Glenariffe-Glenravel had a big win over Naomh Padraig in the Under 16 Hurling League Division 1 game at Fr Maginn Park on Tuesday evening
Canice McIntosh got two of the home team’s goals in the first half as they led at the break by 4-4 to 2-, the Naomh Padraig goals coming from Cathair McCaughan. McIntosh stretched the Glenariffe-Glenravel lead after the break with three of the first four points, while Osin Gillan also added a couple. A Cathair McCaughan goal gave Naomh Padraig a bit of hope but a goal by Chris Leach and a five unanswered points by the home sealed a decisive win.
Naomh Comhghall entertained familiar foe Saint Malachy’s on Wednesday night at Dunsilly having taken maximum points from their opening four games. Despite the notable absence from the starting line-up of star performers Louis Higgins, James Mc Cabe and Josh Henry the Comgalls would begin the game as red hot favourites to overcome the challenge of the men from the Markets.
The Malachy’s men had different ideas however and, having spent the first half hour frustrating the men in white they got their reward with a penalty on the stroke of half time which was smartly dispatched past Antrim net-minder Anto Watson leaving the sides all square 1-03 to 0-06 at the short whistle.
Strong words and some sage advice from Comgalls manager Barry Burns helped drive the Antrim men on in the second half. The determination and work-rate of make-shift midfielders Eoin Lynott and Paddy O’Connor would see enough ball overturned to supply Comgalls sharp shooters Tom Patchet and Miles Devine with the required service they needed to punish the opposition and when Devine found himself one-on-one with his man on the 45th minute the Comgalls talisman found the necessary twists, turns and accuracy to stretch the deficit to 2 points, a lead that Saint Comgalls never looked like relinquishing. The introduction of experienced duo James Mc Cabe and Danaan O’Hara early in the second half would later prove to be the combination that sealed Saint Malachy’s fate.
An attempt at a point from Mc Cabe appeared to be dropping short but was soon turned into a speculative ball into the danger area when Ryan Clarke applied enough pressure on the Mal’s full back to break the ball down to Danaan O’Hara on the edge of the small rectangle. O’Hara, notoriously ruthless from this range was not to miss and the Antrim men finally had some breathing space. The Markets men did apply some pressure in the last 5 minutes of the game but tenacious defending from Michael Mc Cabe and Aaron Mc Gaw as well as some excellent goalkeeping from Anto Watson kept the Belfast men at bay. When pressure was relieved Saint Comgalls were able to break with the athleticism of Diarmad Hanna, Jack Moore and captain Ruairí Griffin.
Tom Patchet supplied the finishing touches to a game where Naomh Comhghall had to dig deep to carve out a win. Manager Barry Burns expressed his delight at taking maximum points from the first 5 games and believes his team showed great character to overcome such a tough, physical challenge.
Con Magees are still searching for their first win in Division 1 of the Antrim Football League after losing out to Aghagallon on Wednesday evening at Fr Maginn Park. With ten minutes left to play it looked like the Glenravel men were in with a great chance of getting the win as they held a 1-11 to 1-9 half time advantage. However they failed to add another score, despite a good few chances and Aghgallon ended strongly, hitting four points without reply to end up winners by two.
The home side could not have ask for a better start as a goal from Sean McKay and two points from Eamon Fyfe had them five clear after just four minutes. The lead was short lived however and full forward Jack Lenihan had the ball in the Glenravel net in the fifth minute and two points from Jonathan Hannon, Gareth Magee and Hugh Hannon, in reply to one from Sean McKay, had them level by the eleventh minute.The rest of the half was a shoot out between Hannon and Fyfe, the visitors having the edge as they went in at the break with a 1-8 to 1-6 lead.
Two points from Eamon Fyfe and one from Conor McNeill at the start of the second half put Glenravel back in front, and after Hannon levelled matters, the home side came again as Niall Hynds and Aidan O’Donnell picked off points to move them two clear by the 49th minute. Things looked promising for the Maginn Park men, but O’Donnell’s point was to be their last score and they paid the price for some wayward shooting down the home stretch as the excellent Hannon landed three of the last four points to seal a two point win.
Click on the timeline below to view more pics from the game
A fantastic afternoon at our Official Antrim GAA Football and Hurling All Stars for Year 8 and Year 10. Thank you to our hosts St Mary’s University College – Belfast and to all our schools for consistently supporting everything we have done this year.
A goal from Conan Johnston after 9 minutes swung this game firmly in the direction of Erin’s Own Cargin as they overcame the challenge of neighbours, St. Ergnat’s Moneyglass at Marion Hill on Wednesday evening.
Up to this point the home side were giving as good as they got with points from Conor Boyd, Colum Duffin and Seanchan Duffin in response to similar scores from Tomas McCann and Cahir Donnelly leaving it finely balanced after 12 minutes.
Johnston’s goal changed all that and St. Ergnat’s would not raise another flag for the remainder of the half as league leaders, Cargin pushed on with James Laverty, Tomas McCann, Tom Shivers and two more from the impressive McCann moving the visitors 1-7 to 0-3 ahead at the halfway point.
St. Ergnat’s threatened a comeback at the start of the second half as they hit three points on the bounce through Kevin McCann and two from Colum Duffin to leave four between the sides with only five minutes of the second half gone.
Things turned decisively in favour of the visitors however when they were awarded a penalty in the 8th minute and Tomas McCann stepped forward to beat Daniel McErlain from the spot and restore his side’s 7 point advantage.
Conan Johnston and Tomas McCann added points for the visitors with Dermot McErlain replying for the home side and Ben McLarnon and Aidan McErlain exchanged further points as the Toome side continued to enjoy the better of the exchanges.
Kevin McShane came forward from defence to add another point for Cargin with four minutes of normal time remaining but Moneyglass were still fighting hard and were finally rewarded for their efforts as Aiden McErlain fired past John McNabb in the 27th minute.
It only served to put a better look on the scoreline however and Tom Shivers replied with a point at the other end to conclude the scoring to keep Ronan Devlin’s side top of the league on score difference over Portglenone and St. Brigid’s.
Moneyglass opened their account last week with a win over Aldergrove in Crumlin and while they never really looked like adding another victory here, there will be aspects of their play that will be pleasing to manager, Benny Marron and that second win shouldn’t be too long in coming.
St. Ergnat’s: 1 Daniel McErlain, 2 Colm McStocker, 3 Diarmuid Scullin, 4 James McCormick, 6 Paul Duffin, 7 Connlaodh McCann, 8 Connor O’Kane, 9 Dermot McErlain, 10 Jimmy McMeel, 11 Seanchan Duffin, 12 Eamonn Kelly, 13 Conor Boyd, 14 Colm Duffin, 15 Aidan McErlain, 16 Rory Gribbon,
Subs: Sean Boyd for Callum McStocker, Matthew Mullen for Eamonn Kelly, Fergal Duffin for Conor O’Kane, Jamie McLaughlin for Conor O’Kane
Cargin: 1 John McNabb, 2 Sean Og O’Neill, 3 Kevin McShane, 4 Cahir Donnelly, 5 Justin Crozier, 6 Padraic McLaughlin, 7 Jamie Gribbin, 8 Gerard McCann, 9 James Laverty, 10 David Johnston, 11 Tomas McCann, 12 Conan Johnston, 13 Tom Shivers, 14 Michael McCann, 15 Callum Gribbin
