Dunloy captain Keelan Molloy receives the McAuley cup from daughter of the late Paddy McAuley Erin McAuley and grandaughter Leila McNeill after his teams win over Loughgiel in the final at Armoy
Dunloy won the McAuley Cup pre-season tournament in Armoy on Sunday when they beat Loughgiel in the final by twelve points. Leading by six at the end of an entertaining opening half, the Cuchullains upped the pace in the second half and with team captain Keelan Molloy leading the line, and corner forward Anton McGrath scoring a hat-trick they pulled away to win by twelve.
Loughgiel goalkeeper Chrrisy O’Connell made a mistake for Dunloy’s second goal, but more than made up for it with a series of excellent saves during the rest of the game, while Declan McCloskey was excellent at centre back.
Loughgiel started well and a goal from Damian Quinn followed by a point from a free by Maol Connolly but Dunloy hit back and Anton McGrath hit the net at the other end. Barry Scott got a second goal soon afterwards to put Dunloy on top and though Loughgiel kept in touch with a series of excellent points, Anton McGraths’s second goal had the Cuchuallains 3-8 to 1-6 ahead at the break.
After the break Dunloy kept adding to their total as Keelan Molloy and Anton McGrath hit well struck points, as did Nickey McKeague, while substitute Ryan Mort was soon on the scorinline. Anton McGrath completed his hat trick after being set up by substitute Aodhan McGarry for Dunloy fourth goal, and while Loughgiel pulled a goal back following a goalmouth scramble Dunloy went on to win with a bit to spare.
Tipperary cruised to a fifteen point win over Antirm at rain soaked Corrigan Park on Satruday, a result that secures the Premier County’s place in the semi-finals.
Without ever having to be anywhere near their best Tipperary were always in control of the game against an Antrim side who fought to the bitter end, but were just lacking in quality, which considering the list of injuries is not at all surprising
Antrim tried their best but just could not match the skill level and pace of their much vaunted opponents. The result sees the Saffrons end their league campaign and it is clear they have a lot of work to do to get ready for the start of the championship in a few weeks’ time
Aodhán O’Brien put Antrim ahead in the early stages, but Sean Kenneally had the Premier County level inside a couple of minutes. Jason Forde’s first point, (he would go on to amass twelve over the seventy minutes), gave Tipperary the lead but O’Brien brought the home team back on terms for the second time. However with Antrim struggling for scores it wasn’t long to the Munster side were back ahead and they came with five on the bounce to start to open the gap. O’Brien was Antrim’s sole scorer in the opening period, adding another pair of frees as Eoghan Connolly got in on the act four the visitors.
A break from Conor Stakelum saw him find Jake Morris with a good ball and the corner forward grabbed the first of his two goals , while Forde’s sixth point of the half put the Primmer into a 1-10 to 0-4 lead.
Forde and O’Brien traded pointed from frees straight after the restart and the pair would continue to lead the way in the scoring stakes, both doubling their half-time tally,
Niall McKenna pulled one back for Antrim with the first of his three second half points and the Sarsfields man could have had more, but was denied a when Tipp’s goalkeeper Rhys Shelly blocked with his route.
Tipperary began to stretch their lead as substitutes Dan McCormack and Darragh Stakelum popped over a couple of points before Bryan O’Mara and Danny Slattery added to to thevisitors total.
Scorers for Tipperary: J Forde 0-12 (8fs, 1 65), J Morris 2-2, S Kenneally 0-2, E Connolly 0-1, B O’Mara 0-1, D Slattery 0-1, D McCormack 0-1, D Stakelum 0-1.
Scorers for Antrim: A O’Brien 0-8 (7fs), N McKenna 0-3, R McAteer 0-1
Tipperary: Rhys Shelly; Danny Slattery, Ronan Maher, Craig Morgan; Michael Breen, Robert Byrne, Bryan O’Mara; Paddy Cadell, Eoghan Connolly; Conor Stakelum, Sean Kenneally, Noel McGrath; Jake Moris, Jason Forde, Dean Ryan.
Subs: Sean Hayes for S Ryan (HT), Darragh Stakelum for E Connolly (40), Cathal Quinn for P Cadell (49), Dan McCormack for N McGrath (56), Billy Seymour for S Kenneally (65).
