Tennents Antrim SFC final replay: Cargin 1-12 St Paul’s 2-7
CARGIN made life difficult for themselves before securing the Antrim senior football title at Casement Park on Saturday evening.
After falling behind in their first Antrim senior football final clash with St Paul’s and playing catch up throughout, they fell into exactly the same position in Saturday evening’s replay at Casement Park.
Two goals from the mighty St Paul’s in the opening five minutes and the Toome men’s hopes looked dashed.
Corner-back turned corner forward Anto Finnegan had Paul Brogan picking the ball from the Cargin net in just two minutes and three minutes
later the Tyrone-born keeper, playing in his first Antrim championship, was again on the receiving end when John McCaffrey was given the freedom of the park to crash home a John McManus free.
On this occasion however last season’s beaten finalists had much more to offer and, by the 20th minute they had the game level.
A third minute Eddie Quinn point kept them in touch and they added five more between the sixth and 20th minutes to rein in the Belfast side.
Without the injured Aiden Donnelly, St Paul’s did struggle during this period but late point from John McManus, Anto Finnegan, who was most impressive in his new forward role, and Barry O’Neill saw the south Antrim men change ends 2-3 to 0-6 ahead.
Six minutes into the second half and it was again level. A penalty award when Quinn was brought down saw Sheeny McQuillan handed the task of conversion.
He stroked the ball past Sean McGreevy, who, just six minutes into the game had spectacularly saved from Dermot McPeake.
It was nip and tuck all the way before two Eddie Quinn points in the 55th and 58th minutes gave the Toome side their third title.
Cargin: P Brogan, M Logan, P Graffin, B McCann, S Devlin, M Johnston, M McAuley, C O’Neill, S McQuillan (1-1), K Doyle (0-3), E Quinn (0-3), D Gallagher, E McCann (0-1), R McGuckian (0-1), D McPeake (0-3)
Sub: M Gribben for McAuley (36 mins).
St Paul’s: S McGreevy, P McStravick, G Finnegan, N Ward, R O’Neill, C McStravick, P McStravick, C Murphy, P McErlean, B O’Neill (0-1), P
McCaffrey (1-0), J McManus (0-3), L McGonigle, P Hickson, A Finnegan (1-2) Subs: N Farren (0-1) for McGonigle (36 mins), J Quinn for P McStravick (44 mins), P Cavanagh for McCaffrey (55 mins).
Referee: Jim Murray (McDermotts).
Ulster Club Camogie final: Liatroim 2-9 Crosserlough 3-2
Fontenoys shaken but lift crown
LIATROIM were crowned Ulster Club champions but they had to fight hard to take the title.
Two Crosserlough goals within 30 seconds, seven minutes into the second half threatened to derail Liatroim Fontenoys’ bid for
a fourth Ulster club camogie title in five seasons.
A few minutes earlier Mairin McAleenan had blasted to the Crosserlough net to put her team 1-7 to 1-0 ahead and seemingly at
last in control on the scoreboard after shooting 12 wides.
Crosserlough however refused to bow down and Olive Farrelly nipped between two hesitant Liatroim defenders to poke
home a goal.
Liatroim Fontenoys: J Brown, B Gallagher, D Greenan, A Morgan, B Kelly, N Magee (capt), C McGovern (0-1), M Murray, S McGovern, L McCrickard, M McAleenan (1-7, five frees), R Cunningham, R O’Higgins, C McCrickard (0-1), L Quinn (1-0)
Sub: C McGovern for R Cunningham (42 mins).
Crosserlough: S Joyce, G Reilly, D Wilton, M Lovett, G Comiskey, L Day, S Tully, E Smith (capt), B Farrelly, C Boyd, B Lynch (1-2, two frees), N
Keenan, D Kearns, H McCabe (1-0), O Farrelly (1-0)
Sub: T Lyng for D Kearns (57 mins).
Referee: A Woods (Armagh).
Guinness Down SHC final replay: Ballygalget 1-11 Portaferry 0-8
Clinical Ballygalget earn historic victory
From Matt Fitzpatrick
at McKenna Park
BALLYGALGET ran themselves into the
Down history books with a three-in-arow
of senior hurling titles when they
overcame a lethargic Portaferry in the
Guinness Down Senior Hurling
Championship final replay at McKenna
Park on Saturday evening.
The standard produced was much
higher than in the drawn game and the
winners deserved their victory, if only
for their first time striking and ability to
take scores when the chances arose.
Portaferry, for their part, were a big
disappointment and the meagre return
of eight points shows that their
forwards were again well held by the
Ballygalget defence.
Just as in the drawn encounter,
Ballygalget started well and were three
points up in eight minutes with scores
from Johnny McGrattan, Brendan
Gallagher and Paddy Coulter.
The dominance of the Ballygalget
midfielders Tom Coulter and Paddy
Monan was most pronounced
throughout and apart from a short spell
midway through the first half, they were
always in control.
Much credit must go to the Ballygalget
full-back line of Liam Clarke, who won
the player of the match award, Kevin
Coulter and Emmett Dorian while centre
half-back Paul Coulter snuffed out any
danger from Portaferry’s Noel Sands.
It was left to the Ballygalget attack to
get the scores which mattered most.
However, it was substitute Conal
McGrattan who got the all important
goal midway through the second half.
Portaferry played well during the
opening period with defenders Martin
Mallon, Barry Milligan and TJ
Fitzsimmons outstanding. They were
also struggling at midfield despite the
best efforts of Emmett Trainor.
With Noel Sands unable to shake off
the attentions of Paul Coulter, the attack
suffered and apart from Stephen Murray
and Paul Braniff they provided little
danger to the Ballygalget defence.
After their opening burst, Ballygalget
were put on the back foot as Portaferry
scored four unanswered points to take a
one point lead midway through the half,
the scores coming from Emmett Trainor,
Paul Rogers and two from Paul Braniff.
Ten minutes from half-time Martin
Coulter levelled and the sides
exchanged two points each as they
remained tied at 0-6 each at half-time.
The third quarter produced only one
score and that was a Portaferry by
Ruairi McGrattan.
The deadlock was broken midway
through the half when a long range Tom
Coulter free was sent to the net by Conal
McGrattan. This score gave Ballygalget
a tonic and they finished with five
unanswered points for an impressive
victory.
Ballygalget: G Clarke, L Clarke, K Coulter
(0-1), E Dorian, L Coulter, Paul Coulter (0-1),
M Pucci, T Coulter (0-1), P Monan, B Coulter,
B Smyth, B Gallagher (0-1), M Coulter (0-2), J
McGrattan (0-3), Paddy Coulter (0-2) Sub: C
McGrattan (1-0) for B Smyth.
Portaferry: G Smith, B Adair, TJ
Fitzsimmons, J Trainor, B Moreland, M
Mallon, B Milligan, B Braniff, E Trainor (0-1),
G Adair, N Sands (0-2), P Braniff (0-2), R
McGrattan (0-1), S Murray (0-1), P Rogers (0-
1) Subs: P Mallon for P Rogers, G McGrattan
for G Adair.
Ref: JA Gribben (Clonduff).
