O’Neill’s All County Hurling League Division 3

St Mary’s Rasharkin 0-19 Cushenun Emmet’s 0-23

A late scoring burst which saw them hit five points without reply gave Cushendun victory over Rasharkin in Wednesday evening’s Division 3 league tie at Dreen, a win that puts the Emmet’s back in contention for a Top 6 spot.

In a high scoring game in which the fortunes of each side swung one way, then the other, Cushendun started with points from their top two scorers Conor McHugh and Conlaoth McNeill to lead by two after four minutes, but Rasharkin hit back strongly, and after Enda McFerran had opened their account, full forward Conor McKeever hit four in a row, two from frees and two from play to put his side three ahead. The pendulum then swung back in the visitors’ favour as Conor ‘Smiley’ McHugh added two from placed balls, while Conlaoth McNeill and Conor Bannon added one each from play to put them back in front, though that was short lived as the excellent Conor McKeever brought Rasharkin level by the 20^th minute.

David Kilgore briefly restored the Emmet’s lead but a scoring burst from the hosts which yielded two points from Enda McFerran and four from Conor McKeever pulled the St Mary’s men four clear going into first half injury time, only to see the gap pegged back to two as McHugh and Kilgore hit two injury time points for the Emmet’s. (Rasharkin 0-12 Cushenun 0-10)Unlucky 13. Conor McKeever who scored 13 points for Rasharkin and still ended up on the losing side. Pic by Michael Morgan.

The second half continued in a similar vein as the teams were level in the 34^th, 35^th and 36^th minutes before another scoring burst from Conor McKeever pulled Rasharkin three clear by the 42^nd minute. Back came the Emmet’s as Pearse Bannon, Conor McHugh and Conlaoth McNeill (2) got their noses back in front, but the home team again found a response as Thomas McMullan and Enda McFerran popped over points to put their team a point clear with just five minutes left to play. When a Conlaoth McNeill point brought Cushendun level at the end of normal time a draw appeared to be a distinct possibility, a result which really would have done neither team any good. However in the four minutes of injury time added by match referee Ryan O’Reilly the Emmet’s somehow found another gear and points from Conor McHugh, Nial McAuley, David Kilgore and a McHugh 65 sealed a late win and kept their Top 6 hopes alive.

Rasharkin

Brian Óg O’Neill, Liam Tunney, Daniel Doherty, Conor Hasson, Aidan McKeever, Shane Hasson, Donagh Quigg, Thomas McMullan, Connaire Donaghy, Enda McFerran, Emmet McFerran, Daniel Hasson, Eoghan Kennedy, Conor McKeever, Brendan McMullan.

Cushendun

Eoin Magee, Sean Hamilton, Aidan Corbett, Jack McKay, Leo Morgan, Matthew McCartin, Mark Scally, Thomas Scally, Conor McHugh, Eoin McQuillan, Niall McAuley, David Kilgore, Alex McMullan, Conleith McNeill, Conor Bannon

Subs – Pearse Bannon, Mickey Dunne, Rory McQuillan, Ryan Millar

Pics by Michael Morgan.