Antrim: Cormac McFadden; Phelim Duffin, Rory McCloskey, Paddy Burke; Scott Walsh, Ryan McGarry, Enda Og McGarry; Eoghan Campbell, Niall O’Connor; Niall McKenna, Aodhán O’Brien, Conor Boyd; Eoin McFerran, Conor McCann, Fred McCurry.
Subs: Ronan McAteer for F McCurry (53), Christy McGarry for E Og McGarry (53), Eoin Trainor for S Walsh (62), Arron Bradley for C McCann (68), Ruairi McCormick for N O’Connor (68).
The race for division 3 promotion and relegation will go right down to the wire after Clare’s win over Antrim in Ennis today and results elsewhere that throw the issue wide open going in to next weekend’s final day programme.
Not for the first time this season Antrim performed well but still ended up on the losing side with Colm McLarnon’s dismissal, ten minutes before half time leaving them with a mountain to climb in the second half.
It looked ominous for the Saffrons when they headed to the dressing room trailing by six points but they showed great fighting spirit to outscore the Banner County 0-9 to 0-6 in the second half and it was the home side who were the happier to hear Derek O’Mahoney’s final whistle.
Marc Jordan was excellent for the Saffrons and his driving runs troubled the Clare defence
With the current joint-leaders, Down and Westmeath set to clash 24 hours later in Mullingar, regardless of that result, Mark Fitzgerald’s Banner still need to get a result in Newry next weekend.
Ultimately it was only the result that mattered and in the end the home side just about merited their fifth win in six matches after a strong start and finish to the opening half.
A trio of Ciaran Downes points settled his side into an early 0-3 to 0-1 lead with the Antrim point coming from big Pat Shivers. Cormac Murray for Clare and Marc Jordan exchanged further points before Mark McInerney moved Clare three in front by the 12th minute.
Antrim were moving the ball well and pressing in number as Joe Finnegan got on the end of an excellent move to close the gap to two by the 22nd minute before Murray and Coughlan edged the home side into a four point lead.
McEnhill was then off target from a scoreable free for Antrim and as things got heated Colm McLarnon was shown a straight Red and McInerney and Coughlan added late points to move Clare 0-9 to 0-3 at the interval.
Team captain, Dermot McAleese fires over an Antrim pointPat Shivers opened the scoring for Antrim in Ennis
It wasn’t looking good for Antrim as they headed to the dressing room but whatever was said during the interval seemed to have worked and they returned to the action fully focused on the task ahead.
Patrick McBride began the fight-back with a hat-trick of points before Gavin Murray and Mark McInearney moved the home side five ahead by the 16th minute.
Things were certainly livening up and Antrim looked in for a goal but were thwarted by a late interception and almost immediately Daniel Walsh had the ball in the net at the other end but the score was ruled out by a square-ball decision.
Murray and Eoghan McCabe exchanged further points as the visitors battled to stay in contention and substitute Ryan McQuillan also had a major impact as he scored two points but might have had a late goal that would have really put the cat amongst the pigeons but blazed over.
The final whistle couldn’t come soon enough for an under siege Clare but this win keeps them on the coat tails of Down and Meath who meet in Mullingar on Sunday while Antrim need something from the Wicklow game at Corrigan next weekend to ensure division 3 survival for another season.
Wicklow picked up their first win of the season when they defeated Limerick today while Offaly gained their third point when they drew with Sligo at Markievicz Park and wins for both Wicklow and Offaly next weekend would spell disaster for the Saffrons.
