by thesaffrongael

Creggan secure the points in Staffordstown

ACHL Division 2

Kickham’s Creggan 0-17 Ballycastle 2nd’s 0-13

Report: JoeRice

 The Loughshore lads welcomed MacUilin’s on a bright Sunday afternoon.  Many of the home side supporters would have seldom seen black & amber jerseys lined out on their field.  Nevertheless, Ballycastle’s Second Team were here looking for their first win of the League Competition. 

First to score was Conall McGee pointing from play in the 2nd minute and from the initial stages Ballycastle dominated by winning most of the turnovers, but they failed to convert these into scores.

Slowly the home side steadied themselves and their first score came from Morgan Nelson on the 7th minute, adding a further 2 converted frees on the 8th and the 11th minute.  The visitors responded with 3 on target frees, one from James Blackwell and 2 from Feargal McKiernan on the 12th, 14th and 16th minute respectively.  With 16 minutes on the clock, MacUilin’s were in front. 

Creggan drew level with a fine point from play from Sean Duffin, but this was cancelled out as Gavin McToal edged the visitors’ ahead on the 23rd minute.  It was level again on the 26th minute when Rory McCann scored his 1st of 4 points of the contest before  Cormac Dallas put the visitors 2 in front with 2 superb frees from distance.   

The sides were level once again as Morgan Nelson and Teddy McKeown added to the home side’s tally.  The final 2 scores from the 1st half were from Rory McCann, Creggan, and one from Feargal McKiernan, MacUilin’s, to leave it all square at half time on 8 points apiece. Referee, Chris Brown, got proceedings underway in the 2nd half in a good natured encounter where he had little use for his notebook.  Creggan started the 2nd half better while MacUilin’s struggled for scores being guilty of several wides. 

Creggan’s marksman, Morgan Nelson, converted 3 frees and when his teammate, Sean Duffin, added a point from play it gave the home side a 4 point cushion.  It was 11 minutes into the 2nd half before Feargal McKiernan got MacUilin’s 1st point, however, at this stage they were struggling to close the gap. 

The home side’s confidence grew when Morgan Nelson and Rory McCann added 2 further points to lead by 4 with 15 minutes remaining on the clock.  Ballycastle’s Feargal McKiernan got his 4th point of the game to leave just one score between them, but Creggan surged ahead with Mick Maguire, Rory McCann & Keelan McCann securing 3 unanswered points without reply. 

As we headed towards the last 5 minutes plus extra time, Ballycastle threw everything at the Lough shore lads looking for the goals that never came, but they did add 3 further points from Callum Campbell, Luke Connolly and James Bakewell to narrow the gap, however, they had just run out of time. 

The last score of the game was from Morgan Nelson’s ‘65’ to give the home side a 4 point cushion and their 1st win of the campaign.

Creggan: No.1 Conor McCann, No.2 Paedar McGuckian, No.3 Dillan Hamfey, No.4 Sennan O’Boyle, No.5 Aidan McIlwee, No.6 Keelan McCann(0.01), No.7 Aidan McKeown(0.01), No.8 Sam Maguire, No.9 Daniel Dornan, No.10 Lee Johnston, No.11 Mick Maguire, No.12 Sean Duffin (0.02), No.13 Ronan McGuckian, No.14 Morgan Nelson (0.07), No.15 Sean McAuley(0.01), No.21 Thomas McCann, No.30 Rory McCann(0.04).

Ballycastle: No.1 Anthony Mullan, No.2 Conor Mooney, No.3 James Bakewell(0.04),No.4 Oisin McAuley, No.5 Oisin Donnelly, No.6 Cormac Donnelly, No.7 Jack McGowan, No.8 Conal Magee, No.9 Luke Connolly(0.01), No.10 Tadhg Donnelly, No.11 Callum Campbell(0.01), No.12 Feargal McKiernan(0.03), No.13 Cormac Dallas(0.02), No.14 Dermot Donnelly, No.15 Gavin McToal(0.01), No.17 Eoin Boylan, No.18. Niall McGarry, No.19 Rory McShane, No.20 Thomas McIlroy.

Referee: Chris Brown

TO SEE MORE OF CLAIRE FAWLS PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME (PLUS THE HALF TIME GAMES) CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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by thesaffrongael

Rasharkin victorious at third time of asking

Antrim Hurling League – Division 3

Rasharkin 2-17  Glenravel 0-19

This was the third meeting of these two sides in Dreen this season; the first was a pre-season friendly which ended in a draw, the second was Abbey Shield Final which Glenravel won by a six point margin so the hosts had a point to prove in this game and it was clear that over the hour they were the hungrier for victory. Rasharkin had a greater physical presence and picked off some fine long range points in a perfect day for hurling. One area that might concern them though is a heavy reliance on Tiernan O’Boyle  and Connor McKeever for their scores. Those two contributed 2-12 (1-06 each) of the 2-17 total whilst Glenravel had a more even spread of scores with five of the six starting forwards contributing to their tally.

