Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship Group 2
Rossa 0-07-6-22 Loughgiel Shamrocks
By Kevin Herron at Rossa Park
Loughgiel secured a semi-final spot in the Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship with a comfortable 6-22-0-07 win over a depleted Rossa side at the Shaws Road this afternoon. Few teams can have had the misfortune that the Shaw’s Road men have had this season, a fact bourne out by the fact that of the team that beat Dunloy on the opening day of the season on March 25th, only two line out against the Shamrocks.
Tiernan Coyle rifled home the opening goal for the Shamrocks and a double from Shay Casey helped the dominant visitors into a 3-12-0-03 lead at the break. More was to come in the second-half hour as substitute Shan McGrath found his sides fourth and corner forward Daniel McCloskey claimed a late double to add salt into Rossa’s deep wounds from a harrowing afternoon on home turf.
Loughgiel arrived on the Shaws Road as overwhelming favourites and quickly lived up to their tag – James McNaughton claimed goalkeeper Damien Quinn’s puck and fed Odhran McFadden who opened the scoring. McNaughton converted a free for his sides second of the afternoon but in between those scores a vital goal clearance from Michael McGreevy denied Shay Casey a certain goal.
Stephen Beatty’s midfield interception resulted in his sides first score as the midfielder confidently angled his shot to perfection – though Ryan McKee instantly responded to restore Loughgiel’s two-point advantage.
James McNaughton claimed his second after combining with Donal McKinley and on 12 minutes the opening goal arrived at Rossa Park.
Shay Casey pulled the ball back for James McNaughton who unselfishly popped the ball into the path of midfielder Tiernan Coyle on the line and in untidy fashion Coyle scrambled the ball past Danny Murray and into the Rossa net to give his side a 1-04 to 0-01 lead.
Tiarnan Murphy converted a free in response just before the midway point in the half – but it was only brief rest bite as Ryan McKee combined with Daniel McCloskey who picked out the unmarked Eddie McCloskey – McCloskey let fly with a low drive that was superbly turned away by Danny Murray for a point rather than three.
Further points followed off the hurls of James McNaughton, Shay Casey and Daniel McCloskey and on 21 minutes the Shamrock’s scored their second goal of the half.
Declan Gillan popped the ball into the path of Shay Casey who confidently rifled past Murray to put his side 2-08-0-02 ahead.
Tiarnan Murphy should have responded five minutes before the interval, but the youngsters powerful driven shot crashed off the angle of post and crossbar and was cleared. Instead, two converted James McNaughton frees followed as did a superb point from goal scorer Casey as Loughgiel had responded with 1-07 to Murphy’s converted free on the 14th minute.
Two minutes before the break Rossa were cut open for the third time – Danny Murray’s puck-out was straight into the path of James McNaughton who burst forward at pace and passed the ball inside to Shay Casey who lashed the ball to the net to make it 3-11-0-02.
James McNaughton conjured up his third point from play late on and Murphy responded with a converted free but at the break it was one-way traffic as Loughgiel were 3-12-0-03 to the good.
Man of the match Odhran McFadden hand passes the ball away as Tiernan Murphy challenges. Pic by John McIlwaine
Loughgiel picked up where they left off before the break with three scores in succession – Eddie McCloskey was picked out by Damon McMullan and shot between the posts, while half-time substitute Maol Connolly made an instant impact with a point that was quickly followed by Daniel McCloskey’s second of the afternoon.
Tiarnan Murphy got his angles right to claim his third point of the afternoon and first from play – though Maol Connolly responded almost immediately to give his side a 3-15 0-04 by the 40th minute mark.
Loughgiel began to empty their strong bench that included Liam Watson and the former County star marked his introduction to proceedings with a quickfire double of well taken points.
Rossa battled in vein and hit successive points for the first-time in the game around the midway point in the second period.
Matt Devlin popped the ball over the bar and after Padraig McGreevy steered the ball into the path of Thomas Morgan – the corner forward ensured that his shot sailed over the bar.
Shamrock’s substitute Shan McGrath opened his account after fine link-up with Daniel McCloskey and Liam Watson converted a free in response to the hosts double and ten minutes from time the rampant visitors hit their fourth goal of the afternoon.
Substitute McGrath burst onto a through ball and with Danny Murray scurrying out to clear – McGrath confidently dinked the ball over the advancing goal keeper and into the net to make it 4-20-0-06.
With less than five minutes remaining Loughgiel capped a five-star display with a fifth goal, scorer of the first goal – Tiernan Coyle, turned provider and picked out Daniel McCloskey whose blistering shot rattled the net to put his side 5-20-0-06 to the good.
Rossa’s final response came from Thomas Morgan who evaded heavy pressure and shot over the bar after smart combination play from Michael Close.
The hosts’ nightmare afternoon was almost at an end but Loughgiel’s ruthlessness showed no sign of letting up with a further 1-02 in added time.
Maol Connolly shot over the bar from range for his third point since his half-time introduction – Daniel McCloskey then charged through the heart of the Rossa defence and lashed home before claiming the game’s final score in the 63rd minute as referee Kevin Parke brought an extremely one-sided affair to a conclusion with Loughgiel 33-point victors.
Rossa: D Murray, M McGreevy, E O’Neill, M Smith, J Cooley, C Orchin, A Orchin, S Beatty (0-01), P McGreevy, M Devlin (0-01), O McVicker, M Close, T Morgan (0-02), J Reynolds, T Murphy (0-03, 0-02f). Subs: R O’Neill for J Reynolds (42 mins), C McGettigan for M McGreevy (53 mins), C McDonnell for E O’Neill (56 mins).
Loughgiel Shamrocks: D Quinn, P Gillan, N McGarry, R McCloskey, T McCloskey, D McMullan, O McFadden (0-01), T Coyle (1-00), D Gillan, D McKinley, J McNaughton (0-06, 0-03f), R McKee (0-01), D McCloskey (2-02), E McCloskey (0-02), S Casey (2-03). Subs: M Connolly (0-03) for J McNaughton (31 mins), L Watson (0-03, 0-01f), for S Casey (41 mins), S McGrath (1-01) for E McCloskey (41 mins), M McFadden for D Gillan (41 mins), C McMullan for N McGarry(53 mins).
Referee: Kevin Parke (St Endas)
Pics by John McIlwaine