Ronan Boyle had a solid game against ClareJoe Finnegan scored an excellent point in Ennis on Saturday
Clare: Stephen Ryan; Micheál Garry, Ronan Lanigan, Manus Doherty; Ikem Ugwueru, Alan Sweeney, Daniel Walsh; Brian McNamara, Gavin Murray (0-01); Dermot Coughlan (0-01), Aaron Griffin (0-03), Ciaran Downes (0-03, 0-03f); Mark McInerney (0-04, 0-04f), Cormac Murray (0-02), Joe McGann (0-01)
Subs: Jamie Stack for McGann (44), Cillian Rouine for Ugwueru (47), Darren Nagle for Garry (62), Thomas Kelly for McInerney (67), Shane Griffin for C. Murray (68, inj)
Antrim: Michael Byrne; Kavan Keenan, Daniel McNicholl, Declan Lynch (0-01); Dermot McAleese (0-01, 0-01m), Joseph Finnegan (0-01), Ronan Boyle; Colm McLarnon, Conor Hand; Eoghan McCabe (0-01), Patrick McBride (0-03), Ruairi McCann (0-01); Marc Jordan (0-01), Pat Shivers (0-01, 0-01f), Dominic McEnhill
Subs: Benen Kelly for Shivers (HT), Ryan McQuillan (0-02, 0-01f) for McEnhill (52), Eoin Hynds for Hand (53), Cormac McGettigan for Keenan (62), Niall Burns for McCabe (67)
Ulster Champions power their way to All Ireland title
Masita Paddy Buggy Cup Final (All-Ireland senior schools B hurling)
Man of the match Cormac McKeown cebrates with team trainer Declan McKiernan after St Killian’s win over Munster champions Blackwater CS of Waterford in Saturday’s Paddy BUggy Cup final at Abbotstown, Dublin. Pic by John McIlwaine
St Killian’s wrote their name in the history books at Abbotstown on Saturday when they powered their way to the school’s first All Ireland title, sweeping aside the challenge of Blackwater Community School in the final of the Paddy Buggy Cup.
There were some concerns among the Antrim champions when they were asked to play with the strong wind in the opening half and the feeling was that they needed a substantial lead by half time. However it couldn’t have worked out better from the boys from the Tower as they sprung from the traps like an express train, scoring three goals in the opening twelve minutes, plus adding three points for good measure to got twelve points clear before the Munster boys had even troubled the umpires.
Tower full forward Oran McCambridge who was a constant threat to the Blackwater defence
Blackwater CS made a bit of a comeback in the last ten minutes of the first half but the Tower were still 3-08 to 0-6 clear by the interval. There were signs in the early stages of the second half that the Waterford side were going to make a game of it as they hit three very good points, but St Killian’s started to settle again and team captain Joseph McLaughlin settled his team with three points. The gap remained at nine until the 54th minute when a brilliantly taken goal by Orrin O’Connor ended any chance of a comeback.
Joseph McLaughlin led the Garron Tower charge, but his half-forward colleague Cormac McKeown picked up the Player of the Match award to add to the one he collected in the provincial final.
Orrin O’Connor with two of those opening three goals was another to worry the Lismore defence, while at the other end the St Killian’s corner-backs John Scullion and Colla Ward closed out the threat of Stephen Murphy and Ben O’Sullivan.
Joseph McDonnell, Joseph O’Keefe and Jake Henley got on a lot of ball, but the gap the Tower opened in the first 12 minutes was just too much for the Waterford side to close.
McLaughlin hit the opening goal in the second minute, finishing a fine move involving Cormac McKeown and Oran McCambridge. Worse was to follow two minutes later when a high ball from Callagh Mooney was taken down for O’Connor to find the net. The third goal in the 12th minute was quite similar with McKeown’s high delivery dropping in on the Lismore goalie and McCambridge diverted it over the line.
Orrin O’Connor celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal Man of the match Cormac McKeown jumps for joy after his long delivery into the Blackwater CS goalmouth was flicked on by St Killian’s full forward Oran McCambridge before being fired home by Orrin O’Connor in Saturday’s Paddy BUggy Cup final at Abbotstown, Dublin. Pic by John McIlwaine
Blackwater hit a decent spell with four unanswered points between the 20th and 27th minutes, but St Killian’s finished the half strongly with points from McCambridge and McKeown (two) and the Ulster champions led by 3-8 to 0-6 at half time.
Lismore started the second half with three points inside six minutes from Charlie Lineen, Joe O’Keefe and a Cummins free, before McLaughlin landed three points in reply to get St Killian’s back on course. Although Murphy, Adam Cummins and O’Keefe then found the range, the gap was still 3-12 to 0-12 with 54 minutes gone.
The north Antrim side then slammed the door shut with a lightening moved that put Orrin O’Connor through for their fourth goal.
Frustration led to two late red cards for the Munster champions. It mattered little because St Killian’s had already set off the celebrations around the pitch.