Glenravel dominated the opening quarter with a good range of scores from Cormac McKeown, Joe McKay, Declan Traynor, Luke Loughlin and Conleth O’Loan helping them to  0-07 to 0-03 lead, Conor McKeever providing the hosts scores all from frees. McKeever’s free taking was instrumental in the Rasharkin victory on the day. The hosts then started to get some rhythm and put over three points in succession to reduce the gap to the minimum. McKeever again from a free followed by Colm Kennedy and Conor Higgins providing those scores. Back came Glenravel with three on the bounce from Declan Traynor (0-02) and Joe McKay. But with seven minutes of the opening half left to play Rasharkin raised a green flag when a long ball in ended up in the net and once again only a single point separated the teams. Buoyed by that score the host side’s half forward line kicked into gear as each of them, Conor McFerran, Donagh Quigg and Conor McKeever put three over for the home side to lead for the first time on the stroke of half time. The teams retired to the changing rooms with Rasharkin ahead 1-09 to 0-10.

Declan Traynor reduced the margin to three points at the start of the second half but inside one minute McFerran pointed hand then goaled to strike a hammer blow for Rasharkin. Suddenly there was a five point gap – how would the visitors respond? Cometh the hour cometh the man as Cormac McKeown took the bull by the horns and put over three great scores in succession to leave two points between the teams. O’Boyle and McFerran stretched that to four and Conleth O’Loan kept Glenravel in it with a fine score to take us into the final quarter with Rasharkin ahead by three points. The game was in the melting pot at this stage and as the final whistle beckoned it would be the home side who finished stronger. They notched up five further points from Tiernan O’Boyle whilst Glenravel replied through Cormac McKeown, Fergus Donaghy, Joe McKay and Conleth O’Loan, but it wasn’t enough and Rasharkin avenged The Abbey Shield defeat of a couple of weeks ago to secure both points.

1 Liam Tunney, 2 Jason McGregor, 3 Connaire Donaghy, 4 Conor Doherty, 5 Connor Higgins, 6 Tiernan O’Boyle, 7 Ruairi O’Boyle, 8 Conan McMullan, 9 Brianog O’Neill, 10 Conor McFerran, 11 Donagh Quigg, 12 Conor McKeever, 13 Oisín Doherty, 14 John Kelly, 15 Terence McGregor.

Michael McDonald, Oisin McKeown (2), James Duffin (3), Brian O’Neill (4) Daragh Donaghy (5), Rian Lennon (6), Eoin McCusker (7), Harry Fyfe (8), Fergus Donaghy (9), Joseph McKay (10), Declan Traynor (11), Cormac McKeown (12), Luke Laughlin (13), Ciaran Laverty (14), Conleth O’Loan (15).

Referee – Lee O’Reilly (Dunloy)

by thesaffrongael

McAlister leads Carryduff to victory

ACHL Division 2

Carryduff 3-16 Ahoghill 2-12

A strong second half performance by Carryduff, led by the excellent Conor McAllister saw them overcome the challenge of Cloney Gaels in the ACHL Division 2 in Carryduff on Sunday. The hosts got off to a bright start with McAllister pointing in the first minute and following with a goal with 2 minutes gone.

Cloney responded with a point from Ronan Graham and a goal from Dan O’Neill but the Down men were moving the ball with precision and looked dangerous every time they attacked.

Conor McAllister brought his side’s total to 1-2 with another point before mid-fielder Donal Og Rooney weighed in with three of his own and one from the elusive McAllister and another from Eoin Rooney had the hosts 1-6 to 1-2 ahead by the 14th minute, the visitors second point coming from Donal Graham.

Two more from Donal Graham and Colla McDonnell for the visitors had the gap down to two by the 20th minute and that was how it remained at the break with James Lavery, James Woods and Lavery again on target for Carryduff and a Colla McDonnell double and one from Dan O’Neill leaving it 1-10 to 1-8 at the short whistle.

Carryduff got the second half off to a blistering start as Donal Og Rooney converted a ‘65’ in the opening minute and then a shot from McAllister deflected off an Ahoghill stick and finished in the net and the Down men were 6 ahead with only three minutes of the new half gone.

Cloney Gaels looked rattled but they came back with points from James O’Connell and a Colla McDonnell free but Carryduff were slowly getting on top. They replied through the excellent Conor McAllister with two on the bounce and another from substitute Tom Hickson put further distance between the sides.

A pointed free from Colla McDonnell and another from play by Eamon Brady hinted at a comeback from the Cloney Gaels but it would prove to be their final score with 14 minutes remaining.

Indeed it was Carryduff who ensured that there would be no way back going down the finishing straight with the excellent McAllister firing home his side’s third goal and Donal Og Rooney putting the icing on a fine personal performance with a point from distance.

