by thesaffrongael

Ballymena can edge the battle of the Saints

IFC Final – Toome 4-00pm

All Saints v St. Teresa’s

All Saints, Ballymena are favourites to edge the battle of the Saints when they take on St. Teresa’s in the decider in Toome on Saturday. The Ballymena men have enjoyed a good season when they returned to division 1 for the first time in a decade and confounded the pundits by finishing third in the division.

Despite that they played their football in the Intermediate Football championship but have found it hard to bring their league form into championship on a consistent basis.

They opened their group 2 campaign with a home win over Gort na Mona where they had matters more or less wrapped up at half time but their second half performance against the Mona Bye-pass outfit was poor.

St. Teresa’s, hoping to finish an excellent season with an Intermediate Championship final win over All Saints in Saturday

A visit to the Bear-Pit on day two saw the All Saints indifferent form continue and they went down by a point to a Sarsfield’s side who hit a late point to put themselves in the favourites spot to top the group.

Sarsfield’s subsequent defeat to Glenavy on day three meant that All Saints visit to Chapel Hill on the final day of the group fixtures was a must win for both sides and the Ballymena side produced a much improved performance to qualify with Sarsfield’s for the play-offs.

On the other side of the draw St. Teresa’s had carried the form they had shown in a good division 2 league campaign into the championship. The Glen Road side finished in second place to St. Paul’s in the league in a season where they have shown marked improvement from previous years.

St. Teresa’s went on to top Group 1 in the championship group qualifiers with wins over Kickham’s Ardoyne, St. Teresa’s and Naomh Padraig and a draw with St. Paul’s to qualify for a semi-final meeting with All Saints conquerors, Sarsfields.

St. Teresa’s withstood a late rally from Patrick Sarsfields at Davitt’s Park to advance to the final.

In a game played with real championship intensity with no quarter asked or given it was the Glen Road side who led 1-5 to 0-6 at half time despite having a penalty saved in the 4th minute.

Michael Bradley dived to his left to push away Francis Dugan’s spot kick but Anton Taylor climbed to get the final touch to an inviting delivery to beat Bradley for the game’s opening goal in the 9th minute.

Sarsfield’s came back with an excellent goal from Miceal Ferris entering the final quarter to level the contest at 1-8 apiece but two quick points in reply from Francis Dugan and Niall McCann steadied St. Teresa’s.

All Saints go in search of their first Intermediate championship title since 2011 when they face St. Teresa’s in the final on Saturday

The Stewartstown Road side threw everything but the kitchen sink at their opponents in the closing stages but a Gary Lennon point would be as close as they got.

Ciaran Murtagh in goals, Paul Johnston, Ryan Mallon, Conor O’Rawe, Darren McCann, Pierce O’Rawe, Anton Taylor and Philip Maguire will spearhead the St. Teresa’s challenge and they will travel to Toome with confidence.

All Saints produced a solid performance to overcome the challenge of St. Paul’s at sunny Hightown on Saturday and progress to the final of the Intermediate Football Championship.

The Ballymena side were in control from early in the game where they raced into a 0-5 to 0-0 lead against a strangely subdued St, Paul’s side who looked a little overawed by the occasion.

It would be 18 minutes before the Shaw’s Road outfit would raise their first score but by that time they had kicked half a dozen wides, some of them well off target.

The Slemish Park outfit went on to win 0-13 to 0-6 but will have concerns about the number of chances they missed on the day and may need a better scoring return if they are to win on Saturday

Paddy McAleer, Conor Stewart, Kavan Keenan and James McDonnell have been involved with the Antrim county team over the last number of years and Peter McNicholl, Sean McVeigh and Michael McCarry bring a wealth of experience to the All Saints challenge.

Baker Bradley’s side will start Saturday’s encounter as slight favourites and if the Ballymena side can produce their best form then they might just have enough to collect their first Intermediate title since 2011.

by thesaffrongael

Dunloy chasing more silverware but Shamrocks remain favourites

TeamKit Senior Camogie Championship Final

Loughgiel v Dunloy

Date: Sunday 13 October 2024

Venue: Páirc Mhuire, Bun Abhann Dalla

Throw in: 3pm

Referee: Shane McDonnell (Glenariffe)

The race for the O’Duffy Cup reaches its final hurdle on Sunday afternoon as two old rivals go head to head.  Cushendall plays host to Loughgiel and Dunloy as the Shamrocks go on the hunt for 11 in a row while the Cuchullains are looking for a 12th title in their history but a first since 2003.

