North Antrim Feile na nGael A final
Loughgiel Shamrocks 2-5 Glenariffe Oisins 0-6
John McIlwaine reports from Cushendun
A brilliant second half display saw Loughgiel clinch the North Antrim Feile A title at sunny Cushendun on Saturday as they came from behind to beat Glenariffe Oisins in a great game of hurling. Trailing by 0-4 to 0-2 at the end of an enthralling opening half, in which all the skills of the game were on display, the Shamrocks came out with all guns blazing in the second half and boosted by a brilliant individual goal by full forward Jack McCloskey they took control of the match to run out winners by 2-5 to 0-6.
When the two side met in the league section of the competition two weeks ago the Oisins had won convincingly but it was clear from an early stage there was going to be no runaway win this time. The Oisins were the better team in the opening ten minutes OK, and left half forward Orrin O’Connor sent over two excellent points. Conor Dickson got Loughgiel on the scoreboard with a pointed free on five minutes but Glenariffe were two in front again by the tenth minute when Daniel Kearney sent over a free from thirty five metres. Jack McCloskey made his first impact on fourteen minutes when he won a ball in the left corner and soloed towards goal, only to be tackled high and Ronan McCollum pointed the resultant free to leave just a point between them, but down the other end corner forward Brogan O’Connor showed great skill to send over a point and give the Oisins a 0-4 to 0-2 at half time.
Loughgiel celebrate their win over Oisins in the Feile A final in Cushendun. Pic by John McIlwaine
Four minutes into the second half Loughgiel were back to within a point when Conor Dickson pointed a free from forty metres and when Dickson dropped another free in around the Oisins goalmouth a minute later Jack McKendry pounced on the breaking ball and drilled it to the net. The first goal was always going to be important and it lifted Loughgiel to no end. They were really flying now, but the Oisins stayed in touch and when Daniel Kearney pointed to leave them just a point behind the match was up for grabs again. However midway through the second half came the piece of magic that really set the Shamrocks on the road to victory. A long ball came in from midfield and diminutive full forward Jack McCloskey rose brilliantly to pluck the ball out the air. When he landed he was past his maker in a flash and before the Oisins defence could get across to cover the ball was nestling in the back of the net. Soon afterward he produced an even better score when he swivelled on a ‘sixpence’ and fired one over and when Ronan McCollum added another with a beautiful left sided strike the Shamrocks were in complete control. Not that Oisins gave up the fight for they fought tooth and nail to salvage the game and Aidan McSparran, who had been moved to the edge of the square from midfield, fired one across the face of the Loughgiel goal, but the Shamrocks were always in control and they saw out the dying minutes without too many scares to capture the Feile title yet again.
Overall a great advertisement for the game of hurling with two top class teams giving it their all. They will meet again later in the season and in seasons to come and if this game was anything to go by there are many great contests ahead.
Loughgiel
Mark Christie, Pearse Patterson, Ruairi McCormick, Cahir Connolly, Ronan McLaughlin, Finn Henry, Tiago McGarry, Connor Dickson, Conin Sheridan, Conor McGarry, Darragh Patterson, Ronan McCollum, Ben McGarry, Jack McCloskey, Odhran Reid.
Subs – Charley O’Hagan, Jack McKendry, Ronan Casey, Danny McAuley, Dairmuid Casey, Roan McGarry, Liam Glackin, Ronan Fitzgerald.
Glenariffe
Phelim Ward, Ronan Leech, Odhran Gillan, Niall Magee, Matthew Black, Mark McSparran, Cailin Devlin, Patrick McIlwaine, Aidan McSparran, Niall McGarel, Daniel Kearney, Odhran O’Connor, John V Morgan, Brogan O’Connor.
Subs – Calum McIlwaine, Peadar McDonnell, Oisin Mort, Cadhan Graham, James Kearney, Cahir McNaughton
Referee – Jackie Carson (Ruairi Og)
North Antrim committee member Sean McKendry presents the Feile trophy to Loughgiel captain Eoin McGarry. Pic by John McIlwaine