Carryduff:

1 Conor McLornan

2 Fearghal Casey

3 Conor Cassidy

4 Ciaran Goodwin

5 David Morrissey

6 Darragh Goodwin

7 Cillian Ennis

8 James Woods

9 Donal Og Rooney

10 Michael Conway

11 Sean O’Callaghan

12 James Lavery

13 Lorcan McCaughey

14 Conor McAlister

15 Eoin Rooney

by thesaffrongael

Much improved second half sees All Saints through

ACHL Division 4

All Saints 0-14 St. Gall’s 2nd’s 1-7

All Saints recorded their third win in three games to join Ardoyne at the top of division 4 following this four point win over a battling St. Gall’s second string in Ballymena on Sunday.

All Saints turned things around with a much-improved second-half display to defeat St Gall’s after a poor first half. Both teams were wasteful early on, with All Saints particularly guilty, missing several chances including frees. St Gall’s made better use of their opportunities and, with a goal, led 1-3 to 0-3 at the break.

Damian Gillan (2) and Paddy Doherty scored for All Saints. The second half was a different story as All Saints found their range, scoring 0-11 to finish with 0-14 overall. Gillan led the way with six points (three frees), supported by Cormac Magill (2), Michael Connolly, and a long-range free from Jack Magill.

St Gall’s managed just four points in the second half and couldn’t keep up with the momentum. Sean O’Brien, a minor on his senior debut, rounded off the scoring with the final point of the game.

by thesaffrongael

Cushendall take the points in Portaferry

Antrim Hurling League – Division 1

Portaferry: 2-11 (17) Ruairí Óg, Cushendall: 3-16 (25)

PICS BY SEAN TROWLEN

Ruairí Óg, Cushendall traveled down to the Ards Peninsula on Sunday and emerged with a hard-fought eight-point victory over Portaferry in Division 1 of the Antrim Hurling League. Despite a commanding first-half performance from the visitors, a blistering start to the second half by Portaferry made for a tense encounter before Cushendall eventually regained control and pulled away.

The opening thirty minutes were heavily dominated by Cushendall, who built a substantial lead thanks to early accuracy and two crucial goals. Neil McManus and Joseph McLaughlin kept the Ruairí Óg scoreboard ticking over efficiently from placed balls, while Portaferry relied primarily on frees from Cahal Coleman to keep their tally moving.

Cushendall’s Scott Walsh solos out of defence during Saturday’s Antrim Senior Hurling semi-final against St John’s at Dunsilly. Pic by John McIlwaine

The decisive moments of the first period came when the Ruairí Óg forwards broke through the Portaferry defense to find the back of the net. Both Thomas McLaughlin and Sean McAfee raised green flags from play, putting Cushendall in a strong position, and by the time the half-time whistle blew, the visitors held a commanding 11-point advantage, leading 2-11 to 0-06.

Portaferry’s Resurgence

Whatever was said in the Portaferry dressing room at the break had an immediate and explosive impact. The home side burst out of the blocks upon the restart, completely shifting the momentum of the game within the opening two minutes.

Cahal Coleman, their standout threat from the first half, struck for two rapid-fire goals from play—the first just 51 seconds into the half, and the second less than a minute later. With their tails up, Portaferry continued to press hard. Points from play by Matthew Conlan and Shane Conlan quickly followed. In the blink of an eye, the 11-point half-time deficit had been slashed to just three points.

Just as the pressure reached its peak, Cushendall found the crucial response they needed to halt Portaferry’s momentum. In the 9th minute of the second half, Joseph McLaughlin found space to fire home Ruairí Óg’s third goal of the afternoon.

That strike proved to be the turning point, effectively bursting the Portaferry bubble and steadying the ship for the visitors. From there on out, Cushendall managed the remainder of the game with composure. While Cahal Coleman and Shane Conlan added a few more points for the home side, the gap proved too large to close again.

Cushendall’s bench also made a strong impact, with substitute Christy McNaughton slotting over two points (one from play and one from a free). Joseph McLaughlin continued his reliable free-taking, and Thomas McLaughlin capped off the afternoon with a late point from play in the 31st minute to seal the win.

Overall, Cushendall will be pleased to leave Portaferry with the points, having shown the resilience required to absorb a fierce second-half rally and finish the job.

Portaferry

1. Darragh Mallon, and 4. Ronan Smyth. 5. Cathal Moreland 6. Callum Smyth, 7. Ciaran Milligan, 8. Matthew Conlan, 9. Shane Conlan, 10. Conor Fay, 11. Deaglan Mallon, 12. Cahal Coleman, 13. Calum O’Neill, 14. Niall Milligan, and 15. Noah Rogers.

Cushendall

1. Conor McAlister, 2. Aodhán Campbell, 3. Martin Burke, 4. Conor McCann, 5. Scott Walsh, 6. Stephen Walsh, 7. Charlie McAuley, 8. Callagh Mooney, 9. Edward McQuillan, 10. Sean McAfee, 11. Joseph McNaughton, 12. Neil McManus, 13. Oisín Woodhouse, 14. Thomas McLaughlin, 15. Joseph McLaughlin.

Subs – Christy McNaughton

TO SEE MORE OF SEAN TROWLEN’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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