Sunday will be the culmination of eight weeks, 12 games and by the final whistle we will have one winner.  These two have proven all year to be the best in the county and the final promises to be a cracker.

This will be the fifth time this year they have played each other, the head to head sits at two wins apiece with one win each in the league while Dunloy wrestled the senior Feis away from the Shamrocks grasp and defeated them along the way.

The Loughgiel victory is probably more relevant at this stage.  Played in Fr Healy Park and in the round robin of the championship, Loughgiel fired a warning shot across the county with a 20 point win.  The final score 6-10 to 0-8 for the Shamrocks who’s win sealed their route direct to the final. 

There will nothing ask or given between these two great rivals on Sunday, Dunloy’s Caoimhe Conlon and Loughgiel’s Roisin McCormick. Pic by Michael Corcoran

That match will be four weeks ago by the time the sliotar is thrown in on Sunday afternoon and because of the concession by Brídíní Óga in the last group game, it was the last time the Loughgiel camogs have played competitively.  Much like their hurling counterparts, it’s far from ideal. 

A quick look at the scoring charts for the championship so far and Roisin McCormick has once again been phenomenal for Loughgiel.  She has 2-23 (15f) beside her name while the Cuchullains have Nicole McAtamney (0-38 26f) and Katie Molloy (5-14) leading the way.  Both teams showing their capabilities to grab majors with Dunloy raising the green flag 18 times in their 5 matches while Loughgiel’s strike rate is similar, 11 goals in 3 games.

The Shamrocks will be looking to McCormick for the magic she can undoubtedly produce while there are other threats throughout.  Caitrin Dobbin, Annie Lynn, Lucia McNaughton and Anna Connolly all found the back of the net when these two last played.

The Cuchullains have equally as many threats with Katie Molloy proving to be a goal scoring machine in the championship to date but she has plenty of support from Cassie McArthur, Bronagh Magill, Nicole McAtamney brings so much more than just her frees while Eobha McAllister has the speed and ability to cause plenty of concern despite her young age.

Loughgiel’s Annie Lynn and Dunloy’s Eobha McAllister battle it out in their last championship round robin game at Fr Healy Park – Pic by Michael Corcoran.

The winning of this game will come down to who can contain their opponents attacking threat the best.  Dunloy have shipped six goals to the Shamrocks on two occasions this year, Gabriel Crawford and his backroom team won’t need reminding of that.  They made positional changes in the Cuchullains defence for the Cushendall semi-final with Sarah McIlhatton and Kathryn Boyle retaining the same positions while Aileen McManus made a return to the starting lineup by lining out between the sticks.

Conor Higgins is now in his second season in charge of the Loughgiel camogs and while he may have run the rule over his squad in the league, his championship team looks to have been much more settled.  Amy Boyle and Anna Connolly will likely form their midfield pairing with Claire McKillop, Katie Lynn and Finvola McVeigh forming their full back line.

These two sides have played each other in two other finals in recent times, Loughgiel coming out on top in 2021 (3-12 to 1-9) and 2022 (0-9 to 0-6).  That contest in 2022 was played in horrendous weather conditions at Glenravel and one hopes the weather God’s will be kinder to us than they were on that day and indeed, last weekend!

Loughgiel camogs have been a force of nature for over a decade now and many have come up against the red and white with hopes of causing an upset.  However, the Shamrocks have been relentless in their pursuit of county and provincial if not All-Ireland glory.  They will start Sunday as favourites given how the most recent contest between the two finished but the Cuchullains have been building towards the big one, winning the league and Feis for the first time in a long, long time.  Don’t be surprised if the O’Duffy Cup finds a new home on Sunday.

Dunloy will need to curtail the goal scoring power of Loughgiel’s Caitrin Dobbin if they are to succeed. Pic by Michael Corcoran

Line ups for their last game…

Dunloy v Cushendall semi-final

Aileen McManus, Sarah McIlhatton, Brid Magill, Kathryn Boyle, Casey Crawford, Katie Laverty, Caoimhe Conlon, Eimear Johnston, Katharine Mullan, Nicole McAtamney, Eobha McAllister, Bronagh Magill, Aine Magill, Katie Molloy, Cassie McArthur

Loughgiel v Dunloy last group game

Amy Boyle, Clare McKillop, Katie Lynn, Finvola McVeigh, Maria Lynn, Emma McFadden, Shauna Devlin, Amy Boyle, Anna Connolly, Christine McCloskey, Lucia McNaughton, Annie Lynn, Caitrin Dobbin, Roisin McCormick, Anna McKillop, Marie Laverty

by thesaffrongael

A long standing rivalry

By Conor Caldwell

When life-long St Agnes clubman Conor Caldwell sent me this piece about Saturday’s Junior final between St Comgall’s and his beloved Aggies I was so impressed by his knowledge of both clubs I got back to him to get some background info. I ask him how he became so knowledgable about the club and he came back with the answer….

