All County Hurling League – Division 2

Loughgiel 0-24 v Glenariff 3-14

30th June 2024

Match report and photos from Michael Corcoran

Sunday evening’s Division 2 game between Loughgiel and Glenariffe was a tight affair for forty five of the sixty or so minutes of play. The first half demonstrated that well as both sides thrilled their supporters with an upbeat tempo, gritty engagements and hurling skills that boded well as an entertaining game slotted into Loughgiel’s Club Day 2024.

Although it felt like Glenariffe lifted their foot a bit off the pedal in the mid portion of the second half, the final scoreline would defy that sideline sentiment with Loughgiel tip toeing over the line with only a point to spare as the scoreboard announced Loughgiel 0-24 Glenariffe 3-14.

John O’Connor from Ballygalget, was the man in charge of the match and after a short period of reflection to remember the contribution into GAA sporting activities by the late Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh and club members who passed away in the course of the year, Orla Devlin sang Amhrán na bhFiann and O’Connor made the sliotar live by 6pm.

 Loughgiel’s Daniel McPeake won the toss and effected a swap of the warm up goals so that the Shamrock’s had the cool breeze from the road end on their backs for the opening half and Loughgiel’s Odhran McFadden would make use of that from the right-hand side to carry his sliotar over Glenariff’s bar for the game’s opening point.

When O’Connor blew for a foul on Glenariff’s Michael Haughey, Oliver Kearney matched McFadden’s score to bring the Oisin’s into the game and that was quickly followed by a rasping shot to the back of Loughgiel’s net from Brogan O’Connor for the game’s first goal.

The Oisins would continue on a scoring run of an additional five points to Loughgiel’s nine before Orrin O’Connor made a run for Loughgiel’s 13m line on the left side. Sensing that Loughgiel were closing him down, O’Connor off loaded to a running Connor Kerr, who buried the sliotar into Loughgiel’s net. Despite a call for a possible square ball, referee O’Connor held firm and Glenariffe had their second goal around the twenty-five-minute mark.

O’Connor spotted a heavy tackle on Loughgiel’s Connor Dickson and as Ronan Fitzgerald cruised that over the bar, O’Connor brought the first half to a close with Loughgiel 0-11 Glenariff 2-06, a mere point of a difference and everything to play for in the second half.

Only a few seconds had passed in the second half, when Eoin McGarry fouled Glenariff’s Niall Magee. Keeper Paul McMullan ran out to the 20m line to take the free, dropping it into the left edge of Loughgiel’s 13m line but the Shamrock’s were swift in diffusing the threat and it would be Loughgiel’s Cahal Hargan that would get Loughgiel rolling with a point over McMullan’s bar.

Glenariffe though would soon get their scoring campaign briefly back on track, first from a free by Seanie McIntosh as O’Connor spotted Orrin O’Connor getting a clip on the back of his helmet and a turnover from Mark Christie’s puck out, finished by Kieran McKendry.

At this stage in the match, Loughgiel were keeping the tempo going and over a period of fifteen minutes, amassed seven points to Glenariff’s one from Seanie McIntosh. The Oisin’s would then return to go point for point bringing the score to Loughgiel 0-24 Glenariff 2-14 but not before Loughgiel pressed hard for a goal from Roan McGarry, which was saved but wasn’t cleared away and turned over for a fine point from Loughgiel’s Shane O’Boyle and at about 27 minutes into the second half, Cahal Hargan fired the sliotar net bound from the 20m line, which was well saved by Paul McMullan.

It seemed like the Shamrocks were home and dry but late in the game, O’Connor spotted a lifted ball as Loughgiel scrambled to clear the sliotar from the goal mouth. Oliver Kearney stepped up and found a gap along the goal line to penetrate Loughgiel’s defence for a third goal. With just one point the difference in favour of Loughgiel, frantic efforts to point for a draw by the Oisin’s came to nothing and O’Connor blew for full time to give Loughgiel the win by the finest of margins. Loughgiel 0-24 Glenariffe 3-14, a fine game of hurling that captivated supporters on both sides of Fr. Healy Park.

Loughgiel Scorers

Donal McCloskey 0-01, Tiago McGarry 0-01, Connor Dickson 0-01, Ronan Fitzgerald 0-04 (3f), Donal McKinley 0-01, Odhran McFadden 0-02, Eoin McGarry 0-05 (1f), Cahir McGrath 0-01, Cahal Hargin 0-02, Roan McGarry 0-03 (1f 1×65), Shane O’Boyle 0-01, Darragh Patterson 0-02.

Glenariff Scorers

Seanie McIntosh 0-05 (2f), Oliver Kearney 1-02, Phelim Ward 0-01, Brogan O’Connor 1-03, Connor Kerr 1-0, Orrin O’Connor 0-02, Kieran McKendry 0-01.

