by thesaffrongael

Ard na Rí shock Dunloy in Championship opener

Under 16 A Hurling Championship

Pics by Mark Marlow

It could potentially have been game of the championship last week in Musgrave Park –  but it was definitely the upset of the championship as runaway league champions Dunloy came up short in an outstanding exhibition of hurling with last year’s beaten finalists, Ard na Rí.

After a pulsating sixty plus minutes of top-class hurling from both sides, it was Ard na Rí who managed to hang on for a two point win by a scoreline of 6-13 to 2-23.

Ard na Rí flew out of the blocks and had the perfect start when Barra Bellew won a breaking ball in the Dunloy defence before rounding his man and finishing to the top of the net. The roar from the supporters died as quickly as it began as the 31 point defeat from the league encounter hadn’t been forgotten.

Padraig Kelly and Conall Dempsey followed up with points from play before Dunloy raised their first white flag with a free in the 8th minute and the crowd anticipating that this was the start of  the tide turning. But Ard na Ri dug in again and hit back with a further goal and three points to leave it 2-5 to 0-01.

Damien McMullan then began to dominate the Dunloy half back line with Pody O Kane making things tick around the middle. PJ and Eunan Molloy getting on the end of good attacks and within a 6 minute spell they had added three points before Jamie McGarry raised Dunloys first green flag. But as was the run of the game, Ard na Ri immediately went on the attack and Padraig Kelly got on the end of a high ball to finish to the net. Points from Fionn Smith and Padraig Kelly were answered by scores from the Molloys and Pody O Kane as this game met the full pelt of championship and which was assisted by an excellent refereeing performance from Seamus Shannon.

The second half set off just like the first. 100 mph. Oliver McClements and Conall McFerran shored up the Dunloy full back line. Jack McQuillan, Darragh Cunning and Jamie McGarry began orchestrating attacks from deep. But every attack was met with Bellew and Cairbre McAdaimh in defiant mood, matched by the heroics of goalkeeper Eoin Rodgers, as the Ard na Ri defence stood firm. The young Cuchullians managed to find a vein of form as they rattled over three points – but in keeping with the game, back came Paudi Kelly with a goal.

Just over ten minutes into the second half,Kelly went to flick a ball overhead and in the process caught the helmet of the onrushing Dunloy goalkeeper. By the new rules, the referee was left with no option but to issue a red card to the disappointment of both sets of supporters. There was no protest from the Ard na Ri line, but things were rejigged immediately and both teams went back to battle. Dunloy were finding a lot more space now and were attacking at pace with every opportunity. Young Elliott bagged a goal from corner forward and it was game on. Ard na Ri were hanging in but their defence was standing up to everything thrown at it. Seagh McEwan and Dan McAuley were beginning to feel the pressure of the man down in midfield but time after time won the dirty ball around the middle and found their targets in the forward line.

With 5 minutes left, Ard na Ri were hanging on and Dunloy were in full flow when Conor McIlhatton turned over an attack for the home side. He was caught in a loose tackle by the number 12 who was having an outstanding evening and again by the letter of the law, a red was shown. Again, a no malice tackle but the referee left with no option. Dunloy down to 14 men and game on. With three minutes left Conall Dempsey found a gap in the Dunloy defence and shot to the net. Breathing space with 5 points to the good. But that was not to be it. The teams traded points to keep the two point gap in favour of Ard na Ri. Dunloy, with time up, went all in. Three brilliant attacks were met by McAdaimh again – body on the line – and Rodgers in goal.

With seconds of the 3 mins of injury time left, Odhran Bellew drove a free from his half back line into the corner forward slot. The Ard na Ri forwards managed to hold the ball in the corner and beat the clock to an outpouring of emotion at the full time whistle.

The humility and grace of both sides in victory and defeat were a credit to all involved. Supporters of both teams paying tribute to all involved. A massive credit to the thirty plus young men who gave their all.

by thesaffrongael

Casements advance after extra time

MFC (Preliminary round)

Erin’s Own Cargin 2-13 Casement’s Portglenone 1-18 (a.e.t)

Portglenone based Casement’s move onwards into the next phase of the minor football championship at the expense of Cargin when they gained passage with a hard earned win over the Erin’s own lads before a big attendance in Toome on Sunday.

