Carey Faughs sealed the Division 2 League title on Wednesday evening when a late scoring burst saw them come from behind to beat Cushendun in a top class game.
Going into the game the Carey men needed a win over the Emmet’s to finish ahead of Glenarm, both of who were on twenty points in the league table.
Cushendun’s Conor McHugh who had a great game for the Emmet’s
Most punters felt it was going to be a straight forward victory for the Ballyvoy men, especially considering the fact that the Emmet’s were short a few regulars, but the home side had other ideas and they gave as good as they got throughout the hour. Conor Bannon got the first point of the game for the home team, and though Carey levelled inside a minute, points from Dominic McQuillan, Conor Bannon and Conrad McDonnell put them three clear after six minutes. Two well taken points from Conal McGlynn brought Carey to within a point again but it was score for score for a while as Conor McHugh and Sean Mckay hit the target for the home team.
Midway through the half a Fergal McGlynn goal gave Carey a great boost but Cushendun never gave up the fight and Pearse McKeegan and the excellent Conor McHugh added late points to give their team the lead by a point at half time. 0-12 to 1-8
With Glenarm leading their game at Shaw’s Road by two points the Feystown side were on course to take the title, and when Cushendun stretched the lead to four there were a lot of very nervous Carey fans around the place. When Smiley, Conor Bannon and Conor O’Hara pushed the lead out to five the Carey men appeared to be in a bit of trouble, but somehow they snapped into gear entering the last ten minutes and rattle off a series of excellent scores. Two from James ‘Rocket’ Black, another couple of long range frees from McGlynn finally gave them a little breathing space, and though Cusheundun grabbed the last point of the game it was a case of too little, too late, and the Division Two title was back in Carey’s possession for the second time in three years.
A great start to the season for the new management team of Eddie McCloskey and Benny McCarry and with silverware already in the trophy cabinet they will now set off in pursuit of the Intermediate championship title in a couple of weeks time.
CCC Chairman Sean O’Reilly presents the Division 2 Hurling League trophy to Carey captain Shea Hunter after his team’s win over Cushendun in the final game of the season.
For more photos from the Carey v Cushendun game click on the link below
Already crowned Division 3 champions, Bredagh arrived in Cloughymills hoping to end their campaign with a perfect 11 wins from 11 starts but they came up against a St. Brigid’s side who had a place in the promotion-relegation play-offs up for grabs.
CCC Chairman, Sean O’Reilly presented the division 3 cup to joint captain, Mark Patterson and Michael Woods before throw-in, the county official was in for a busy evening as he then left for Cushendun to perform the honours again should Carey Faughs defeat the Emmet’s to take the division 2 title.
St. Brigid’s Corey Blair fires home the game’s opening goal
Any notions that the visitors to Cloughmills held that this was going to be an easy evening were quickly dismissed as the ‘Biddies’ came racing out of the starting blocks to show their intent and Corey Blair got them off to a perfect start as he fired to the net in the second minute.
Before Bredagh had a chance to recover Blair was in action again. This time his shot was saved by Bredagh keeper, Aaron Maguire but Ryan Watson was quickest to react to the rebound and batted the sliothar home from close range.
Bredagh began to settle with point from PJ Lavery and Rory McCamphill before Christopher McKernan in the St. Brigid’s goals pulled off a good save as the visitors began to gain a foothold.
Eoin Dobbin, who was to have a big influence on the final outcome, replied with a point from a ‘65’ before his opposite number, Donal Hughes fired home for the visitors at the end of a hectic opening 7 minutes to close the gap to two.
A great long range point from Joseph Hanrahan left just one in it but Cloughmills replied from a similar effort from Eoin Dobbin and another from Ryan Watson to move three ahead.
Cloughmill’s Rian Dobbin tridies up as Daniel Kinney moves in to challenge
Bredagh were trying to feed the ball into their inside forwards but too often they over hit their passes or they were being thwarted by a solid ‘Biddies’ rear guard who were getting out in front of their men to avert the danger..
Mel Lavery pulled one back for the Ravenhill Road side but St. Brigid’s were winning a lot of dirty ball and replied through Niall McNaughton and the excellent Eoin Dobbin 0-2 to keep their noses ahead.
Both sides added points in the period leading up to half time with Tiarnan Sheehan 0-2 on target for the visitors and the sweet striking Dobbin getting three, including a 70 meter free to leave the home side 2-8 to 1-7 ahead at the interval.