Photos from Sunday evening’s game can be found in the photo album by clicking on the link here…

https://myalbum.com/album/qVg3B3SQYHaDKr/?invite=4be2ddd7-97c9-48b0-8bf4-223eb162fb89

Follow Michael G Corcoran @keep_clickin on X (formerly Twitter) for match Gifs when available.

Follow The Saffron Gael @TheSaffronGael on X for links to match reports.

O’Neills Sportswear Antrim Hurling League Division One

St John’s 3-14 Cushendall 2-23

Cushendall put themselves in pole position to claim the ACHL Division 1 title when they travelled to Corrigan Park on Sunday and recorded a six point win over a St. John’s side who held title aspirations themselves going into this game

Heading into the game, the Johnnies needed to win and hope that results went their way next week, but it was the Cushendall men who moved two points clear at the top following Sunday’s encounter.

Loughgiel are just two points behind with a game in hand but have an inferior score difference and would need a resounding win over Rossa next week if they are to overhaul their North Antrim rivals.

In an entertaining game of hurling that saw the hosts giving as good as they got for long periods but the visitors always looked the likelier winners and finished strongly to ensure victory.

It was St. John’s who made the brighter start however and scored the game’s first goal after just 15 seconds as Conall Bohill broke from the throw-in, and found Peter McCallin who placed Darragh McGuinness who cut in from the left to finish in style.

Oisin MacManus opened his account from a free and then Connor Hand got onto a good cross field ball to add another as the Corrigan men enjoyed a bright opening spell.

The Ruairi og’s took a time to settle as Ciaran Neeson opened their account with both teams relying on their free-takers for a spell with MacManus on target for the hosts, while McGill and Campbell replied for the visitors with that early goal separating the sides.

The lead would be wiped out in the 18th minute as Andrew Delargy got onto a long play, popped to Paddy Burke whose bouncing finish found the net.

Cushendall would push on with McGill (two), Alex Delargy and Dom Delargy finding their range in a spell in which Aaron Bradley clipped over a fine score from out on the left for the Johnnies who would have a couple of goal chances late in the half. Peter McCallin did well to get in on goal but last-ditch defending would deny him, while a piece of quick thinking late in the half saw Cormac McAllister alert to his whipped effort to divert out for a 65 that MacManus would land as Cushendall’s lead was down to two at the break, 1-11 to 1-9.

Cushendall made the stronger start to the second period with Neeson getting into a groove with a point from the left, followed by a McGill free.

But the Johnnies began to rally with the next three as Bradley fired from deep either side of placed balls from MacManus. The gap was back to three as Neeson clipped his third from an angle and McGill punishing another indiscretion, but in the space of two minutes, the Johnnies had overturned the deficit.

Firstly, Bohill was onto a long ball and played MacManus in to crack home and then, Miceál Dudley’s long delivery broke to Bohill who whipped home.

After an exchange of points, Cushendall began to eat into the gap as they mounted a charge in the final quarter as Ryan McCambridge thought he had a goal, only for his whipped effort to clear the bar, while substitute Fred Curry wasted no time in getting involved with a brace to level it up.

Momentum was with the Ruairis as Paddy Burke edged them ahead and McGill thumped over from deep and two minutes from time, it was game over as Simon Doherty opted to prevent a shot from going over, but didn’t get enough purchase on his batted effort with Andrew Delargy there to poke home.

A Conor Hand point kept the Johnnies in the hunt entering stopage time but the game was sealed as Joe McNaughton and McCambridge cracked over late points to ensure they sit on top with their league campaign over.

They must now await the outcome of next week’s final round game between Loughgiel and Rossa to see if they claim the title, but it will require a 39-point win for the Shamrocks to overhaul them.

ST JOHN’S: S Doherty; O Carleton, Ciaran Johnston, C McEvoy; J Bohill, C Morgan, M McCartin; S Wilson, C Bohill (1-0); D McGuinness (1-0), C Hand (0-3), A Bradley (0-2); P McCallin, L Heenan, O MacManus (1-9, 0-6f, 0-2 65s).

Subs: M Dudley for P McCallin (HT), D McKeogh for L Heenan (HT), J Wilson for A Bradley (51), M Darragh for J Wilson (59)

CUSHENDALL: C McAllister; Stephen Walsh, M Burke, L Scalley; Scott Walsh (0-2), E Campbell (0-1f), P Burke (1-1); Alex Delargy (0-1), F McCambridge; R McAteer, R McCambridge (0-2), D Delargy (0-1); C Neeson (0-4), P McGill (0-8, 6f), Andrew Delargy (1-0).

Subs: J McNaughton (0-1) for D Delargy (36), F McCurry (0-2) for R McAteer (46)

REFEREE: Column Cunning (Dunloy)

To see more of Bert’s pics from this game click on the link below

https://myalbum.com/album/YYMP9aBs9rx9bm/?invite=14c367c2-ffff-4b63-9021-cff1b00d593b