Ruairis snatched ’99 title with late surge

2017 Senior Hurling Championship Final Preview – 1999 county final

Cushendall 3-14 Dunloy 3-12

When Dunloy won their first title in 1990 many people felt their young team would dominate for the next decade but Cushendall showed they were also a force by winning the next three titles on the spin, the club’s first 3-in-a-row. As things turned out these two were to dominate that decade and the following one as well, sharing between them 19 of the 20 titles between 1990 and 2009, Rossa being the only club to interrupt this incredible run in 2004.

However 1999 was the first time these two modern rivals ever met in a county final. They had played each other at different stages during those years but never on the biggest day of all. Dunloy were leading the race for team of the nineties with five wins to Cushendall’s four when they met that day in Casement Park. Cuchullains were also going for the club’s first 3-in-a-row and went in as firm favourites to take the Volunteer Cup back to Dunloy that evening, but just as they had done in 1996 the Ruairis put a spanner in works as they caused an upset.

Cushendall had the better of the opening quarter and a Mark McCambridge goal and a magnificent point from 90 yards by Ryan McNaughton saw them lead by five. Dunloy came back strongly and a goal from play by Colm McGuckian, one from a penalty by Seamus ‘Mushy’ McMullan and one in first half injury time from Gregory O’Kane gave them a 3-3 to 1-7 lead at the break.

Five points on the trot at the start of the second half from Gregory O’Kane (2), Colm McGuckian, Liam Richmond and Nigel Elliott stretch the Cuchullains’ advantage to seven and the three in a row looked a formality. However Cushendall were far from finished and the introduction of teenager Brian McNaughton helped lift things as he score two of the next four points for Ruairis, one which should certainly have been a goal. However it all seemed a formality when Dunloy led by six points with four minutes to play but the ‘Dall produced a storming finish to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Mark McCambridge had closed the gap to five when big Jackie Carson stepped up and blasted a penalty past the three man wall after Sambo McNaughton had been hauled down in the large square. Still Dunloy appeared to be relatively safe but when Conor McCambride dropped a forty metre free in around the danger area Sambo made his presence felt again as he connected overhead to steer the ball to the Cuchullains net and give his team the lead. Dunloy battled to get the equalising point in injury time but it was the Ruairis who would have the final say as Brian McNaughton got the last score of the game to sparks scenes of great celebration.

The win meant that these two rivals ended the decade on five wins each. However that win only interrupted Dunloy’s run of dominance for they started the new Millennium on a winning run to complete a record equalling 4-in-a-row. That win by Cushendall interrupted what could easily have been seven on the trot for the Cuchullains.

The Cushendall team that brought glory to the parish that day was

Ciaran ‘Budda’ McNaughton, Charlie McAllister, Ciaran ‘Gazza’ McCambridge, Ryan McNaughton, Emmett McNaughton, Aidan McAteer, Kevin Elliott, Declan McKillop, Karl McKeegan, Mark McCambridge, John ‘Jackie’ Carson, Aidan Delargy, Conor McCambridge, Terence ‘Sambo’ McNaughton, Fergus ‘Skinner’ McAlister.

Subs – Brian McNaughton for Emmett McNaughton (40 min)

Dunloy

Shane Elliott, Sean McIlhatton, Paul Molloy, Sean ‘Patch’ Mullan, Malachy Molloy, Gary O’Kane, Seamus ‘Mushy’ McMullan, Conor Cunning, Nigel Elliott, Paudie McMullan, Colm ‘Cookie’ McGuckian, Liam Richmond, Ciaran McGrath, Gregory O’Kane, Martin Curry.

Subs – Frankie McMullan for Paudie McMullan; Jarlath Elliott of McGrath; Alastair Elliott for Curry.

Referee – Tommy McIntyre (Loughgiel)