It was Bredagh who made the better start to the second half with Sheehan converting another free and Hughes adding another from play before the game deteriorated into a dogfight as the scores dried up for a time.
Tiarnan Curran, Bredagh and Sean McKendry, St. Brigid’s challenge for the ball
It would be 11 minutes before Cloughmills’ star man, Eoin Dobbin raised their first score of the second half but the excellent number 11 followed with two more to move his side five ahead with 21minutes gone.
Tiarnan Sheehan replied from a ‘65’ in the 24th minute but substitute, Liam Kerarns made quick reply with a point from play at the other end as the game became scrappy and foul ridden with referee, Fergus McAllister trying to keep a lid on matters.
The league champions made a push to salvage something from the contest in the closing stages with substitute Fintan McCollum and Sheehan closing the gap to two by the 29th minute but that was as close as they got.
A good win for Cloughmills who now look set to meet Carryduff in the play-offs with a place in division 2 next year up for grabs where the winners will be joined by tonight’s already crowned division 3 champions, Bredagh
St. Brigid’s: 1 Christopher McKernan, 2 Aaron McGuckian, 3 Sean McKendry, 4 Johnny Duffin, 5 Rian Dobbin, 6 Ruairi Laverty, 7 Geoffrey Og Laverty, 8 Kevin O’Boyle, 9 Stephen Smyth, 10 Reece Watt, 11 Eoin Dobbin, 12 Martin Dobbin, 13 Niall McNaughton, 14 Corey Blair, 15 Ryan Watson.
Subs: Liam Kearns for Reece Watt, James Doherty for Aaron McGuckian, James O’Boyle for Niall McNaughton, Ronnie Reid for Ryan Watson
Bredagh: 1 Aaron Maguire, 2 Tim Cunnane, 3 Lawrence Smyth, 4 PJ Lavery, 5 Evin Maguire, 6 Michael Woods, 7 Jake Carlin, 8 Joseph Hanrahan, 9 Mel Lavery, 10 Ciaran McMullan, 11 Donal Hughes, 12 Tiarnan Sheehan, 13 Liam Hogan, 14 Tiarnan Curran, 15 Rory McCamphill.
Subs: Dan Kinney for Tim Cunnane
Referee: Fergus McAlister
For more pics from this game cllick on the link below
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Dunloy progressed to the final of the Senior Feis Cup after defeating Cushendall by the narrowest of margins at Pearse Park on Wednesday. It took a point in the second minute of injury time from Seaan Elliott to get the Cuchullains over the line and it came at the end of a topsy turvy second half that saw six goals evenly split.
The Ruairi’s looked to be on course for a showdown with Loughgiel when they fired three goals in the space of a little over four minutes. It went a long way in overturning the Cuchullains five point half time advantage but the home side managed to curtail the Cushendall onslaught and score two major in three minutes themselves.
The Ruairi’s would finish the game with 14 men, Stephen Walsh seeing red with a little over five minutes of the hour remaining with the sides tied but it was the Cuchullains who finished strongly and had a little more about them to earn the victory.
There weren’t many in attendance at Pearse Park who could have foreseen the drama that was to unfold in the second half at half time. The opening 30 minutes was played at almost pedestrian pace with moments of brilliance with the first score not coming until the eighth minute, a free from Conal Cunning. The Dunloy man would finish with 1-6 beside his name and the Cuchullains had a three point lead before Cushendall registered their first score through a Paddy McGill free in the 13th minute – the Dunloy scores coming from Eoin McFerran and the returning Eoin O’Neill.
Keelan Molloy and Joseph McLaughlin swapped scores before Dunloy struck another three unanswered in as many minutes. Two from placed ball from Coby Cunning came before Paul Shiels first of four points to give the home side a five point lead with nine minutes of the first half remaining.
The Ruairi’s hit back with a penalty in the 24th minute, referee Eoin Elliott adjudging that Aaron Crawford fouled Andrew Delargy and McGill made no mistake to find the back of Eoghan Richmond’s goal. It would be the Ruairi’s last score of the half though as Dunloy extended their lead. Scores from Coby (free), Keelan Molloy with a sublime score from wide on the right and Paul Shiels left the half time score 0-10 to 1-2 in the Cuchullains favour.