St Killian’s Niall Magee raises this hand in celebration as he watches his shot head towards the target. As it turned out the ball went inches wide, but in the end it didn’t matter as the Ulster champions had plenty to spare
St Killian’s: O McCambridge 2-1, J McLaughlin 1-8, 0-5 frees, O O’Connor 1-0, C Mckeown 0-3, C McAuley 0-1
Blackwater: B Cummins 0-5 frees, J O’Keefe 0-3, 2 frees, A Cummins 0-2, S Murphy, B O’Sullivan and C Lineen 0-1 each.
St Killian’s: T McLaughlin, C Ward, C Devlin, J Scullion, A Birt, C McAuley, N Magee, C McIlwaine, C Mooney, C McKeown, J McLaughlin, O O’Connor, M Furey, O McCambridge, N Hynds.
Subs: E Ward forC Devlin (48), P McDonnell for M Furey (59), A McCambridge for N Hynds (60 + 2), C Graham for N Magee (60 + 3)
Blackwater: B Murphy, J Twomey, T Ahern, C Lynch, T Duffin, J Henley, C McCarthy, Joseph McDonnell, J O’Keefe, C Lineen, A Cummins, J Hickey, S Murphy, B Cummins, B O’Sullivan.
Subs: S Barry for C Lineen (50), H Quinn for J Hickey(59), Jack McDonnell for C McCarthy (60 + 2)
M Redmond (Kildare)
Conor McKeown receives the man of the match award while Joe McLaughlin receives the Paddy Buggy Cup, both throphies presented bySean McGourty of All Ireland Colleges
They say League tables don’t lie and, with two games remaining, Antrim are closer to the bottom of the Division Three standing than they are to the top.
Things looked so much more promising for the Saffrons as they opened the League with back-to-back wins over Limerick and Offaly.
However, a hat-trick of defeats to Down, Sligo and, most recently, Westmeath put paid to their hopes of promotion.
Now, the focus is on claiming one more point from their last two games to avoid relegation to the bottom tier.
Eunan Walsh admits Antrim’s loss of form is disappointing, but knows they haven’t time to feel sorry for themselves ahead of a tough trip to promotion hopefuls Clare this weekend.
“Yeah it is disappointing. After the first two games, going into the Down game, it looked as though we’d be looking at the other end of the table,” said Walsh.
“It just shows how difficult this division is.
“A couple of defeats can set you back. We would have had aspirations of challenging for promotion this year. Even going into the Westmeath game, if we won that, we still had a chance of promotion as Down still have to play Westmeath and Clare.
One that got away! Eunan Walsh (3) looks certain to goal against Westmeath last day out but his shot is cleared off the line
“We have to keep going and, hopefully, we can win these last two games and look forward to the Championship
“Anything can happen in the League. We want to avoid needing a win in the last game as Wicklow could need a result against us. We don’t want to need a point in the last game. You want to leave yourself as little stress as possible.”
He added: “A result at the weekend would be huge. Clare are very good at home. I know they’ve lost a lot of players from last year, but they are still very hard to beat.
“They are coming out on the right side of results and it will be a tough place to go.”
While a third successive loss to Westmeath in round five ended Antrim’s promotion hopes, Walsh believes the four-point reversal at Corrigan Park was their best performance of the campaign.
“There were loads of positives from the Westmeath game – we felt that was our best performance of the season,” said Walsh.
“It just wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard. When we went back and looked at it, we could have easily scored 3-13 or 3-14. At this level, that would win any game.
“It was just the end product that let us down, myself included. I’d a goal chance early on and we’d a few other goal chances. At this level, those chances cost you.
“We are going in the right direction – it is just about putting everything together.”
Antrim remain without Peter Healy, Adam Loughran, Ruairi McCann (Aghagallon), Conor Stewart, Paddy Finnegan and Ryan Murray, but Eoghan McCabe has returned to training and could return to the squad for Saturday’s trip to Ennis.
One more point will be enough for Antrim and they wouldn’t want to be relying on results elsewhere ahead of their round seven clash with Wicklow at home.
Clare are still in the hunt for promotion and face Down in their final game so they need at least a point to keep up with the Mourne men and Westmeath.
