O’Neill’s All County Hurling League Division One
Cushendall 2-15 Dunloy 0-23
Brendan McTaggart reports from Páirc Naomh Mhuire, Cushendall
Don’t let anyone tell you that the league is just for playing in. In a match where both the clubs took it upon themselves to bring the game forward, they served up a mini-classic. Scores from all angles, goals, penalty’s, mistakes and a mass brawl just for good measure. In a match that started with all the intensity of a pre-season friendly or a challenge game, it finished with a bang and a certain championship feel. In the end, the Cuchullains reeled in Cushendall in the closing stages to win by two points but it was an exhibition of superb hurling between two evenly matched sides.
After a slow start, Cushendall dominated the opening 30 minutes and at one stage the Ruairi’s had hit nine of ten points scored in the half. The second half is when the game came to life with the Cuchullains and Nicky McKeague in particular impressing. The Dunloy forward finishing the match with 0-15 to his name in an outstanding all round performance while Eoin O’Neill also impressed. The Ruairi’s midfield duo of Eoghan Campbell and Francis McCurry went through a mountain of work while Neil McManus finished top scorer for the home side with 1-6 in a typical all action display.
Despite Cushendall playing with the wind in the opening half, it was Dunloy who hit the ground running. Paudie Shivers opening the scoring with a tidy score with barely a minute on the clock. With both sides searching for supremacy, the game lacked any real fluency in the opening quarter with the free taking of Nicky McKeague and Neil McManus to the fore.
The Cuchullains held a four point lead after a long range free from Paul Shiels split the uprights but Cushendall began to dominate in their half back line with Paddy Burke orchestrating his defence superbly. A trio of points from Arron Graffin, Neil McManus and Francis ‘Fred’ McCurry was answered by Eoin O’Neill’s third point of the match for the visitors but it was a brief respite for Dunloy from the Cushendall onslaught as they hit a further five unanswered points – three from Ryan McCambridge in as many minutes while Eoghan Campbell and Neil McManus (free) added the others.
Dunloy found their range again in injury time with Nicky McKeague landing a brace of scores but Campbell’s second of the match gave Cushendall a two point lead on the stroke of half time.
The two point deficit was probably the least Cushendall deserved for their efforts in the first half. With both sides hugely economical in front of the target, Cushendall’s tally of four was only bettered by zero wides for the Cuchullains.
Dunloy introduced Conor McKinley at half time to replace the injured Cathair McGuigan in the full back line and after just four minutes they had restored parity to the score line, O’Neill and Nicky McKeague (free) with the scores. In a frantic period of hurling, the sides would be ties three times in the space of three minutes as both began to go through the gears and increase the intensity of the game. It wasn’t until the 44th minute that more than a single score separated the sides again when Cushendall were awarded a penalty. Ryan McCambridge delivering a side line to the heart of the Cuchullains defence where Neil McManus gathered the sliotar. Referee Mark O’Neill called a foul on the Ruairi Og forward and after dusting himself down, McManus fired the sliotar low to the corner of Ryan Elliott’s net with a rocket drive.
Dunloy replied almost instantly with another Nicky McKeague free but Cushendall managed to land another decisive blow when Ed McQuillan scored their second goal in the 50th minute. The Ruairi’s forward pouncing on a loose sliotar after Dunloy ‘keeper Elliott brilliantly denied a rampaging Eoghan Campbell. He couldn’t do anything with McQuillan’s first timed effort though as Cushendall opened a four point advantage for the first time in the game.
The Dunloy response was superb however as they found another gear in the time that remained. The introduction of Nigel Elliott gave them another dimension in attack and while Nicky McKeague landed the scores, the work rate of the Cuchullains half back line and midfield to snuff out the Ruairi’s in the closing stages allowed Dunloy to maintain their pressure in attack. As the contest went into the melting pot, the game threatened to spill over with players and subs both being involved in a mass ‘handbags’ session, but Dunloy regained their composure to finish the contest strongly. Cushendall failed to score another point in the time that remained while Nicky McKeague landed six white flags (five frees and one ’65) to seal a hard fought two point win for the Cuchullains.
It was their first meeting since the Cuchullains defeated Cushendall in the Championship final last season and the second half was an enthralling contest. If this is a taster of what’s to come in the late summer, we will be in store for another epic championship.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, James McKeague, Cathair McGuigan; Paul Shiels, Kevin Molloy, Eamon Smyth; Paudie Shivers, Cairan Elliott; Nicky McKeague, Keelan Molloy, Shane Dooey; Eoin O’Neill, Chrissy Brogan, Conal Cunning
Subs: Conor McKinley for C McGuigan (HT); Nigel Elliott for P Shivers (51)
Cushendall: Eoin Gillan; Sean Delargy, Arron Graffin, Joe McCurry; Eoin McManus, Paddy Burke, David Kearney; Eoghan Campbell, Francis McCurry; Conor Carson, Eunan McKillop, Ryan McCambridge; Ed McQuillan, Neil McManus, Alex Delargy
Subs: Paddy McGill for E McKillop (51); Cormac McClafferty for A Delargy (57)
Scorers for Dunloy: Nicky McKeague 0-15 (12 fs, 1 ’65); Eoin O’Neill 0-4; Keelan Molloy 0-1; Ciaran Elliott 0-1; Paudie Shivers 0-1; Paul Shiels 0-1 (1 f)
Scorers for Cushendall: Neil McManus 1-6 (1-00 pen, 4 fs); Eoghan Campbell 0-3; Ryan McCambridge 0-3; Ed McQuillan 1-00; Conor Carson 0-1; Francis McCurry 0-1; Arron Graffin 0-1
Referee: Mark O’Neill (Armoy)