O’Neill’s All County Hurling League Division 1
Ruairi Og Cushendall 0-14 Shamrocks Loughgiel 0-14
By Colum Thompson
Over the last number of years Cushendall and Loughgiel have produced some cracking matches in both league and championship and when the 2018 fixtures were released an early season battle between these great rivals had supporters of both teams licking their lips in anticipation. There is never more than a poc of a ball between the two teams and yet again this was the case on a bright spring Sunday in Pairc Mhuire. It may not have been the thrilling encounter many were expecting, but the closeness of the scoring meant it was always interesting and it kept the fans on their toes right up to the final whistle.
League champions Shamrocks started the game well and hit the first two points from through Shan McGrath and Shea Casey to take an early lead. Cushendall took a little longer to shake off the winter cobwebs, but Neil McManus sent over a free to get the hosts off the mark and Paddy McGill tied the game with a trademark score from his corner forward birth, before Alex Delargy edged Cushendall ahead in the 14th minute when he split the uprights. Loughgiel veteran Barney McAuley won and converted a free to restore parity for the visitors but Eoin Gillan’s long poc-out was well fetched by Conor Carson who fed McGill in space and he made no mistake with his second point of the game. Barney McAuley pointed his second free and when Dan McCloskey rounded Eoin McManus and pointed Loughgiel were 0-5 to 0-4 in front. Barney McAuley and Neil McManus traded frees as the match ebbed and flowed but a loose ball in the ‘Dall defence was claimed by Shamrocks full forward Shea Casey who popped over a point. Declan Gillan extended the Loughgiel lead with a long range effort but Cushendall finished the half well with McGill claiming his third point of the game and following a great solo run by Eoghan Campbell Neil McManus fired over when a goal looked likely, to leave the Sharocks one ahead at theshort whistle. Loughgiel 0-8 Cushendall 0-7.
The second half turned into a bit of a shoot-out between free takers. Shea Casey traded frees with McManus, Casey got one from play which was cancelled out by another Neil McManus free. Both teams were showing a bit of rustiness as you would expect in the first game of the season but there was plenty of endeavour from both sides. Sean McAfee won a free which McManus converted to level the scores at 0-10 each, but Shan McGrath fed Dan McCloskey who was dragged down on the Dall 21 yard line and Casey duly converted the free. Fergus McCambridge, who was getting through a mountain of work at midfield was fouled in his own defence and from almost 100 yards Neil McManus sent a huge strike over Chrissy O’ Connell’s crossbar to again level the scores. Defences were really on top with chances at a premium and scores from open play were hard to come by, but McAuley and McManus again traded frees as the game entered the home stretch. Young Niall McCormick, introduced just before half time for the injured Paddy McGill, was trying hard and he won a free which McManus converted to give the Dall a 1 point lead but Declan Gillan levelled proceedings yet again with his second of the game with time almost up.
When Eoghan Campbell was fouled as he soloed forward McManus made no mistake from the resultant free from 40 metres and as the game-clock ticked into injury time it looked like the home side might just have done enough to gain the points. However Loughgiel were resilient as always, and when Declan Laverty won a free around midfield Barney McAuley held his nerve to slot the ball between the posts from 65 yards out to earn his team a deserved share of the spoils. Final score Cushendall 0-14 Loughgiel 0-14.
How they played:
While it was a low scoring affair both teams will take positives from the game. David Kearney and Declan Gillan were the stand out defenders, Barney McAuley and Fergus McCambridge had a rip roaring battle at midfield and up front Neil McManus and Shea Casey were the top finishers for their respective teams. Perhaps the crucial point in the game came when Cushendall’s Paddy McGill had to be replaced due to a nasty looking shoulder injury just before half time. Paddy had already registered three points from play and was having an excellent game.
Scores:
Cushendall – N McManus 0-10(9 frees) P McGill 0-3, A Delargy 0-1.
Loughgiel – S Casey 0-6(5 frees) B McAuley 0-5(5 frees) D Gillan 0-2, S McGrath 0-1.
Cushendall- Eoin Gillan, Sean Delargy, Arron Graffin, Eoin McManus, Ryan McCambridge, Paddy Burke, David Kearney, Eoghan Campbell, Fergus McCambridge, Conor Carson, Neil McManus, Donal McNaughton, Sean McAfee, Alex Delargy, Paddy McGill.
Subs – Niall McCormick for McGill (25 min)
Loughgiel – Chrissy O’Connell, Paul Gillan, Neilly McGarry, Tiernan Coyle, Odhran McFadden, Tony McCloskey, Declan Gillan, Barney McAuley, James McNaughton, Donal McKinely, Declan Laverty, Eddie McCloskey, Daniel McCloskey, Shay Casey, Shan McGrath.
Referee – Colm McDonald (Sarsfields)