal time which remained, plus the three minutes of extra time, they failed to raise another flag.
Ballycastle appeared to have thrown their chance away when Ciaran Clarke missed from a free and Eoin McAlonan squandered two great chances from play, and when the ball broke to Cushendall sharpshooter Eoin Laverty thirty meters from goal there seemed to be only one outcome.
When Laverty pulled his shot wide of the target extra-time seemed the likely outcome, but Ballycastle got one more opportunity and Conor McGarry wrote his name in the record books with a brilliant point which clinched a remarkable game and sent the Neill Patterson Cup back to ‘The Town’.
Ballycastle’s Ciaran Clarke in action during the 2012 final win over Cushendall
Conor McGarry, who scored the winning point in injury time, celebrates with Eoin McAlonan and Matthew Donnelly.
The McLister brothers John, Paul and James with the Under 21 Cup after Ballycastle’s win over Cushendall. Earlier that week Paul had carried the Olympic torch on its journey through Antrim, on its way to London for the 2012 Olympic Games
Under 21 beaten finalists Cushendall.
Ballycastle’s Eoin McALonan in action during his team’s Under 21 final win over Cushendall.
Ballycastle’s Saul McCaughan is tackled by Cushendall’s Seamus McNaughton during the Antrim Under 21 hurling final in Loughgiel.
Goals from Ed McQuillan in the 13th minute of the
opening half and 16 minutes into the second were the scores that sent Ruairi
Og, Cushendall through to the U21 Hurling final after a bruising contest
against St. John’s at Slemish Park tonight.
Cushendall looked to be on their way to a comfortable
victory when they led 1-10 to 0-7 at the break but the ‘Johnnies’ came strong
in the second half, despite having Eoin McParland Red carded in the 40th
minute and closed the gap to two at the three quarter mark.
McQuillan’s second goal created a bit of breathing space for
Ruairi Og but St. John’s kept going to the final whistle but just couldn’t get
the goal that might have sent an entertaining contest into extra time.
The opening exchanges were fairly even with Ed McQuillan and
Emmet Laverty on target for the North Antrim side and Donal McKernan and Shea
Shannon replying for the Whiterock Road side. Emmet Laverty converted a couple
of close range frees to edge Cushendall two in front as Ciaran McKenna was
substituted after a strong challenge to be replaced by Ruairi Galbraith.
Not this time! Two goal hero, Ed McQuillan is challenged by Odhran Carleton, St. Johns.
Shea Shannon pulled one back for St. John’s with a well
struck long range point but Ruairi Og replied with a goal from Ed McQuillan to
move four in front with 13 minutes gone. Emmet Laverty and his mid-field
partner, Scott Walsh extended the Cushendall lead to six by the 21st
minute and Conor McHugh struck a beauty to increase that lead to seven.
St. John’s tried to
respond and a good move opened up the ‘Dall’ defence but Odhran McGrath
volleyed over from close range when he might have had a goal. Despite that miss
St. John’s came strong again with points from Donal McKernan and Shea Shannon
to serve notice that they were still very much in the game.
They continued to look vulnerable on the counter attack however
and Ed McQuillan looked to be in for a second goal but was pulled down just
outside the area with Emmet Laverty’s attempt on goal deflected wide from the resulting
free.
Laverty pointed the resulting ‘65’ and Ed McQuillan got on the end of a great
sideline cut from Conor McHugh to extend their lead to six and in the closing
minutes of the half Emmet Laverty and Donal McKernan exchanged further points
to leave the half time score 1-10 to 0-7 in favour of the Ruairi Og.
Aidan McMahon attempts to break through the Cushendall defence
Emmet Laverty struck a massive point on the restart to move
his side seven in front but a point from Shea Shannon and an excellent goal
from Shea Shannon, who got on the end of an astute hand pass from Aidan McMahon
closed the gap to three and St. John’s were right back in the mix.
Cushendall found a response through an Emmet Laverty point
and as exchanges intensified Eoin McParland was Red carded for pulling an opponent’s
faceguard but it failed to disrupt the Johnnies effort.
After Niall McCormack extended the Cushendall lead with a
point in the 9th minute St. John’s responded positively with points
from Shea Shannon and McKernan to leave three in it once more and it was clear
that this game was far from over.
The boys in Maroon looked in a spot of trouble but they
found the appropriate response through the excellent Ed McQuillan who got on
the end of a good move to fire home his second goal to put six between the
sides with 14 minutes of normal play remaining.
Dannan McKeogh replied with a Johnnies point and then Ruairi
Sharpe came bravely of his line to deny Peter McCallin and was hurt in the
process but was able to continue after treatment. St. John’s continued to press
and a couple of Donal McKernan points left just three in it again by the 28th
minute but that was as close as they got.
Peter McCallin, St. Johns gets out in front of Francis McCurry to win possession
McQuillan extended that lead to four again and Liam Gillan
made a great block to deny McCallin before Shea Shannon and Aaron Bradley
points for the Whiterock side and an Ed McQuillan reply for the ‘Dall’
concluded the scoring.
A good game of hurling, played with real championship
intensity with Liam Gillan, Jack McKay,
Emmet Laverty, Conor McHugh and the excellent Ed McQuillan the
outstanding performers in a Cushendall side who did enough to get them over the
line.
St. John’s played their part however and their never say die
attitude ensured their opponents could never relax with John Darragh, Conal
Bohill, Donal McKernan, Shea Shannon and Dannan McKeogh the men who caught the
eye.
Ruairi Og: Ruairi Sharpe, Jack McKay, Liam Gillan, Donal Kearney,
Senan Black, Francis McCurry, Ruairi McCollam, Emmet Laverty, Scott Walsh, Niall
McCormack, Conor McHugh, Ronan McCambridge, Ed McQuillan, Aiden McKenna, Ruairi
McAuley. Subs: Cathal McDonnell