“The scars of many years on the field playing for the Aggies! “

Conor played for the Aggies senior team for 20 years but has had to retire to the reserve ranks in the last two or three seasons. He was involved in most of these matches that are mentioned in the main article.  He also worked for the GAA in Queen’s for many years too so always kept an eye out for players from the division up there which helps the memory!

“Yes, quite incredible we’ve never won an all county championship. The last Junior Final appearance before 2007 was 1991 when my dad was the captain. We’ve won the South Antrim JFC a few times (when that was probably harder to win than today’s JFC ironically!“)

Aggies seeking their first Junior title

When Naomh Una and St Comgall’s take the field on Saturday afternoon, the Aggies will be seeking to register a first ever All-County championship win, while Antrim will see a second junior crown in four seasons as firm evidence that they belong in the Intermediate ranks.

The two clubs have both been mainstays of  Antrim junior football in recent years. The roots of their current rivalry can be traced back to one of the last JFC games at Casement Park in 2011, when the Aggies eventually overcame a rapidly improving Antrim side to reach the semi-final of the competition.

Aggies Ronan Carroll in possession during the 2014 semi-final with St Comgall’s at Corrigan Park 

That game would prove to be the last occasion on which the Aggies got one over on Antrim in championship football, as both teams experienced a significant turn-over of players. Antrim strengthened, bringing through the likes of Oisín Crilly and Myles Devine, while the Aggies rebuilt from the ground up, seeing club stalwarts such as Paul Jordan and Kevin Lynch retire.

In the preceding years, the clubs had rarely played in league football, with Antrim regularly residing in the old Division 6, with the Aggies plying their trade between Divisions 3 and 4. On the occasions when the clubs did meet, heavy victories for the city men were not uncommon. However, with second teams now barred from the All County Leagues, the two sides found themselves in regular competition with one another in Division 3 of the new structure. Teams like St Comgall’s and Lisburn quickly reaped the rewards of higher-quality games against established junior clubs, and soon became a force at the level.

Two memorable League encounters in 2012 reinforced how quickly the gap was closing, as Antrim tripped up the Aggies following a missed penalty and a sending off for the men in black and white. In the return leg in at Woodlands, the home side gave up a sizeable second-half lead and were saved by the finger tips of Ryan Reilly diving across the goal to push a last-gasp 14 yard free onto the bar.

The next big game between the two will be remembered as a controversial JFC semi-final in 2014 at Corrigan Park, which the Dunsilly men won by a single point. In a hard-fought battle, which saw Declan Crummey score a memorable side-line kick for the Aggies, a well-worked Antrim goal in the second half saw them reach the decider.  It was a sliding doors moment for both teams, with a generational group of Aggies players losing their last shot at JFC glory, while a hard-working Antrim team had their first big day out to look forward to. St Comgall’s would ultimately lose the final to St Malachy’s on the bizarre score line of 3-2 to 0-9.

Aggies Conor Compston in possession during the 2014 semi-final against St Comgall’s at Corrigan Park.

It’s fair to say that the fall-out from that semi-final cemented the rivalry between the clubs and league matches were always tetchy and physical. However, when they met again two years later in a JFC quarter-final in Cargin, Antrim ran out easy winners. An ailing and disjointed Aggies’ side was unable to bridge the gap in physical conditioning that had grown between the two in this period. The teams began to see each other less frequently after this as Antrim began to find themselves more regularly playing their league football in Division 2.

In the 2020s, the development of Patrick O’Connor into one of the best all around players in the junior division, as well as the arrival of Tom Patchett into the St Comgall’s senior team, saw them take their game to a different level. A near miss against a well-fancied Ardoyne team in the first ever live-streamed JFC final in 2020 was perhaps the final piece of motivation needed. All the more agonising for Antrim that day was that they held Ardoyne scoreless for nearly the entire second half but just could not get the last few scores they needed.

By the following year, the seeds of an Aggies’ revival were firmly sewn under the guidance of Tiffy Quinn and both sides set their eyes on a final berth against competition favourites, Rasharkin. The Aggies were now led by Conall Turley Cormac Flannery and Ronan Carroll, all of whom had watched on from the Casement stands back in 2011. On a mucky day in Ahoghill, Antrim struck for two first-half goals and despite a valiant Aggies effort, they were unable to close the gap in the second half. Antrim went on to upset Rasharkin on penalties in the final and bring their long wait for the trophy to an end.