The visitors recorded a victory over the Erin’s Own outfit in their earlier meeting in the league and although they started this championship encounter as firm favourites they had to work hard and it took extra time to separate the protagonists in the end.

Casement’s arrived in Toome burdened with the ‘favourites’ tag and indeed they were smartly out of the start traps and seemed on the way when split the posts twice without reply from their hosts in the opening quarter with Ryan McKeever and Oran Doherty credited with the scores.

The visitors enjoyed the assistance of a strong southerly breeze in the first period but such was soon to be negated by the home side with Jack O’Neill leading in the engine room.

Cillian Scullion opened their account from the right hand side to settle his side and although a further point from Oisin Doherty insured a three point lead, the home side had settled to the task in hand.

The home side should have regained parity shortly after when Fiontan O’Donnell grabbed a scuffed kick out but after racing clear on the target his fisted finish went agonisingly wide of the post.

In the event Erin’s Own were to finish the opening period on the positive with Jack O’ Neill and his mid-field partner Fiontan Hardy getting to grips in the central zone and a free kick for a foul on Hardy was firmly punished when Cillian Scullion despatched the ball between the posts.

The centre half forward was equally precise shortly thereafter as a foul on Carl McCann was similarly despatched between the posts to bring the sides closer together at the break with the wind assisted Casements 0-05 to 0-04 ahead.

The home side started the second period aided by the breeze which was soon accompanied by a heavy shower and the visitors were first away with a smart Ryan McKeever point and it was 0-06 to 0-04 to the visitors.

In the event the scoreboard was to read differently shortly after as a Dara Mc Auley assist aided Jack O’ Neill to send over the goal line and the Toome lads were 1-04 to 0-06 ahead.

It was game on a few minutes later as Fiontan Hardy added a fisted point which was soon negated at the other end as Oran Doherty added a point to the Casement’s total.

A Cillian Scullion point increased the home side’s lead to a couple of points when he was again unerring from a 40 metre free kick at the end of the third quarter but despite the wind in their face, the Casement’s replied with back to back points from Tom Doughard and Oran Doherty to leave it all square again.

Tom Duffin added a goal for the visitors after being set up by Oisin McAtamney assist and the game seemed to have swung in favour of the Portglenone side and questions were being asked of the home side.

In the event the Cargin lads had the answers and a Cillian Scullion point worked the trick and it saw Erin’s Own dominate for a period as Dara O’Boyle and Cillian Scullion added points.

Cargin were now calling the shots and when Jack O’ Neill’s and Fiontan Hardy combined to set up Dara Mc Auley to finish to the net, only a point separated the sides.

Casements added a point to their slim lead through the excellent Oran Doherty and when the home side lost the services of a player to a red card the home side looked in trouble.

When Ryan McKeever and Tom Doughart added points apiece to the Casements lead the home side looked in big trouble as full time approached.

In the event the home side rallied to the cause for one last effort and when youngster Conor Mc Cann fired to the net the sides were level and extra time required.

The first 10 minute of extra time ended with nothing separating the protagonists with Carl McCann raising white for the home side and Francis McAleese replying for for Casement’s.

A point from Fiontan Hardy in the opening minutes of the second half gave the Cargin support hope but back came Casement’s and three quick points from Oran Mc Atamney, Pheilim Mc Cluskey and Cillian McDonnell in answer to a Cillian Scullion point for the home side saw them cross the winning line 1-18 to 2-13 ahead to set up a meeting with St Brigids in the next round.

Cargin: Oisin Laverty, Eoin Scullion, Sean Mc Peake, Niall Quinn, Sean og Bovill, Fiontan 0’ Donnell, Patrick O’ Neill (0-01), Niall Quinn, Conleth Hamill, Jack O’ Neill (1-00), Fiontan Hardy (0-02),Cillian Scullion (0-09), Eamon Mc Cann (1-00), Dara O’ Boyle (0-01). Daragh Mc Auley

Subs:

