Division 1 league leaders St John’s lost their unbeaten record at Corrigan Park on Sunday when they were beat by Ballycran side who were at full strength for the first time this season.
With Down’s interest in the Joe McDonagh Cup being ended by Laois the previous day the most of Ballycran county players turned out and though they struggled in the early stages, they got the goals they needed to turn the game around.
St John started strongly and 0-4 to 0-1 up after seven minutes, Stephen Tierney, Mick Dudley, Shea Shannon and Aidan McMahon grabbing the Johnnies scores, while Scott Nicholson was the Ballycran scorer. Lorcan Heenan put St John’s 0-5 to 0-1 clear but the Ards men were starting to find their range and two goal in a three minutes spell from Liam Savage and David Gilliland began to turn the game in their favour, and they pushed on to lead by 2-8 to 09 by half time.
A strong start to the second half by the home side, which brought three points from Shea Shannon and on from Aaron Bradley, saw the draw level within six minutes of the restart. However Ballycran responded well andtwo points from Phelim Savage and two from Scott Nicholson, were followed by a goal by Gilliland to hand them back a decisive advantage.
St John’s battled against the odds during the final quarter with Shea Shannon adding three more points to their tally and Mick Dudley two, but Ballycran had the damage done and further points from Nicholson(2) and Paul Sheehan gave them victory, their first one of the season.
Shane O’Neill’s Glenarm produced a second half display of power, determination and skill to overcome the challenge of Tir na nOg at Sunny Feystown on Sunday.
An emotional day for the Feystown Club as it was the first senior game after the loss of our fellow member Connor McNeill who died as a result of a traffic accident last week.
You could have heard a pin drop after Reiteóir Ray Matthews blew his whistle for the start of a one minute silence. Both teams, as well as a sizeable crowd, stood to attention to honour the loss of a fellow Gael –
The Randalstown side looked on their way to another victory when they scored three quick-fire goals into the pavilion end in the opening quarter but the home side steadied themselves and trailed by only three at the interval with their goal coming from Dylan McLoughlin’s deft flick to the net.
With the breeze at their backs at the start of the second half captain Declan Mc Dermott rallied his troops and the Glenarm side came storming out of the starting blocks to completely take command as they hit 6 points on the bounce to lead by three by the 7th minute.
It was a lead they would not relinquish as they continued to dominate the second period, producing a level of intensity that their opponents quite simply couldn’t match.
It was the home side who started well at Feystown with Dylan McLoughlin, Niall McGarrell and Ciaran Magill firing them into an early 3 point lead before Ryan O’Neill opened Tir na nOg’s account from a 60 meter free.
Two more from McLaughlin and Magill moved the Feystown side four clear agin but a point from Emmet Murray and that three goal salvo Declan Mallon, Oliver McAtamney and Joshua Higgins turned the game on its head.
Dylan McLoughlin’s reply for the home side and a series of fine points from Niall McGarrell and McLoughlin had it back to 3-5 to 1-8 at the break but few could have envisaged what was to follow in the second half.
Daniel Black, Sean O’Boyle, Black again, Darren Hamill, Dylan McLoughlin, Niall McGarrell and another from Black within the opening minutes put the home side completely in command.
A couple of pointed frees from Eamon Og McAllister and a goal from Darragh Fagan briefly threatened a response from the visitors but Shane O’Neill’s were not in the mood to rtelinquish.
Dylan McLoughlin and Sean O’Boyle replied with points before the lively McGarrell finished to the visitors net in the 23 minute and in the run in to the finish, Darren Hamill, McGarrell, Declan McDermott, Sean O’Boyle and Ciaran Magill added unanswered points.
A post on the Shane O’Neill’s website paid tribute to their former colleague, Connor McNeill and sums up the mood of the day.
An emotional day for the Feystown Club as it was the first senior game after the loss of our fellow member Connor Mc Neill
You could have heard a pin drop after Reiteóir Ray Matthews blew his whistle for the start of a one minute silence. Both teams, as well as a sizeable crowd, stood to attention to honour the loss of a fellow Gael – THANK YOU FOLKS
Our captain Declan Mc Dermott rallied the troops today to a victory some may not have seen, as our visitors from Whitehill are sitting at the top of the table
Report to follow from Paddy at The Saffron Gael, but we must mention some excellent performances from Decky, Niall McG, Josh, Murph and especially Sean O’Boyle
Dan Black covered every blade of grass today on Fearsithe Pairc and helped his team to victory
Young John Scullion also gets a shout out for a great shift
Shane O’Neill’s: 1Michael Abram, 2 John Scullion, 3 Barry Hamill, 4 Joshua Quinn, 5 Aida Scullion, 6 Darren Hamill, 7 Declan McDermott, 8 Kieran O’Boyle, 9 Daniel Black, Dylan McLaughlin, 11 Ciaran Magill, 13 Blain McDermott, 14 Niall McGarrell, 15 Conal Ward, 17 Rory Mulvenna, 18 Aidan O’Neill, 19 Ryan Mclaughlin, 20 Paul Magill, 22 Matthew Black, 23 Sean O’Hare, 24 Ciaran O’Boyle, 25 Sean O’Boyle, 29 Liam Og McLoughlin.
