Don’t know if any other county has made any championship draws for this year but Antrim ahead of the curve as ever, making the draws tonight!!
2021 Antrim SHC
Group 1:
Loughgiel
Rossa
Ballycastle
St Endas
Group 2:
St Johns
Dunloy
Cushendall
Tir Na nOg
Baptism of fire for Tir Na nOg who won the IHC for the first time last year. Of course, the fancied clubs are no longer looking at just winning the county title, they want to get back the Ulster title from Slaughtneil. When it all happens of course, who the fuck knows?
Was down in Kerry last night. Kilmoyley v lixnaw in the county semi final. Lads, some game. Lixnaw went 4-1 up. Kilmoyley got it back level around 7-7 and then it was literally point for point with neither side getting two ahead at any stage for the rest of the match.
Lixnaw deployed the famous Shane Conway very deep. He got on a pile of ball and ended up fouled most of the time, but he didn’t get within 50 yards of the goal, which somewhat nullify’s the threat. He wouldn’t pass the ball to save his life though so if kilmoyley didn’t foul him he generally turned it over. Still some player.
Lixnaw were a point down with 5 mins of injury time to be played and he cut over a side line from the 21 that was unbelievable. Curled it over. Magic.
Due to an incident many years ago they get neutral County refs in for the championship and last nights victim was limericks donnacha o’callaghan. Lads he got some abuse. Who’d be a referee. Kilmoyley felt he was agin em, and there were a few 50/50 calls that went lixnaws way, but like he wasn’t bad at all. Kilmoyley got the winner with time up, which was fortuitous for Donnacha because he was definitely getting a slap otherwise. They launched a tirade of a abuse at him after the match as it was.
You could actually feel the tension in the air in the second half.
John Meyler gets kilmoyley to another county final. He has an unbelievable record with them.
Ardfert v Causeway today. With causeway heavy favourites. Kilmoyley ambushed Causeway in the final last year. I’d imagine they’ve been licking their wounds since. Neighbouring parishes and a blurred boundary line. Should be a cracker.
If not its ardfert and they are the same parish
My home club Ballycastle McQuillans, once the kingpins of Antrim hurling, finished bottom of their group in the Antrim SHC today after a shock defeat to St Endas. St Endas only came up to senior last year and stayed up as there was no relegation. That was their first every win in the SHC but a sad day for the Black and Amber.
Elsewhere, Rossa beat Loughgiel to finish top of the group, leaving L’giel second and St Endas third. In the other group Dunloy beat St Johns today to finish top, leaving Cushendall second and St Johns third. Rossa and Dunloy go into the semi finals and the quarter final line up is:
Loughgiel vs St Johns
Cushendall vs St Endas
Cushedall wont slip up against St Endas and Loughgiel are in a rebuilding phase so i think St Johns will sneak it.
Saw that. 8 point defeat and as you say a sad day indeed for McQuillan’s. Worse I’d say than their relegation to Div 2 a few years ago because at least then they had the players to come straight back up.