Antrim’s forays up the divisions have been seemingly met with many of the same challenges as other clubs in the past. Facing off against sides looking to head into Division 1 is an entirely different proposition to playing teams who have only been recently formed as is often the case in Junior football. The restructuring of the leagues and championship in 2024 has once again brought Antrim and the Aggies together. A routine win in the early rounds of the league this year in Dunsilly for Antrim belied the state of the two clubs at the time, but the Aggies’ rise under Martin Shortt saw that gap close significantly in the return fixture at Woodlands, with Antrim securing the league title on a 3-9 to 1-9 score line.

Naomh Una will be seeking to deliver a seismic upset against an Antrim side which has yet to be defeated in 2024 and to bring the cup back to Andersonstown for the first time. Five of the Naomh Una panel featured in their last final appearance in 2010, and even more remarkably, four of those players also contested the 2007 final.

St Comgall’s will have the benefit of their recent success fresh in the minds, as well as the experience of Intermediate football in the years since, but as 2014 and 2021 proved, finals are for winning and anything can happen. Whatever the result, Antrim junior football is all the stronger for this rivalry and both teams would represent the county well in Ulster

by thesaffrongael

John McKeever

Getting to the final is only half the battle. It earns you the right to challenge.

Portglenone manager John McKeever is going into Sunday’s county final with enthusiasm but his eyes are wide open.

The Casements are in a first final in 15 years. There is the consistency of getting to five semi-finals in a row after a period of rebuilding.

But it was five years in the hurt locker. Their semi-final defeats weren’t just disappointing. They were gut-wrenching.

They had one foot in the final one year before Aghagallon had the ball in the Portglenone net. It was a knife to the heart.

But they didn’t down tools. The squad were back at the start line the following January.

“All we’ve ever wanted…was to win a senior championship,” McKeever said.

Going into their semi-final with Lámh Dhearg, their manager took the heat off the Portglenone side. The worst thing that could happen was they’d come up short for a sixth time.

And sure, the average Joe, outside the group, had written them off anyway.

Going into the semi-final, McKeever took the pressure off them. It was only a match. What was the worst thing that could happen? They lose a sixth semi-final in a row like some on the outside felt they might.

McKeever flips it on its head. Getting to semi-finals isn’t to be looked down on. The fact everyone was back at the start line this season tells of the resilience in the group. Perseverance is another word that fits like a glove.

Casements manager John McKeever

“There’s a serious consistency there to get the five senior championship semi-finals in a row… people forget that,” McKeever said.

“Those defeats, they were heartbreaking but the group all stayed together. Nobody retired, or nobody threw their head up, or nobody left, or nobody went travelling, or anything like that…We managed to keep everybody together.”

And every winter, the target was the same. Get back to a semi-final and aim to take a step further. But getting the last four was the always the focus.

“So that’s the way that we planned it from February, was to get back to that semi-final again,” McKeever added.

Chatting to the Portglenone manager, you get a sense of his local pride. Winning club All-Irelands with Fr Rocks and school success are all well and good.

But Portglenone is home. After a spell in Bellaghy, it was time to give his home club a push forward.

There is also pride in the underage progress. When the U16s were in the county final, a team put on their way as children by his late brother Paul, they deserved the support of everybody in the club.

Senior training was moved back. The seniors were told get out in numbers to support the players who’d be looking their jerseys within a few years.

There was a recent minor title. The underage teams straddle the Bann to get challenge games across in Derry and further afield.

Past players are back rolling up their sleeves to shape players and give them an opportunity to blossom.

When the seniors advanced to Sunday’s final, the young players were on the other side of the line. Backing them to the hilt. It’s all about Portglenone.

When the club held a fundraising cycle lately, it was a clockwork operation.  Their facilities have grown to match their expectation.

“There’s a serious coaching model in Portglenone,” McKeever added of eight years of hard work.

“We were going to get the real solid structures in place and drive the underage really strong. And that was us moving on because we did go down to Intermediate football, that was us moving back to senior football again.”

It’s 10 days out from Sunday’s final and McKeever is just in the door from an U-12 coaching session. That’s the other end of the club.
Sunday is about the flagship team – the seniors and 15 years after losing a third final in a five-year window, from 2005 to 2009, at the hands of St Gall’s, Portglenone are back where they want to be.