Tir na nOg: 1 Michael Higgins, 2 Brandon McLarnon, 17 Christy Sheerin, 4 Dara Martin, 5 Ryan O’Neill, 6 Daniel Martin, 7 Sean McKinley, 8 Ciaran O’Neill, 9 Ciaran McKeown, 10 Oliver McAtamney, 11 Joshua Higgins, 12 Emmet Murray, 13 Conor McCamphill, 14 Eamon Og McAllister, 15 Declan Mallon, 18 Neil Shannon, 20 Tony Martin, 21 Darragh Fagan,
Carey snatched victory from the jaws of defeat when a long delivery from left half back James McCouaig was fumbled by the Oisins goalkeeper and somehow trickled over the line for the goal that decided this below par, but exciting, contest at Waterfoot. The Oisins were three clear going into second half injury time and appeared to have done enough, to edge the contest, but two pointed frees by the Faughs free taker Conall McGlynn cut the gap back to a single point. Time was almost up when McCouaig won possession and sent a long ball towards the goal, presumably trying for the equalising point. However lady luck was on the Carey man’s side and his high delivers caught the Oisins keeper off guard, and somehow ended in the net. Goalkeeper Seanin McToal had played a really good game up to them and made a few top class saves to keep the Carey men at bay, but luck was not on his side at the ball spun over the line to give the Faughs the win……Who would be a goalkeeper!
The sides were level on two points apiece when Carey got the opening goal, McGlynn firing in from close range after a goalmouth scramble. Seanie McIntosh and Brogan O’Connor got a couple of good points apiece to put the home team one point clear, but Carey responded well with points from Calum O’Kane and Conlith McKinley, before James Rocket Black soloed through and fired a low shot to the Oisins net.
Four in arrears with just five minutes of the opening half to play the Oisin finished strong and three points in as many minutes from corner forward Phelim Ward, and one from Seanie McIntosh brought them level at the interval.
The second half remained close as both teams picked off the scores and a brilliantly taken goal by Oisins corner forward Brogan O’Connor put them two ahead on 38 minutes. They held that advantage as two from Orrin O’Connor and on from Seanie Tosh cancelled out similar scores from McGlynn, Rocket and McGlynn again. It looked the home team had gained the upper hand when they hit five of the next six points, but Carey kept plugging away and two more points from McGlynn free cut the gap to the minimum, before McCouaig’s late delivery snatched both points.
A fantastic afternoon at St Mary’s University College – Belfast for our first ever Antrim LGFA and Camogie All Stars Presentation. Thank you to Lord Mayor Ryan Murphy for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak to all attendees. Thank you also to Antrim Camogie representative Willie Devlin and to Antrim LGFA Chairwoman Fionnughla Murphy for attending to speak at this historic event. A huge thank you to all the schools who participated in the Antrim Cup this year, we look forward to seeing the progress of all our young athletes across all codes in the coming season. A final thank you to The Saffron Gael and Bert for attending today to take fantastic pictures of all. Belfast City Council Official Antrim GAA Antrim Camogie Antrim LGFA #SCBIBelfast
Brendan McTaggart reports from Corrigan Park, Belfast
For those who weren’t in attendance at Corrigan Park and see the score line, they’ll think this was another case of Antrim coming up short. I suppose the scoreline is all that matters but it only tells half the tale of this championship match.
Leading by a point at half time, it felt like the opening ten minutes of the second half was going to be massive. It was and it was game defining. Unfortunately for those of a Saffron persuasion, it went the way of Galway via the man in black.
Ryan McGarry can’t beleive it as match referee Michael Kennedy shows him a red card in the opening minutes of the second half.
Ryan McGarry was red carded for a completely innocuous challenge with the second half barely three minutes old while the Tribesmen were awarded a penalty when Conor Cooney clearly went down unaided. The talented Galway forward was under pressure from the Antrim defence as he bore down on goal but there was more than a hint of good fortune at the decision to award a penalty. He dusted himself down to fire home the resulting award to give his side a five point lead and effectively turn the remainder of the second half into a non-event.
It was the harshest of harsh lessons for Darren Gleeson’s side who had performed superbly in the opening 35 minutes. Keelan Molloy, Gerard Walsh and Conall Bohill all playing starring roles while James McNaughton was at his imperious best around the middle of the park.