Dylan Mc Nabb

Casement’s: John Mc Austin, Cillian Mc Kenna, Ciaran Mc Donnell, Conor Morgan Oisin Mc Atamney (0-01)Ryan Mc Keever (0-02), Oran Doherty (0-08 1*), Tom Convery, Francis Mc Aleese, Tom Convery (0-02), Tom Dougart (1-01,Phrilim Mc Cluskey (0-02), Eoin Mc Erlean, J P O’ Kane

Subs:

Cillian Mc Donnell

R Mc Aleese

Referee: P Burns (St Comgall’s)

by thesaffrongael

Lamh’s spread of scoring power gets them past St Brigid’s

Junior Hurling Championship – quarter final

St Brigids 1-12 Lamh Dhearg 0-23

On a drab September Sunday, on a greasy Musgrave Park, the curtain finally came down on a remarkable and unprecedented season for the fledgling hurlers of Naomh Brid. Having already secured promotion to Division 3, the south Belfast outfit, backboned by five starting teenagers came up against a Hannahstown side with a little more big-match experience & lot more scoring forwards.

Over the hour Lamh Dhearg had ten different point takers while Naomh Brid had only three scoring sources.

And yet the home side held a slender lead ( 1-4 – 0-6 ) nearing the end of the opening quarter.

The game’s only goal came compliments of full forward John McGuckian in the fourth minute but owed much to a mazy run by the lively Oisin McDonnell who slipped his marker and delivered a delicious pass for McGuckian to bat home with an overhead smash.

 McDonnell and James Kelly continued to sow early havoc in the visitors defence sniping a further two points from play.

But the “ red hands “ reset and responded, in large part through the impressive Adam Murray; named at corner forward but given a roving commission, he landed eight first half points, seven from frees, to see his side lead by five at the break ( 1-5 – 0-13)

Incredibly for some fifty plus minutes ( from the 12th to the 65th min) Naomh Brid failed to register another score from open play, the Lisburn Road men were just too reliant on James Kelly who on the day landed 0-11 ( 10 frees)

By contrast Lamh Dhearg’s ability to find the posts with such consistency and such a spread of scorers was a massive determining factor in the final outcome.

In Adam Murray, midfielder Ciaran Boyd and centre  half back Paddy Mervyn, Lamh Dhearg had the games three stand out  performers, the latter two landed crucial  points at key times in the second half en route to a hard earned but thoroughly deserved junior hurling semi-final. They will take some beating.

by thesaffrongael

Cushendun stay in the race with win over Cloughmills

Intermediate Hurling Championship – Round 3

Cloughmills 2-16   Cushendun 3-20

Cushendun stayed in the race for a semi-final spot in the Intermediate Hurling Championship when they beat Cloughmills in Friday evening’s Round 3 game at the Biddies Ballyveely Road ground. The Emmet’s still need other results to go their way to make the semi-finals, but keeping themselves in a position to take advantage, if that should happen, was vital.

Tir na nÓg’s win over St Gall’s on Sunday makes the Emmet’s task even more difficult, but not impossible, for if they win their last game against St Gall’s on Saturday 20th September and Glenarm were to beat Tir na nÓg the following day, then all three will be level on points, with score difference the deciding factor to see who joins Glenariffe Oisins in the semi-finals. In that respect Cushendun may rue conceding 1-02 in injury time against the Biddies with the points already wrapped up.

Eoin Dobbin gave Cloughmills and early lead on Friday evening but Cushendun came back to hit six without reply, three of them from Conlaoth ‘Loaf’ McNeill, two from Sean McKay and one from Aidan Corbett to lead by 0-06 to 0-01 after thirteen minutes. The next ten minutes were evenly contested with scores from James O’Boyle and Eoin Dobbin (2) adding to the home side’s tally and Thomas Scally, Conor McHugh and Matthew McCartin replying in kind for the Emmet’s. Three in a row from Michael Devlin, Ryan Watson and Ruairi Laverty cut the gap back to just two by the 25th minute, but Loaf McNeill pushed that gap out to five by half time with three in a row, two of them from frees, to send his team in with a five point lead at the break (0-12 to 0-07).

The Biddies cut the gap back to four when Cathal Mullan got the opening point of the second half, but Liam Kearns and Conor Laverty hit back for the Emmts to cut the lead back to four again by the thirty sixth minute but four points inside two minutes, three of them from Sean McKay and one from Conor McHugh pushed the lead out to eight. However they never got an opportunity to rest on their laurels as the home side hit back with four of their own, two from Mickey Devlin and one each from Johnny Duffin and Conor Laverty, and once again there was just four between them.