It’s the biggest day in Antrim football and they’re on the starting grid. They are waiting on the light turning green.Their opponents are Cargin. That’s why McKeever’s eyes are wide open.

For all the fresh enthusiasm his side will have, Cargin are the team to beat. A win on Sunday and it’s their eighth title in a decade.

“I have obviously the utmost respect, for Cargin,” he said, revealing how his daughters turn out for their ladies’ teams.

“We’ve a lot of enthusiasm and excitement and Cargin will have all that experience,” McKeever said, pointing how it will be the perfect ingredient for an entertaining hour.

“I think the pressure is off us now that we’ve got over that semi-final. We’ll go into it probably more at ease than we would have been getting into that semi-final because we know that we’ve got over that last hurdle.

“It means that we can go out play fearless and the thing about it is, our boys now have a serious hunger about them.

“They want to be the first group of lads in Portglenone history to win a senior championship. They want to be a group of lads to do something that has never been done before and that adds a lot of value to it in terms of hunger.”

Casements Portglenone manager John McKeever

But getting to the final is only half the battle. It earns you the right to challenge.

“Obviously, it’s going to be a huge test and we’ll need a huge performance to stop Cargin, we know that…we’re fully aware of that,” McKeever admits.

“We know we’ll be massive underdogs. We respect that because Cargin have been brilliant champions over the years.

“There’s a serious buzz about the club at the minute. The players will not be involved in any of that buzz, we’ll be keeping them away from that and encourage the rest of the community to really enjoy the build-up to it.
“We’ll just be keeping the players just under the radar and keeping their heads down and look forward to it.”

All Portglenone have ever wanted as to win a championship. Getting the semi-final monkey off their back takes them a step closer. The next step is the biggest.

by thesaffrongael

Naomh Comhghall favourites but they should be weary of the Aggies

JFC Final 1-30pm Hightown

Naomh Comhghall v St. Agnes

Naomh Comhghall, Antrim will go into Saturday’s Junior Football Championship final as firm favourites, and rightly so but they should be weary of their opponents, St. Agnes.

The Antrim town side went through their 13 league games programme without dropping a point and under the guidance of former St. Paul’s player, Barry Burns they have been out ahead of the chasing pack all season.

On their way to the league title a free scoring St. Comgall’s scored 289 points for with 102 against to record a score difference of 187 points with 3-13 against Pearses and 3-10 against Eire Og in their opening two games.

They added 3-20 on day three and 2-19 on day four while their opponents on Saturday, St. Agnes were struggling in the early stages of the league, suffering some bad defeats including home and away defeats to the Antrim town side.

Naomh Comhghall Antrim who are unbeaten in league and championship this season and will start Saturday’s JFC final against St. Agnes as firm favourites

And so it was on to the championship with Naomh Comhghall continuing where they had left off in the league, winning all three group 2 games to top the group and qualify for a place in the semi-final where they defeated Pearses 2-7 to 0-5 at Dunsilly.

Naomh Una meanwhile, under the guidance of Tyrone man Martin Shortt began to gain a bit of momentum in the latter stages of the league and carried that good form into the championship.

They made a few sit up and take notice with a 1-15 to 0-12 win over Pearses in the opening game in Group 1 and followed with wins over Laochra Loch Lao and O’Donnell’s to top the group.

The ‘Aggies’ had eight points to spare over St. Malachy’s in the semi-final and have grown in confidence with their well organised brand of football making them an opponent that deserves the respect of the Antrim town side on Saturday.

Naomh Comhghall, as they have shown throughout the league and championship carry a serious scoring threat and it is a threat that the Woodlands side will have to contain if they are to cause an upset at St. Enda’s.

Ryan Clarke, Joseph Webb, James McCabe, Tom Patchett, Patrick O’Connor, Louis Higgins Miles Devine and Aaron McGraw are all capable finishers on their day for ‘the town’ while Eoin Lynett, Danaan O’Hara and Michael McCabe give little away in defence.

St. Agnes who will go into Saturday’s decider with confidence following a strong championshp campaign

St. Agnes are a different animal to the one that Naomh Comhghall comfortably dealt with in the league and Martin Shortt has turned them into a side that deserves respect and are in the final on merit.

Ronan Carroll, Colin Clarke, Conal Turley and Cormac McBride have all scored freely throughout the championship in a side that has tightened up considerably at the back and Naomh Una will go into Saturday’s decider with confidence.

Naomh Comhghall will start this final as firm favourites and have earned the favourites tag following a consistent and impressive season but they should be weary of the ‘Aggie’s.