The Loughgiel man finished the game with eight points beside his name and went through a mountain of work. He admitted that those ten minutes after half time, “sucked the life out of us to a certain extent” but McNaughton was pleased with how his side reacted to last weeks disappointment: “Last week (against Dublin) was a disappointment. We capitulated at the end but this past week we got back to the basics and fundamentals of the game. Back to working, earning the right to hurl and work to the death.
“Teams we’re coming up against, if we work for 10 or 15 minutes, they aren’t for laying down. They’ll have their purple patch and against Dublin, we folded. That didn’t happen today.”
Antrim did take some time to get into the game but when they did, they were causing the men from the West insurmountable problems. The visitors had held an early five point led by the eighth minute thanks largely to a goal from Gavin Lee but a run of six points unanswered from McNaughton (three – 1f), Molloy (two) and Mick Bradley fired life into the Saffron challenge.
Up until that point, the Antrim challenge was stuttering with a number of wides and shots dropping short. Coming close to double digits in wide ball and half as many dropping short, a one point lead was the minimum Antrim deserved.
The Antrim goal came in the 29th minute through Bohill. McNaughton was heavily involved in the build up with Rian McMullan and while Bohill applied the finish, it was a just reward for the work he had gone through in that opening period. The Antrim lead was three points and they were playing at a level that had plenty purring with excitement in Corrigan.
As the clock ticked towards the end of the half, Niland found another gear. He fired over three points (one free) along with a score from Tom Monaghan while Gerard Walsh was finding his range for the Saffrons. Firing over a free and executing a perfectly struck side line from similar distance to that of the Wexord game to leave the half time score 1-11 to 1-10 in the Saffrons favour.
“We were in a really good position at the start of the second half,” continued McNaughton. “We put a lot of effort into the first half to be a point up and disappointed not to be more up. We passed up on a lot of chances.
Keelan Molloy challenges for a high ball
“To come out in the second half and get that red card so early, a soft red card at that, it was deflating. It wasn’t the winning or losing of the game though. They took over in the second half and that’s deflating.”
The effort and desire were there from the Saffrons but the Galway middle third overran the Antrim challenge. They forced errors and punished them on numerous occasions – Joseph Cooney and Sean Linnane in particular firing over scores off the back of Antrim being in good attacking position.
The vistors attacking threat came from all over the pitch in that second half with points coming from all angles. Ryan Elliott made two if not three top drawer saves to deny Henry Shefflin’s men and Antrim within touching distance but any dangerous Antrim attacks were fleeting at best. Their first score of the second half came 17 minutes after half time, McNaughton the man again for Antrim.
While Galway weren’t exactly ruthless in front of goal, they were relentless. With eight points separating the sides with seven minutes remaining, Galway hit a further six unanswered scores to add a hint of unfair maroon coloured gloss to the scoreboard.
McNaughton’s attentions had already turned to next Sunday and a match where the Saffrons had hoped for so much more: “We have to focus our attention on Carlow now next week.
“It’s not where we wanted to be. We wanted next week to be about us progressing in the championship. But we’ll get back to the gym on Monday and pitch on Tuesday. We’ll come up with a game plan to try and get past Carlow next week.”
James McNaughton eyes the target
TEAMS
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Conor Boyd, Niall O’Connor, Paddy Burke; Gerard Walsh, Ryan McGarry, Conall Bohill; Eoghan Campbell, Keelan Molloy; Nigel Elliott, Michael Bradley, Niall McKenna; Rian McMullan, Seaan Elliott, James McNaughton
Subs: Scott Walsh for E Campbell (24); Rory McCloskey for R McMullan (47); Conor McCann for C Bohill (50); Fred McCurry for M Bradley (55); Paul Boyle for N McKenna (65)
Scorers: J McNaughton 0-8 (4 fs); K Molloy 0-3; C Bohill 1-00; G Walsh 0-2 (1 f, 1 side line); M Bradley 0-1
Galway: Darach Fahy; Jack Grealish, Daithi Burke, Fintan Burke; Sean Linnane, Padraic Mannion, Cianan Fahy; David Burke, Ronan Glennon; Gavin Lee, Tom Monaghan, Joseph Cooney; Conor Whelan, Conor Cooney, Evan Niland
BloodSubs: Declan McLaughlin for C Whelan (37 – reversed 41); Jonathan Glynn for J Ryan (60 – not reversed)
Subs: Declan McLaughlin for E Niland (50); Adrian Tuohey for R Glennon (54); Donal O’Shea for David Burke (57); Jamie Ryan for J Cooney (57); Jason Flynn for G Lee (65)
Scorers: C Cooney 1-6 (1-00 pen, 3 f’s, 1 ’65); E Niland 0-6 (3 fs); G Lee 1-00; D O’Shea 0-2; S Linnane 0-2; T Monaghan 0-2; Daithi Burke 0-1; P Mannion 0-1; C Fahy 0-1; David Burke 0-1; J Cooney 0-1; C Whelan 0-1; J Glynn 0-1