Cushendun eventually got a breathing space when Loaf McNeill fired home two penalties inside four minutes, but again the home team came back and James O’Boyle hit back with a goal from play. That score was cancelled out when the Emmet’s hit the next three scores, two points from Sean McKay and Conor McHugh, plus a goal from Leo Morgan to increase the lead to twelve points and seal the win. However the Biddies never gave up the fight and points from James and Kevin O’Boyle, plus a last gasp goal from the latter in injury time took five points of the Emmet’s score difference, something they might regret in two weeks’ time.   

TO SEE MORE OF MICKY MORGAN’S PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/Jx5z3K7DWKX7mY/?invite=90028ffa-20e1-4084-968c-0cfb1f7d9ded

by thesaffrongael

Brídíní Óga win U14B Camogie title

Under 14 B championship final

Brídíní Óga 4-6 Gort na Móna 2-6

The Under 14 B championship certainly did not run to league form with both Saturday’s finalists coming from mid-table.

Brídíní Óga and Gort na Móna however reached the decider on merit. The Glenravel girls had taken out Creggan and St Gall’s on successive Saturdays while Gort beat league champions Sarsfield’s in the quarter-final and then followed it up with victory over St Paul’s on the Shaws Road last weekend.

The Belfast side then got the perfect start in the final as well with Niamh Keenan hitting the north Antrim side’s net in the second minute. Gort na Móna remained on the offensive for the first five minutes before Brídíní Óga settled, helped no doubt by a goal from a Georgie Twigg free after seven minutes.

Twigg tapped over two further frees before Grace O’Boyle burst through after 12 minutes. Her shot was saved by Chloe Devlin but Sadhbh McMullan followed through to find the net.

The Glenravel girls were beginning to take control of the game now despite the best efforts of Alexia Largey, Seana Fryers and goal-scorer Keenan who had to come deeper to forage for possession.

Keenan and Twigg swopped points before Sadhbh McMullan forced home her second goal in first half injury time to leave a gap of 3-3 to 1-1 between the teams at the short whistle.

Within 35 seconds of the re-start Niamh Keenan raced through and hit the net for her second strike. She then added a point from play. As with the first half, Brídíní Óga were taking time to settle but with Caela McCann, player of the match Laoise Carey and Cara McFadden working hard at the back, they began to get a foothold in the game once more and a goal from Molly McKernan put them back in charge.

Niamh Keenan was always a threat however and Niamh Higgins needed to be on her toes on two separate occasions to deny the Gort full-forward who eventually closed the gap between the teams with her fifth score – another point.

At the other end Georgie Twigg popped over a 45. Keenan hit back with a point and Carly Muckian had Higgins stretching to deny her a goal as play quickly switched from end to end.

Sadhbh McMullan and Georgie Twigg (free) extended the Glenravel lead before Gort na Móna through Kaila Walsh and Carly Muckian pulled a couple of scores back in added time.

It was an entertaining and hard-fought final with the winners having to really battle to get over the line. Both teams had some fine players, but Glenravel did the damage in the first half hour and their interval lead was just too wide for Gort na Móna to haul in.

Brídíní Óga: Niamh Higgins, Shauna McCann, Caela McCann, Sophia Cotter, Cara McFadden, Laoise Carey, Brónagh McQuillan, Georgie Twigg 1-5 (1-4 fs), Chloe McKay, Katie McCann, Kodi Kerr capt, Grace O’Boyle, Laoise McMullan, Sadhbh McMullan 2-1, Molly McKernan 1-0.

Subs used: Isla Burkett and Lauren Davies.

Gort na Móna: Chloe Devlin, Casey McKeown, Siana Ward, Ruby Kane, Ruby Manning, Alexia Largey, Méabh Maguire, Abby Seana Fryers, Ella Hughes, Kaila Walsh 0-1, Carly Muckian 0-1, Ciara McKenna, Niamh Keenan 2-4, Ciara McConnell.

Subs used: Sophia Tolan, Grace Kearney, Lucy French.

Referee: Shane McDonnell