Cushendall had the aid of any wind there was blowing for the second half and despite Shiels firing over the opening score after the break, they landed three unanswered through McLaughlin (two) and McGill (free).
The goal fest began in the 37th minute however with Eoin ‘Sammy’ O’Neill marking his return to the Dunloy set-up with a sweetly taken strike. Sammy might have applied the finish but it owed much to the break from Shiels and the interception from Nigel Elliott that preceded. That would be Dunloy’s last score for 11 minutes however as Cushendall hit a purple patch.
A gargantuan score from Ryan McCambridge left five between the sides before the Ruairi’s scored their second major. A free from Paddy Burke dropped in the danger zone with Dominic Delargy causing mayhem in the Dunloy defence. The sliotar broke a Ciaran Neeson pulled first time to rattle the back of Richmond’s net.
Delargy was at it again with the next attack, this time McCambridge sent the sliotar long and Delargy managed to get a touch to find the back of the net. The Dunloy defence protested but referee Elliott consulted with his umpire and awarded the goal.
A point from Fred McCurry followed before the Ruairi’s fourth major and third in less than five minutes. Cushendall broke from the middle third and a series of fluent passes resulted in Delargy in the right place and right time to finish from close range. The home side protested with two Dunloy players on the turf with what looked like head injuries but the goal stood and Cushendall had a five point lead.
Delargy’s second major was their last score for 10 minutes though as it was Dunloy who began to gather some momentum. Shiels firing over his second of the half preceded Keelan Molloy’s 50th minute goal. Reading the flight and break of the ball, Molloy ran into space and found the bottom corner of Eoin Gillan’s goals.
The home sides third major followed just three minutes later with Molloy turning provider. Breaking the tackle, Molloy found Coby in space and he made no mistake from close range to give Dunloy a one point lead.
The game was hotting up going into the final stages with the impressive Neeson splitting the uprights to tie the scores before Walsh saw red for his challenge on Nigel Elliott. A missed free from Coby Cunning looked to give Cushendall a shot of adrenaline when Neeson took his tally to 1-2 for the match and the lead with two minutes of the hour remaining as the Ruairi’s introduced Neil McManus to find some level of control in the time that remained.
He and Coby would exchange points as the game ticked into injury time but it was the Cuchullains who had the final say. Another free from Coby levelled the scores and with thoughts on the potential for extra time began, Dunloy carved out one more chance. Substitute Aodhan McGarry creating the chance for Seaan Elliott who fired over with what was the last act of the game.
A brilliant second half to a game that both sides contributed superbly to. There aren’t many matches you’ll go to at this level where you’ll see five goals in 14 minutes but Dunloy and Cushendall served up a mid-summer treat on a cold evening. The Cuchullains progress to meet the Shamrocks on Sunday in Waterfoot.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Eoghan Richmond; Oran Quinn, Ronan Molloy, Aaron Crawford; Kevin McKeague, Kevin Molloy, Eamon Smyth; Paul Shiels, Seaan Elliott; Eoin McFerran, Keelan Molloy, Nigel Elliott; Nicky McKeague, Conal Cunning, Eoin O’Neill
Subs: Aodhan McGarry for E Smyth (36); Garbiel McTaggart for N McKeague (49); Anton McGrath for E O’Neill (51)
Scorers: C Cunning 1-6 (4fs, 1’65); Keelan Molloy 1-2; P Shiels 0-4; E O’Neill 1-1; E McFerran 0-1; S Elliott 0-1
Cushendall: Eoin Gillan; Charlie McAuley, Liam Gillan, Martin Burke; Stephen Walsh, Paddy Burke, Aidan McNaughton; Alex Delargy, Fred McCurry; Dominic Delargy, Ryan McCambridge, Andrew Delargy; Paddy McGill, Ciaran Needon, Joseph McLaughlin
Subs: Neil McManus for P McGill (55); Joseph McNaughton for D Delargy (59)
Scorers: D Delargy 2-00; P McGill 1-3 (1-00 pen, 3fs); C Neeson 1-2; J McLaughlin 0-3; F McCurry 0-1; R McCambridge 0-1; N McManus 0-1
Referee: Owen Elliott (Ballymena)
For more of Brendan McTaggart’s photos from this game click on the link below
Any issues with these games please contact Karol Doherty 07879 027112 or Sean McAtamney 07522 640053 as I am abroad with no signal and limited access to internet.
